Anguilla’s highly-respected Commissioner of Police, Mr Rudolph Daniel Proctor, has delivered what is believed to be his last address in that capacity for Police Week. With 31 years’ of service on his record, he announced that he will be retiring on May 9, 2015. Following is the text of his radio address on Monday, January 26:
“Citizens, Residents and Visitors of Anguilla during the week of 25th January to 31st January, 2015 the Royal Anguilla Police Force will be celebrating Police Week and its 43rd Anniversary under the theme “Ready to protect, proud to be of service, relentless In our pursuit of safety and justice”.
“The Royal Anguilla Police Force over its 43 year history has always maintained its commitment to service and the pursuit of justice for the people who lived, worked and visited our beautiful homeland.
“While the task of policing in this island has never been an easy one for the men and Women who proudly wear the uniform of the RAPF, the officers continue to be focus and deliberate in their service to its community. Despite the many challenges faced we continue to give of our best to be effective and efficient in the discharging of our duties.
“Many of us continue to go beyond the call of duty in our commitment to service to the Anguillian community, while working within the parameters of the resources at our disposal and the laws that govern our society. There have been times when we encountered challenges and difficulties in our pursuit of justice and needed public support to assist in overcoming these hurdles but I must hasten to say many times public support was lacking.
“There are those in our society who continue to work towards creating divisions and barriers between the police and the community for their own selfish and criminal means. This will not deter us from engaging with you and be assured we are your friends, the ones who hold the lines between you the public and those who want to disrupt society through criminality. There have been many changes in the level of criminality in our society and every day there is another crime issue to deal with that is different to the day before.
“The RAPF remains steadfast in its approach and commitment and will deal with every crime issue as it emerges. We have seen a reduction in overall crime reporting for 2014 which is a clear indication that your police force is working to suppress, reduce and ultimately eradicate some aspects of crime in our society. The Royal Anguilla Police Force will continue to lead the fight against crime, violence and anti-social behavior on this island, but I must warn that we cannot do this by ourselves; there is a role for you the public to play in this fight. Our society needs us working together in partnership, if we fail to heed these warnings from law-enforcement our little nation can easily be overrun by those whose only aim is to disrupt peaceful societies for their criminal gains.
“The public cannot stand by and witness crime and violence, say nothing and do nothing, and expect that the police force will be able to identify the perpetrators for every crime that occurs in our community. What you see and hear is critically important to police investigations and ultimately a successful prosecution. If you don’t assist in helping the police department to bring a resolution to these crime issues that you witness, and if you refuse to do anything about it, you will continue to see an escalation in these issues. I urge all, who call this beloved island home, those who share the passion and love for Anguilla, to stand up and pledge your support in assisting in the fight against crime and violence on our island.
“We must consider what a strong force we can be collectively if we are supportive of each other, in a fight against crime and the senseless acts of violence that have disrupted the lives of so many families in our society; created a negative image of our island; and impacted our way of life as we know it. As we reflect on the year 2014, and the many challenges that confronted us as a people and as a Police Force, there is no doubt that etched in our memories would be the senseless deaths of those three young people whose lives were taken as a result of violence and the use of illegal firearms. My heartfelt sympathies are with their families, while I appeal to those who can assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice to come forward and do so.
“I must however, thank those members of our community who went beyond the call of duty to assist the Royal Anguilla Police Force to bring the perpetrators of some of the violent incidents to justice. Your commitment to assist the Royal Anguilla Police Force re-enforces what partnership can achieve when we work together to eradicate crime and violence from our communities.
“This will be the last time that I will be addressing you on the anniversary of the Police Force and therefore I take this opportunity to say thank you to all who have support the Force over the last five years during my time as Commissioner of Police. The support given was greatly appreciated and it afforded us the opportunity to respond to the needs of the community. I urge you to continue to give this support to my successor and the men and women of the Royal Anguilla Police Force. I have served this country and its people for 31 years as a Police Officer. I am proud of my service and have no regrets about the decisions I made on behalf of the Royal Anguilla Police Force. Today, as I prepare to depart, our Force is better equipped to deal with some of the challenges we face and will face in the future. If I had taken the advice, or yield to the wishes of some, we would not have received the equipment and training that we are now the beneficiaries of. Anguilla now stands ready to benefit from these decisions.
“Through this medium, I am happy to thank the Governor’s Office and the Government of Anguilla for their support during my tenure as Commissioner of Police for providing the resources for us to discharge our obligations as a law enforcement organization. Without your support my job would have been extremely difficult. On the 9th May 2015, I will leave this job firstly as a Police Officer, and secondly, as the Commissioner of Police and I take my place in history. While I can safely say I enjoyed policing and my heart will always be with the men and women in the Royal Anguilla Police Force, this is where policing ends for me.
“I would now like to take this opportunity to commend my officers for the good work of maintaining law and order under such difficult circumstances. I must also state there were some officers who fell short of their obligation. However, I encourage you to change your attitude and raise the bar since it is our duty to help make Anguilla safer and by extension we are paid to do so.
“Finally, I wish to thank the people of Anguilla for their support for the Police Force under my command. There were those individuals who stood by me and the RAPF through thick and thin. Thank you and God Bless you and Anguilla.”
