West End, in the tourism belt of Anguilla, is continuing to lead the other communities in pressing for a greater police presence as a means of enhancing law and order there. The move is being spurred by a group of business and community folk with the Elected Representative, Mr. Cardigan Connor, pushing forward the idea on their behalf and protection.
The matter was again the subject of much discussion at a recent meeting which followed the shooting death of a young man at West End. “It was a meeting which the business owners and community of West End had with the Commissioner of Police,” Mr. Connor told The Anguillian. “It was to take the matter forward and to come up with a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the Commissioner of the Royal Anguilla Police Force and the business owners. I am sure that all of the community at West End, and throughout Anguilla, understands the importance of working with the police in order to prevent crime taking place and also solving some of the crimes that have occurred.
“The idea of the meeting was to exchange ideas. As we go forward, the business community of West End, along with the Commissioner of Police, will sit down and come up with an understanding of how best to make this work…If any adjustments or amendments are to be made, then that will be done.”
At this stage, while the discussions are still continuing, it is not possible to disclose what the MOU will include except that, among the suggestions, there will be police patrols in the West End/Long Bay area. “It is just getting an understanding of what is expected of the police,” Mr. Connor said. “I am sure you will get a chance to read it at some point, but it is about policing that answers to the Commissioner, or the Royal Anguilla Police Force, and not to the business owners in West End. The idea is that the police patrol the streets of West End/Long Bay, and if there is a need for back-up, on certain crimes, they would call in to headquarters. It means that rather than having a situation where you have to call to headquarters in The Valley, in the first place, within two or three minutes, or just around the corner, you will have the police presence.
“It is something that everybody in West End, and probably in every district, understands is needed, given the rate that serious crime is taking place. We just really need to make sure that we can avoid crime taking place first of all – and if it happens, for us to be able to solve it as soon as possible.”
Apart from the current discussion about police patrols, there are also talks about having an actual police outpost in West End – and there are offers from one or two properties there to provide the needed accommodation space. “As time goes on, we would like to think that we can have a police outpost in West End itself, and we are very grateful to the business owners for volunteering an office there for police officers to use. This is the type of support that the Government and the Royal Police Force need,” Mr. Connor.
He added: “As we go forward working with the business owners and the community in District 7, and throughout Anguilla, I think it shows that we are doing our part to assist the officers of the Royal Anguilla Police Force rather than pointing out their shortcomings.”
