With two gun-related crimes in Anguilla for the year, so far, Governor Tim Foy, OBE, who has responsibility for the police and security, has disclosed that he is seeking assistance from the UK Government for crime-solving equipment.
The Governor was speaking in an interview with Keithstone Greaves on Radio Anguilla on Monday, February 11. He was responding to the shooting deaths of Jalique Sasso, 22, at South Hill on January 10, and Jovann Francis, 30, on February 9, in the area of the Food Strip.
“I have spent a lot of time talking to the Police Commissioner about these two issues because gun crime and serious crime have always been of the greatest concern to people,” Governor Foy stated. “Fundamentally, Anguilla remains a safe island but none of us take that for granted. I think the key issue that we face now in tackling crime, and these two crimes in particular, is the willingness of the public to come forward and to actually support the police in terms of giving the information that is necessary to allow prosecution to be made. That is one of the principal problems we have. In terms of longer term security issues, we will continue to invest heavily in the RAPF (Royal Anguilla Police Force).”
Asked what he meant, he explained: “The specific things we are looking at now are the use of tasers which the police have been issued with, and training for that will happen shortly. We are also looking very seriously at the installation of close circuit television around the island. There are mixed feelings about it. Some people will think it is an invasion of privacy, but for the police, it is vital because you can see when people are moving – it gives you the means to collaborate or challenge alibis, to see who is moving and at what time.
“So these are the three areas: continuing to invest in training and making sure the police have the resources they need to be mobile; that we give them the necessary resources to protect themselves when they challenge people who are carrying firearms; and that we move to some form of close circuit television. These are all things I am talking to the UK Government about, to make happen in Anguilla in 2019.”
The Governor said the request for assistance would be made to the UK Government in time for its financial year beginning in April 2019. He was “pretty confident that we will be able to get the equipment.” He added that he was looking forward, as well, to partnering with the private sector including major investors on the island.
