Judging from the large turnout of young people and adults to bid farewell to the late Constable Ichal Tafari Mockett, the Royal Anguilla Police Force may well be succeeding in its public relations efforts to promote and achieve a strong and supportive relationship between the community and the police.
That was seen on Sunday, November 20, when many young men and young women, in particular, gathered at the Mount Fortune Seventh-day Adventist Church for the well-planned and executed military-styled procession and thanksgiving service.
Two lines of uniformed personnel, stretching for some 300 feet, stood on the White Ground Road as the procession and the carriage bearing the policeman’s body travelled to the church. There were contingents representing the Royal Anguilla Police Force; the Immigration and Customs Departments; Her Majesty’s Prison; the Anguilla Rescue and Fire Service; the Cadets Corps; the St. Maarten Coast Guard; the St. Maarten Voluntary Korps; the Pathfinders; and the Parent/Teacher Association and students at the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School.
The police officer, who was born on March 29, 1980, died on October 30, 2016, when a private truck he was driving collided with a utility pole at Sandy Ground. Among the capacity crowd at the funeral were representatives of the Governor’s Office and the Government of Anguilla. The actual funeral service followed an extended period of tributes from family members, police officers and members of the community. The eulogy was delivered by the late policeman’s brother, Valentino Muckett, who traced the deceased’s life and upbringing in St. Vincent his homeland, until his arrival in Anguilla when he joined the police force in December 2004. He also spoke about his wife, Cindy Webster-Mockett, children, and other family members. “We are now saying our final goodbyes to Ichal Tafari Mockett, a brother, a son, a father, a husband and a friend,” he concluded his eulogy. “Let us focus on and treasure the good memories that this man has left with us. Remember him as the man who gave everything to everyone, and took nothing for himself.”
The Formal Remembrance was delivered by Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Morrison. He said in part: “[Mockett] was the epitome of what a police officer should be: a respected, trusted associate to those who worked with him; and a generous, caring friend to the countless people with whom he came into contact on a daily basis. He touched many lives. He was true to his cause of creating a better, safer and more secure life for everyone. He never wavered. He always went the extra mile…His passing has caused us to appreciate where the heart and soul of the RAPF is. It is in the compassion we show for our staff, the sacrifices they make and the lengths they go to deliver a safe Anguilla.”
Acting Governor, Mr. Perin Bradley, expressed condolence to the late officer’s family, and his colleagues, on behalf of Governor Christina Scott who has responsibility for the police. He described Mockett “as always pleasant and respectful and of a very pleasing disposition.” He encouraged those who knew him to cherish his memory and the stories they shared.
The officiating Minister was Pastor Trent Berg who extended condolences to Mockett’s bereaved family including his mother (Peggy-Ann Muckett), colleagues and friends. He encouraged them to “look out for each other” and offered comforting words during the delivery of his sermon. He was preceded by visiting Pastor James Harrigan who offered a Prayer of Comfort.
The deceased policeman was laid to rest at Sandy Ground Cemetery where, like the procession to the church, he was accorded full military honours.
Mockett was the second member of the Royal Anguilla Police Force to have died following a vehicular accident. The first was Constable Gerald Bardouille, a native of the Commonwealth of Dominica. He died when the patrol vehicle he was driving collided in the Magistrate’s Courthouse while returning to Police Headquarters. That incident was on April 8, 2006.
Internal note: Some family members are “Muckett”, others “Mockett”)
