Dear Editor
OP ED Kudos to our very own Police Recruits
Congratulations’ to the Anguilla Police Force on its 41st anniversary and best wishes for your continued success. During this very moment; I join those who I know also feel immense home grown pride, because fifteen (15) of our young people, are police recruits in training; who have answered the call to preserve and protect our island nation of Anguilla. Kudos to these young people, as well as their parents, guardians, teachers, friends and supporters. As sons and daughters of our soil, you are to be commended for leading by example; to make a commitment towards a sustainable career in law enforcement; in order to preserve and protect our island nation of Anguilla.
Young brothers and sisters, your service to Anguilla is bound to turn the tide and become the guiding light that has positive outcomes for you, your peers, your families, friends, supporters, and the communities that you serve across our island nation of Anguilla. I predict that your service as police officers, is bound to spark a culturally conscious home grown pride movement; that will lead more Anguillan young people to follow in your footsteps and pursue sustainable careers in the public service sector as: police officers, teachers, nurses, doctors, dentists, administrators, managers, financial analysts, magistrates, judges (to name a few); in order to prepare our island nation of Anguilla for nation building.
Young brothers and sisters, you are our brightest and best, walk tall and hold your head high. Let it be known that your home grown pride as police officers; means that you will be able to restore and bring about more positive social interaction among our young people. To be more specific, it is bound to send a positive signal to your peers, that you are one of our very own (a police officer living next door); who is dedicated and committed to Anguilla’s safekeeping. Moreover, it sends a message loud and clear, that based on your home grown pride; you will stand in the vanguard and uphold the utmost integrity, as you do due diligence; to preserve and protect the communities across our island nation of Anguilla. Furthermore, I do hope and trust that your peers, as sons and daughters of Anguilla soil; will take a page out of your book to become more conscious; that they too can make a difference. They must understand they have a responsibility and obligation to be of good character and conduct themselves in such a manner; in order to maintain and restore a peaceful quality of life on our island nation of Anguilla.
In terms of my futuristic thinking, I hope that the Government of Anguilla would consider budgetary allocations to offer incentives; in order to attract, recruit, and train our young people for sustainable careers in Anguilla’s public service sector. Not only will such candidates become positive role models for our next generation of public service sector employees; it is also an overall cost savings measure to begin to plan, coordinate recruiting drives to hire and train candidates from within our own ranks.
Once again I commend these young people who are police recruits and wish them every success in their career as police officers. I believe that “each one teach one reach one”. I also commend their parents, guardians and teachers; as well as all those individuals who mentored these young people; towards choosing a sustainable career as a police officers to preserve and protect our island nation of Anguilla. I can only hope and trust that many more of our young people, the sons and daughters of Anguilla soil; will answer the call for sustainable careers to prepare themselves for public service sector careers and nation building.
In closing, as the Hon. Victor Banks said we must “fix it together”. Let us all work together to restore our island nation of Anguilla the crown jewel of the northeastern Caribbean to her traditional greatness.
Name withheld at writer’s request
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
