Final warning – Turn in firearms

As the Carnival celebrations wind down, Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller, is giving persons in possession of illegal firearms a final warning to turn them in or face the consequences.

“If you know you have firearms in your possession, if you do not want to take them to the police station in your district, if you do not feel comfortable taking them to Mr. Brewster, the officer who is in charge of crime, if you do not feel like taking them to Mr. Pompey the deputy commissioner…at least have some confidence in me, bring them to me. If not, once we have the intelligence we are coming for the weapon,” warned Miller at a press conference staged on Friday, June 30.{{more}}

Miller said recently that the police were forced to dispatch officers in areas that were reported as having high incidences of gun-related activities. Some of these missions he said were successful in recovering the firearms.

This year the police have been working in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture to make Vincy Mas as free from violence as possible. As a result, several new measures have been introduced.

Miller said the police have recognized that though they have over the years been putting measures in place to guard against weapons entering the capital, persons were still resorting to the use of bottles to inflict injuries on persons.

“Can you imagine police officers putting themselves in strategic points …doing all the extensive searches, taking away the knives, the bottles and in some instances guns only to be defeated by the use of bottles right in the town?” said Miller.

He noted this is one of the main reasons why the ‘No Bottle Policy’ was introduced. A ban on all glass bottles and glass containers at any Carnival-designated areas.

Come Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Miller said the aim is to have a smoother flow of bands around Kingstown. He said this year police officers will be marshalling the musical bands. He said flags will be used in some areas to control the traffic.

Miller asked homeowners to secure their properties before leaving home and be in communication with their neighbours to avoid having their homes broken in by thieves.

“Thieves have formed themselves into a thief watch scheme because as soon as house owners turn their backs you have these thieves who want to move in and take out what house owners would have worked long and hard for,” said Miller as he implored people to form neighbourhood watch schemes.

He said after carnival all senior officers and a representative of every rank in the police force

will meet at a retreat to discuss how to deal with the crime situation in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.