ASP Ballantyne is new CID Chief

There is a new head at the Criminal Investigations Department (C.I.D), and he has a new style of crime fighting.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Brinsley Ballantyne officially took up duties on March 12 as new Chief of the C.I.D, and he is a man on a mission to rid this country of lawlessness.{{more}}

Ballantyne made his intentions crystal clear in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday. The police veteran of 31 years stated that he is one to lead from the front, and feels that his wealth of experience and technique will help in effective crime fighting. “I am not the type of officer to be in the office all the time. I want to be involved. I believe in being out in the field more,” Ballantyne said.

High on his list of priorities is on the job training for the officers in his department. “My priority is to get training for my officers, which is very important if we are to tackle the issue of crime effectively in this country,” he commented. He said that the on the job training opportunities have always been available but were not often embraced, and that is one of the areas on which much emphasis will be placed.

Addressing the crime situation in this country, the stalwart said that each case should be treated on its own merit in order for there to be any progress. “Investigation is my thing, and I think with my new approach, I would boost investigations in this department,” Ballantyne stated.

Holding firm on his immediate plans, Ballantyne vowed to do his utmost to minimize crime as much as possible with the manpower available. He said that the presence of more manpower in the field would help to solve more crimes. “I am hoping to revive the C.I.D and see how much we can cope with the little human resource we have,” he stated.

Before heading C.I.D, Ballantyne was commander of the Eastern Division of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force for two years. The CID Chief added that while he served 31 years in the force, it was his first stint at C.I.D. He noted that it was always a dream of his to work there since most of his time was spent at the outstations of the country.

Ballantyne has received training in several courses, including Investigation, Prosecution and Conflict Management in Washington D.C and Barbados, among others. He was the first prosecutor at the Family Court at its inception in 1995.

Ballantyne takes over from Assistant Commissioner of Police Lenroy Brewster.(KW)