Superintendent Brinsley Ballantyne to retire this year

Veteran law enforcement officer Brinsley Ballantyne, has proceeded on pre-retirement leave after serving the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force with distinction for a period spanning 36 years.{{more}}

The Superintendent of Police (SOP), whose pre-retirement leave took effect earlier this month, will conclude on Tuesday, December 31, 2013.

SOP Ballantyne, in an interview with the Police Public Relations and Complaints Department, said he had always looked forward to this phase of life.

“I recognized that one day I would have to leave office,” said SOP Ballantyne, noting that it was only when he listened to the farewells from his many colleagues that he realized how many lives he had touched by contributing to their development as police officers.

SOP Ballantyne said he harnessed most of his skills in policing at the various outstations where he worked and suggested that persons interested in a policing career should seek such an opportunity, because it will allow them to deal with many different types of crimes and people of all walks of life.

“At the outstations, you are a criminal investigator, a fireman, an immigration officer. You have to deal with offences relating to drugs, and you have to do patrols. You can get to touch on every aspect of policing,” said SOP Ballantyne.

SOP Ballantyne said of the 36 years and six months that he has spent on the job, less than five of those years were spent at the Central Police Station, Kingstown. He said when his pre-retirement leave ends on December 31, 2013, his service will be shy of 37 years by three days. SOP Ballantyne, along with 25 other persons, was enlisted in the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force on January 4, 1977. From that batch he is the only one that achieved the feat of serving as Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police.

He said during his tenure, he served under seven different Commissioners of Police: Commissioners O’Garro, Jackson, Constantine, Toussaint, Quow, Harry and Miller.

The veteran police officer, who hails from Sandy Bay, said that his contact numbers are accessible to police officers so that they can reach him at any time.

“I will not close any doors on any police. I also told the Deputy I’ll make myself available to do lectures, because I have a vast amount of knowledge to pass on,” said Ballantyne, adding “if I am to live my life all over again, I’ll do nothing else than being a police officer.”

To his successor, Ballantyne said: “In order to do proper policing you must know the people you are policing. Whenever there is a serious crime, you must be a part of the investigating team. You must try and get first-hand knowledge of what transpired.”

SOP Ballantyne expressed thanks to his wife, Winnifred Ballantyne, for “sticking with me and for understanding my job, for being at my side and being with me for the past 36 years through thick and thin, good days and bad days.” He also expressed gratitude to his mentor, ex-Superintendent of Police Alrick Wright, for helping him to become the police officer that he is today. SOP Ballantyne also said thanks to the many persons whom he had the opportunity to serve.

“I am happy to be going into retirement knowing that I am satisfied that I have done well for the organization and for St Vincent and the Grenadines.”