Officers presented with medals of honour

Officers recently presented with Regional Security System(RSS) medals of honour for humanitarian duties in Dominica, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, have disclosed how natural it was to volunteer for the task.

“If someone needs help and you can give it, why not?,” commented AB 136 Kendy Davis, one of the 45 officers who were bestowed with the medals at the Commissioner of Police Parade on February 6.

The first Parade for the year, held at the Victoria Park last Thursday morning, saw the officers from across multiple Departments in the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force(RSVGPF) being thanked in this way for volunteering to assist in Dominica in 2017.

Davis, who has been in the Coastguard for three years, stated “it just felt right, it was easy.”

Dominica was ravaged by Hurricane Maria when it descended on the island on the night of September 18, 2017, as a category five storm with frightening strength.

Those who offered aid in the days following, got a close-up view of the destruction which it caused.

Thirty-one year old Able Seaman Davis of Evesham, commented to SEARCHLIGHT, “I’ve never been to war or anything, but I’ve seen that over the news and so forth, they drop bombs and the bark got torn off the tree…I saw all that from just natural disaster. The wind literally blew off the bark from the tree and rivers were dry.”

The officer was assigned to security detail, with a duty of keeping the peace, and particularly to prevent the looting of assigned places.

The AB noted that individuals were hostile after the disaster, however, the citizens respected the presence of the RSS and that was enough to calm a situation.

Twenty-six year old Able Seaman 960 Mikhail Herbert of Chateaubeliar, who was also on security detail ,commented that he was “overwhelmed” when he heard they were receiving medals.

Herbert, who also has been in the Force for three years, said it felt “like you meant something, like you did something in life… you actually achieved something in life.”

This was not the first time that the officers were receiving recognition for their help, as Dominicans were consistently thanking them during their three weeks stay there in 2017.

“…The appreciation, the love…you walk down the street in your uniform, they keep telling you thanks, every day. It was overwhelming,” Herbert recalled.

“I volunteered because I always wanted to help people,” the AB explained, revealing that he hadn’t expected to receive a medal.

He made the decision to be part of the team to Dominica after witnessing the destruction on the news, adding that he just wanted to give people comfort while they were facing that situation.

Leaving Dominica, where suffering was still ongoing, was difficult, Herbert said.

Also receiving medals were: Deputy Commissioner of Police, Frankie Joseph; Inspectors of Police, Junior Nero, Grafton Samuel, and Irwin Adams; Station Sergeant, Godwin Charles; Sergeants 593 Karla Timm, 726 Daniel Prescott, 666 Sebastian Francis, and 581 Carl Lewis; Petty Officer 753, Melitha Browne; Leading Seaman 633, Marlon Simon; Corporal 743, Raycon John; PC 742 Gregory Lowman, PC 242 Darron Baptiste, PC 809 Roy Stay, AB 195 Selwyn Isaacs, PC 90 Desron Andrews, AB 950 Myles Sutherland, AB 370 Saville Hackshaw, PC 39 Michael Murray, PC 897 Keshawn Lewis, PC 926 Alfred Pierre, PC 314 Pedro Jobe, PC 650 Vance Wickham, PC 879 Arnaldo Fisher, PC 794 Glenroy Pitt, PC 261 Casrick Garrick, PC 81 Delroy Pompey, PC 833 Garcia Butler, PC 735 Rohan Howard, PC 273 Marxerton Ferdinand, AB 162 Olando Glasgow, AB 940 Maxwell Exeter, PC 514 Utango Stapleton, PC 572 Delroy Peters, PC 292 Kendol Horne, PC 402 Kellon Pierre, PC 731 Eugene Henry, PC 701 Shorn Williams, PC 923 Devern Daniel, PC 134 Hadley Ballantyne, AB 941 Nimroy Laborde, and AB 674 Keron Joseph.