BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (SKNIS) – The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force welcomed the addition of six new vehicles to its fleet today, Thursday, March 7, 2024, with a seventh vehicle expected to join the fleet shortly.
Prime Minister and Minister of National, the Honourable Dr Terrance Drew symbolically handed over the keys to Commissioner of Police, James Sutton, during a brief exchange at the Police Training Complex.
Addressing members of the media during the March 07 edition of ‘The Roundtable’, Prime Minister Dr Drew said this significant investment forms part of the Ministry of National Security’s broader strategic plan to expand surveillance capabilities across the country.
“This would allow law enforcement officers to be more effective in terms of coverage in the communities and so forth,” Dr Drew said while noting that the ministry expects this to result in better security for all.
The national security minister noted further that his administration has made other significant investments to strengthen the national security framework in St. Kitts and Nevis. These include upgrades being made at the Police Training Complex, the expansion of the CCTV programme, as well as the reopening of the Dieppe Bay Police Station. The prime minister also pointed out that as the Federal Government, his administration has also initiated work on the Charlestown Police Station in Nevis and has re-commenced construction on the police training centre at Lime Kiln.
“So we have invested significantly in national security and we will continue to invest to make sure that our people are as safe as possible,” Prime Minister Drew said, while stressing that emphasis is also being placed on strengthening its community policing initiative and the human resource capacity.
Dr Drew noted that “For the first time in a long time the High Command of the Police Force is decked out, including the addition of an extra ACP [Assistant Commissioner of Police], because community policing will be a fundamental pillar of policing here in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Of the seven new vehicles handed over to the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force on Thursday, two will be sent across for use by the Nevis Division. One will also be assigned for use by the Joint Security Operations Tactical Team.
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