Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 09, 2016 (SKNIS): Manpower and other law enforcement resources in St. Kitts and Nevis will be reorganized over the next four years as part of key reforms in the overall strategy to improve citizen security and boost public confidence in the Police in the twin-island Federation.
The moves are highlighted in the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) Improved Service Delivery Plan 2015-2016, and the Police Strategic Plan 2016-2019 that were presented to, and endorsed in principle, by the Federal Cabinet on Wednesday (January 06).
Changes are forthcoming in the areas of Service Improvement; Crime; Operations; and Administration, Resources, Technology and Intelligence (ART&I) which have been divided into four directorates. Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, said the concentration of ART&I and the Improved Service Delivery Plan are new to the organization.
Information featured in the Plans reveals that the Service Improvement Directorate “will be at the forefront of managing the performance and professional standards of the Federation’s police officers and staff.” Responsibility for training will also fall under this directorate.
The Crime Directorate “will be responsible and accountable for all ethical and efficient investigation and detection.” A main priority will be to “reduce and detect homicides and firearm crimes” which have been a major concern for government and security officials. The directorate will also assume a lead role in executing the agency’s Six Point Plan which continues to produce positive results since its implementation in July 2015.
Enhancing community policing, road safety and public protection falls under the jurisdiction of the Operations Directorate. It will support “the reduction of serious crimes by conducting proactive and continuous patrols on the streets and in communities.”
Accountability for the everyday running of the Police Force’s background support services will be the responsibility of the ART&I Directorate. It will ensure that “officers and staff are adequately resourced, staffed and supported and that all police stations and outposts are efficiently managed and maintained.
In a previous address, Prime Minister Harris, who also serves as the Federation’s national security minister, said the ministry received the “largest ever allocation” in the 2016 Recurrent Budget to facilitate ongoing investment in training, retooling, science and technological investment and crime-fighting applications.
Dr. Harris has also consistently praised the efforts of the local Police High Command, the RSCNPF’s rank and file, personnel from other public safety agencies, and the Bramshill Policing Advisers from the United Kingdom for their hard work and dedication to citizen safety in St. Kitts and Nevis.
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