A corporal of police was, on Wednesday, charged with burglary and indecent assault.
The officer became the fourth — all corporals — to be charged under the criminal code over the past two weeks.
The Police Public Relations and Complaints Department did not name the officer in a regular press statement, issued on Wednesday.
However, some media outlets have identified him as Keith Lewis.
The press statement said that the officer appeared before the Family Court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was granted bail in the sum of EC$5,000 with one surety.
The statement said:
“The police high command will like to reassure the members of the general public that under no circumstances does the organization condone any unlawful acts being perpetrated by a member of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force against any member of the general public. As police officers we took an oath and have a vested responsibility to protect the citizens.”
Last week Thursday, Dec. 5, Corporal Enkem Richards, of Colonarie, saw burglary and criminal trespass charges against him dismissed after the complainant declined to offer evidence.
Richards was charged in connection with an alleged Nov. 25, incident in which he reportedly had an altercation with his wife.
Richards is said to have entered a neighbour’s property in pursuit of his wife, who is alleged to have gone there in an attempt to escape from him.
Richards’ wife reportedly decided not to press charges against her husband, who she alleged had threatened and choked her.
Two other corporals are facing rape charges.
Corporal Derek Humphrey, of Chauncey, has been charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl who told police that he raped her in his vehicle on Nov. 24 after having collected her at a house where she had gone, overnight, to avoid sexual assault at her home.
Separately, Corporal Michael Lynch, of Peter’s Hope, originally of Layou, has been charged with rape of a woman who was in protective custody as she is a witness for the state in a murder case.
Both Lynch and Humphrey have been granted bail and have been suspended from duty pending the outcome of their matters.
Kodos to Commissioner Collin John. It seems as if he is cleaning up the Police Force. Every Policeman must serve with integrity and honesty. That’s how you win the public’s confidence and trust. Proper Professional Standards is the hallmark of good policing.
Your life outside the uniform is equally important as when you are in uniform. The vast majority of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force consist of descent men and women. We must weed out the bad eggs.
When the head rotten you have to expect the rest to follow. The police are simply a section of the public, when the public rotten you have to expect the police to be rotten.
what say you comrade?
We could wait until “they” torch another Records-archive Building in Kingstown. This police problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. If a prime minister is accused of rape then nothing becomes of it; no investigation or trial, then the rest of his followers will do and expect the same. Colin is no better even he was accused of indecent advances unbecoming a policeman by one of his subordinates. Then nothing happened. Royal St.Vincent Police Force. That sounds like a royal joke to me.