Sergeant 740 Biorn Duncan of the Major Crimes Unit, recognised by his colleagues and superiors as one of the nation’s top detectives, celebrated 20 years of enlistment in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force on Tuesday.
Duncan, a former member of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cadet Force, enrolled in the constabulary a few months after graduating from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.
On the day that marked 20 years of police service, Duncan charged Iran Stapleton, of Petit Bordel and Redemption Sharpes for murder — the sixth murder charge that the detective has laid this year.
Duncan’s skills as a detective have been recognised locally and regionally even as he is widely esteemed for respecting the rights of the people he investigates and charges.
In 2023, Duncan was adjudged the second-best crime fighter from 25 member countries in the Caribbean.
At home, Duncan was adjudged the Policeman of the Year 2022 but was overlooked for promotion in 2023, as was the case with Corporal Lafleur Williams, who was adjudged the Policewoman of the Year 2022.
In August, acting Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for crime-fighting, Trevor Bailey aka Buju, told iWitness News’ Kenton Chance it was “hard for me to respond” to a question about why the police officers of the year were not promoted.
Chance, acting as sit-in host on Jomo Thomas’ “Voices” on WE FM, had also noted that prosecutors acting Corporal Shamrock Pierre and Corlene Samuel had been overlooked for promotion.
“I will answer you this way. All of the four persons mentioned merit their promotion,” Bailey said, noting that Pierre had been acting as a corporal for seven years.
“But I think the next time promotion is published in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, I am almost sure that that wrong would be corrected,” said Bailey, an experienced detective.
“That can’t continue. I can’t see it continuing,” he said and described Duncan as “our best detective”.
Duncan has been assigned to the Major Crimes Unit for 17 years, during which time his investigations have led to over 10 murder convictions and several others for manslaughter.
He was among the detectives involved in the case in which contract killers Schemel Dunbar aka Jacket and Kendine Douglas aka Hoodie as well as the mastermind, Richard Francis aka Carib were sentenced for the May 4, 2017 murder of Police Constable Danroy Cozier, 26, and his 19-year-old brother, Nicholas Cozier.
Duncan was also among the detectives who investigated the case in which George Franklyn aka Chocolate, of Campden Park, murdered his wife and neighbour in March 2011, for which he was sentenced to 114 years in prison.
The detective was also part of the team that investigated the murder of Cuban-Vincentian nurse Arianna Taylor-Israel by her husband, Mitchel Israel at their son’s school in Kingstown on Jan. 30, 2020.
Duncan has also cracked several fraud cases, including a scam in which Tedroy Mc Cree defrauded several people from whom he had taken money, promising to send them to work on cruise ships.
The prosecutor in that case, Adolphus Delplesche had praised Duncan’s investigation, saying the then corporal “followed every lead, he left no stone unturned and following a thorough investigation process, Corporal Duncan was able to arrest this defendant and charge him for several offences of deception.
“… It is important that people know, the world knows that we have good investigators in St. Vincent; top of the line, Interpol style. I’m serious,” Delplesche, a former detective, had said in December 2018 after the conclusion of the case.
More recently, Duncan was a lead investigator in the case in which Mitra-Ann Prescott, a clerk assigned to Police Headquarters was jailed over a tyre-purchase scam through which she stole EC$154,300 from the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Twenty years and still a sergeant? That’s a shame.
His calmness and the way he treats the public is exceptional. I wish you all the best Surt