Police force filling in gaps for Hurricane Season Blackmoore says

Police officers in Dominica after Hurricane Maria last year

Minister for National Security, Rayburn Blackmoore has said the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force is filling in the gaps and is prepared for this year’s Hurricane season.

According to him with climate change, the Caribbean almost cannot predict weather events and everyone must be prepared.

“I think we have to not only from a law enforcement standpoint, but every citizen have to properly prepare…that is why I think going forward that we have made a request for, with of course equipment and hopefully if that comes through this will help in the effort to respond by before we respond we have to be prepared,” he stated.

Blackmoore said that increasing the strength of the police force is very important.

He said further that transport [mobility] is critical and police stations are being repaired.

“We are trying to get the police stations covered, repaired,” he stated.

Blackmoore went on to say that communication is also very critical.

“One of the things that actually happened after Maria that there was a total shutdown of communication,” Blackmoore explained. “So we want to ensure that we have our radio systems properly setup…”

He said the police force is working with the fire department and the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) where a number of training exercises are being held in terms of search and rescue to ensure that first responders compliment the effort of the police and others.

“It has to be a partnership also forged with all the relevant agencies,” he said.

Meantime, he revealed that presently there is a new batch of police recruits being trained and very soon more recruits will do the same.

“We have actually started the training programme and the intention is to start immediately thereafter to train another batch of officers and to ensure we have proper coverage,” Blackmoore said.

The police force was heavily criticized following widespread looting in the wake of Hurricane Maria last year.

The Dominica Employers Federation (DEF) has called for an inquiry into what it described as the “impotency of the security forces in Dominica” in the days following Hurricane Maria.

The Dominica Business Forum (DBF) has also called for a public inquiry into the matter.

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18 Comments

  1. Gigs
    June 21, 2018

    A mesage for mr blackmoor and his police

    Twenty ton excavators runing race on the west coast road taking out cat eys .for points on the tarmac ,
    Quary truks with huge tyres from west indies agregates runing race no insurance no licence no bumper to stop di police car from going under it or a child .
    Right infront of the colihaut police station a excavator pass what more evidence do you need mr police officer?and now you want to tell me you going to police a huricain.bull ****.
    Ther is no equality nor justice in a d lan.mr blackmoor.

  2. DA, WHAT'S UP
    June 20, 2018

    I suggest that a thorough review of our national securityis crutial. This should be one of the first steps to recovery in the aftermath of huricane Maria to include hopitals, shelters, airport, volnerable busineses,food storage facilities, electrical and waterplants, ports of entry etc. qualified personel in securty force must be ready to present a comprihensive plan to the security minister, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition for their imput and approval. Please my people, hurricane has no boundaries, lets put country first!!

  3. AInt
    June 20, 2018

    Blackmoore, you are clearly as incompetent as they are.

  4. LaPlaine Observer
    June 20, 2018

    It is obvious that the Police is unprepared for the hurricane season based on Blackmoore’s own statement. Blackmoore said, ” we have made a request for, with of course equipment and hopefully IF THAT COMES THROUGH this will help in the effort to respond by before we respond we have to be prepared.” How can you be prepared when you don’t even have the necessary equipment? So you are NOT prepared. You still have not addressed the two weeks of looting, without any Police intervention.

  5. Toto
    June 20, 2018

    Ah Raymond you are just Roosevelt little boy. You are the Minister responsible for national security but he did not take you to Suriname with him to have talks with their Minister of defence, like he did. But he took Reggie Thomas, our failed architect of abattoir and coffee plant instead, to talk about bananas and coconut oil. Is Suriname a leader in the export of bananas and coconut oil? How important is our national and regional security? Roosevelt not taking you serious my boy.

  6. Franky
    June 19, 2018

    Boss u damn lie they filling gaps for general election…

  7. Charles
    June 19, 2018

    Blackmoore explained, “So we want to ensure that we have our radio systems properly setup…”Mr. Minister maybe some one should tell you that the most reliable communication methods during storms are via text messaging and ham operators not radio at this time. Or maybe Skerro can ask one of his adopted Chinese uncles to set up a satellite. These guys don’t know what they are talking about…… on critical issues of life and death. Do you have helicopters to transport people from the rural areas to the hospital in town in as much as the roads will be impassable Mr. Minister?

  8. Jonathan Y St Jean
    June 19, 2018

    Didn’t we hear the same thing prior to hurricane Maria? Talk is cheap

  9. roy
    June 19, 2018

    Discipline, discipline, discipline.
    Importantly, we must learn from the past. Because if we don’t, we would be chumps.
    For a start, a robust zero tolerance to looting must be conveyed to the would-be looters

  10. Shut-your-mouth Law
    June 19, 2018

    Hurricane shelters all over Dominica have been seriously damaged and out of commission from hurricane Maria.

    Another hurricane season is on us and no hurricane shelter has been repaired. . Many houses are still uncovered, people are still living under tarpaulins about 10 months after Maria ravaged the Island. Citizens are concerned about where to go in case another storm strikes.

    Skerritt told the Nation that an equipment would be obtained to handle galvanise, up to now.

    Skerritt and his Cabal, do not care whether hurricane shelters are ready or built to save lives and protect people, but they are busy,, solely occupied with, doing anything possible to stay in POWER.

    The proposed rushing of such DRACONIAN, ruthless, Law in Parliament on Monday, June 25th., is aimed at just that and to harass patriots. Just like the -Shut-your-Mouth-Bill, that law is to victimize and curtail our FREEDOM.

    NEVER AGAIN SLAVERY !!!! Dictators will not be allowed to take hold.

    • Paul Rossnof
      June 20, 2018

      All you have one more chance only to avoid the dictator taken the country completely over and that is the next election. Skerrit knows that too and you all can be assured he will pull out all stops to ensure he wins. Be watchful and don’t sell your votes!!

    • Me
      June 20, 2018

      Honourable death is preferable to life under miserable subjugation. Our own history has taught us that.

  11. Toto
    June 19, 2018

    Just like they were filling the gaps when they let looting go on unhindered after hurricane Maria?

  12. Neville
    June 19, 2018

    Oh please. Last your you all were prepared as well according to your master. We all know what happened then, exactly the people that are being paid for protecting businesses and civilians were seen looting. Worse even, none of them was arrested let alone prosecuted. So please Blackmoore stop your propaganda. We don’t trust you, we don’t trust Skerrit and we certainly don’t trust your ‘police’.
    The DPF has been degraded to nothing but a private army for Skerrit. So, there you have it.

    • Neville
      June 20, 2018

      Should read: last year you all…

  13. June 19, 2018

    That’s a big joke, they said the same thing last year, and look what happen, put up or shut up, Carbon sits in his air condition office and get paid 4 doing nothing up till now he has not come out and addres the Dominican people who pay his salary, that’s tells you how much he thinks about the people he swear to serve , when are we gonna wake up from that drunken stopper?.

  14. weh
    June 19, 2018

    So who is going to be held accountable for the looting that took place during hurricane maria, or is this going to get swept under the rug?

    • deadpirate
      June 20, 2018

      For true,,skeritt blackmore,,eick an should be ashame after maria,

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