The First Dominican Born Chief of Police

The First Dominica Born Police Chief –Damase Philbert being awarded the Colonial Service Medal by British Administrator of Dominica Col Alec Lovelace upon his elevation to Chief in 1964
The First Dominica Born Police Chief –Damase Philbert being awarded the Colonial Service Medal by British Administrator of Dominica Col Alec Lovelace upon his elevation to Chief in 1964

It is 1969 and the pungent aroma of freshly cut grass filter into our tender nostrils, as we give the “eyes right!” in salute. We are the neatly dressed boys and girls of the Roseau Mixed Infant School – commonly known as “Mix School.” As we swing by the Governor, Sir Louis Cools Lartigue we glimpse a ramrod straight black man, a gleaming black leather bandoleer cross-wise across his white tunic; a white pith helmet  with a sparkling silver spike atop his head; a proud and dignified presence of authority. That is Dominica’s new Chief of Police Damase Philbert of LaPlaine.

Damase Philbert’s name, though little remembered today, should be noted in the history of our nation as the first local to become Chief of Police. Prior, all of Dominica’s Chiefs of Police were from England, with the exception of the Jamaican born Chief Cousins who was the first black person to hold that position. Cousins was Jamaican – as was the first black administrator of Dominica (1952-1959) Sir Henry Lawrence Lindo, Jamaica’s Rhodes Scholar of 1931. Lindo Park in Goodwill is named after that administrator.

Damase Henry Philbert was born on December 11, 1916. He was the son of Jouassaint Henry Philbert and Marianna Francis. The first of eighteen children; only seven survived into adulthood. He died on January 1st 1987.  Some of his sibling were: Jerome ( also a police officer – he took  early medical retirement);  Sylvester (former fire chief of Dominica); Imbert (tailored all the Police and Defense force uniforms);  Augustin ( UK resident)  and Louisa ( only surviving sibling). His brother Bernard and sister Ruthine passed on in the early 1960s.

Philbert was married to Elizabeth Bruney and had Malcolm, Patricia, Albert, Winston, Francis, Denis, Sherril, Vincent and Harrigan with his wife.

A deeply spiritual man who grew up as an acolyte, he became closely affiliated with the church through his Aunt who worked with the resident priests. She was also a teacher and encouraged him along with her son Osmond Georges (former Head master) and cousin Banes Winston to spend their time in acquiring knowledge from the limited supply of books at her disposal in the Presbytery. Much to the chagrin of his mother who was hoping that he would grow up and take over the gardening duties as all the other village boys, Damase joined the teaching service in 1936

His teaching career was short lived however, when he got the opportunity to move away from the restrictions of village life and venture into Roseau to work at the Botanical Gardens. From there he accepted a position in the Police Force at the urging of a friend in 1940.

He remained true to the church through the years but attended service very rarely. However, he made monetary contributions to the church and provided acolyte uniforms on an ongoing basis.  “I want to see my pilot face to face when I cross the bar,” he would say. That was his way of stating that he wanted to give a good account of himself before God, once he passed over the River Jordan.

Mr. Philbert was a stern father and drilled into his children the values of keeping ones word, truthfulness, honesty and kindness to others. His daughter Patricia recalled that he was constantly reminding his offspring of their individuality and that such was fine, if anyone of them stood out as different.  According to Patricia, “he was well known to empty his pockets to anyone in need. He financially fostered the children of his deceased brother and sister, giving them all the privileges that he gave to his own children even insisting on sending them to secondary school. He often gave credit to the men before him who had opened doors of opportunity for him.”

In 1964, an article from Police Chief Mulligan, describes the state of the Police force when he first began his assignment as deplorable. Mulligan felt that the force was mistrusted by the people especially after the tragedy of the 1963 Carnival fire which killed Eddie Martin, Eric Shillingford, George James, wounding nineteen others. The then Police chief was accused of being corrupt and was not deemed a candidate for consideration for the position. Therefore Damase Philbert was selected as one who would take the position and bring the change needed to ensure positive interaction between the community and the law. Dominica was fast approaching self government and it was only right and proper to have Dominicans in charge of major departments.  Then Chief Minister Edward LeBlanc was a nationalist in such things and urged the British to promote Dominicans of merit.

During his short time in the force, Philbert oversaw the building of a new Police force, started the onsite mechanic shop to service only police vehicles, and a better relationship began blooming with between senior police officers and their subordinates.  He also gave advice on the building of the new police headquarters on Bath Road, which was to replace the old police Station at Fort Young.

In 1971, after being in the force for approximately seven years, the political atmosphere on the island became volatile and he eventually resigned after the House of Assembly Riot of December 16th that year.

The so called “House of Assembly Riot” took place on December 16, 1971. In the course of the riot, the Dominica Freedom Party Sympathizers such as Star Lestrade and trade unionists led by Louis “Zaboca” Benoit assaulted the House of Assembly in which the Dominica Labour Party of Premier Edward LeBlanc held a majority.  The intent of the rioters was to stop passage of the Roseau Town Council Dissolution Bill. The Roseau Town Council was then considered pro-Freedom Party and thus anti-government. The rioters surged past the police guards then on duty and gained entry to the House of Assembly. The hastily summoned riot squad of the Dominica Defence Force, then under the command of a British officer Lieutenant Chambers, was unable to stop the House from being disrupted. Rioters within the House of Assembly took the Speaker’s gavel, and tore up the bill then under consideration. Parliamentarians were assaulted and the parliament’s silver mace of State was seized by the unruly crowd. House of Assembly Speaker Eustace Hazelwood Francis was assaulted when he reached for his concealed Colt .45 pistol and had to display same to prevent further attack. It was felt by the government that Chief Philbert was negligent in not protecting the House of Assembly and that he had ignored the order to control the crowd, by use of deadly force if necessary.  It was also felt that Philbert was sympathetic to the opposition, to include being friendly to his fellow villager Star Lestrade of LaPlaine.  As a result Chief Philbert was forced into retirement and was succeeded by Oliver N. Phillip of Marigot; a graduate of London’s Hendon Police College and the former head of Special Branch.

Damase Philbert remained in retirement for six years. During that time he lost his country home in LaPlaine during Hurricane David in 1979. By 1980 he was ready to cash in on his relationship with the Freedom Party. Dominica’s new Prime Minister Eugenia gave him the position at the External Trade Bureau (ETB) which was in charge of importing staple food items such as sugar, flour and rice into Dominica.  The ETB was then experiencing issues with trust. He was a good manager and turned that business around; he remained at ETB until 1986. After a brief illness, he passed away on New Year’s Day 1987.

As the first Dominican born police chief, Damase Philbert left behind a legacy of discipline, kindness, generosity, bravery, and self sacrifice. His blueprint was that no matter where you came from it is up to the individual to attain the greatness that is within the reach of us all.  We give thanks for his service and for his role as a trail blazer in local law enforcement.  It is altogether fitting we remember those like him who stood for law in service of the common good.

Damase Philbert as a Police Sergeant at the Old Fort Young –Police Headquarter from 1889 to 1961, Philbert with some of his children. (L-R) Malcolm, Patricia, Albert and little Sherrril at front. The boys attended the Dominica Grammar School, while Patricia and Sherril attended the Convent High School.
Damase Philbert as a Police Sergeant at the Old Fort Young –Police Headquarter from 1889 to 1961, Philbert with some of his children.
(L-R) Malcolm, Patricia, Albert and little Sherrril at front. The boys attended the Dominica Grammar School, while Patricia and Sherril attended the Convent High School.

 

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22 Comments

  1. Danna philbert
    August 7, 2017

    Omg that was my great granduncle.
    Am so proud to be a philbert.

  2. Mathew Joseph
    December 7, 2015

    :lol: that’s great man do not witch is you , you guys wore proper you boys look like you could be police men. that is a good paper well don peace bro :lol:

  3. January 25, 2015

    I was thrilled to read this about my uncle. My mom, his sister, is still alive and she is delighted to read it. I remember Uncle Dam when I was a child. He was very stern and I was afraid of him. I didn’t realize that as a police officer, he needed to be stern.As I became a teenager, went away and returned home to visit, our relationship blossomed. I loved him and pray that Jesus will have mercy on his soul.

  4. Africo
    January 16, 2015

    Interesting piece, and thank you for it, but I think that the authors should check back on their research as to the year of Mr. Philbert becoming Chief of Police. There was the last British chief of Police Mulligan and then briefly Cousins and then there was Chief of Police John M. Lewis up to early 1969. It was in that year that Philbert took over as Chief. The photo of Philbert receiving the award from Administrator Alec Lovelece in 1964, was not the year that he became Chief of Police. Yes he received the award, but that was a preliminary award five years before becoming Chief.

  5. dieing to be here
    January 13, 2015

    that was my great grand father, father of thomas philbert, am feeling proud, grand dad you look just like him

  6. January 12, 2015

    thanks for the history,it is quite refreshing.

  7. Dominican
    January 12, 2015

    Very nice….love to hear/learn about the history of my country. If available,please continue to print similar historical items in the future.

  8. Not a herd follower
    January 12, 2015

    When I read the article and learn of the reaction of Dominicans to the attempt to dissolve the RTC, I contrast to the behviour of Dominicans today. Today, the masses tolerate and even seek to justify undemocratic, unaccountable and corrupt behaviour by the powers that be. Dominicans of the 1970s did not tolerate crap from their leaders. What has gone wrong today?

  9. Rabbit
    January 12, 2015

    He only followed the same path as the colonial slave masters

    • out of south city
      January 12, 2015

      Yes, he was “awarded the COLONIAL SERVICE MEDAL” presented by the oppressor. The colonial masters have put in place their legacy and they don’t have to be present for it to be enforced. They have trained us well so that we continue their work against each other. We continue to oppress each other just like the masters did to our foreparents. It’s a sad state of affairs.

      ONE LOVE

  10. Rabbit
    January 12, 2015

    That is nothing to be proud of…

    • Danian Philbert
      December 2, 2016

      @Rabbit; @out of south city,

      What are you doing and what have you done so far with your life to make a difference in your country?

      A wise man once said, “One should not try to move a great river in one day, you create a new path alongside it, and allow it to move exactly where you need it to be!”

      Case in point; The article above mentioned an attack on “The house Of Assembly,” where he refused to use deadly force on his countrymen. Ask yourself this question, if the police chief was the “colonial masters” you speak of, would they have hesitated to kill your countrymen?

      Free yourself from that slave mentality. Make a difference now, be the solution not the problem. From 1978 until now, Dominica has been our responsibility, not the oppressors you speak of.

  11. Not a herd follower
    January 12, 2015

    I am perplexed by the following sentence in terms of the time in years he served as a police officer and Chief:

    ”In 1971, after being in the force for approximately three years, the political atmosphere on the island became volatile and he eventually resigned after the House of Assembly Riot of December 16th that year.”

    The article states that Mr. Philbert ”accepted a position in the Police Force at the urging of a friend in 1940” and was elevated to the position of Police Chief in 1964. In light of these dates, the above sentence should be revised.

    Second, the article is co-authored by Gabriel Christian who, we know, is not a sibling of Mr. Philbert. There are references to ”my dad” and ”I” in the context of the relationship between a child and his or her father. I think if the references to ”my” and ”I” are to be maintained, the article should state specifically who is ”I”.

    Authors take note.

    Interesting piece though.

  12. Moving Forward...
    January 12, 2015

    Indeed, Police Chief Philbert was a very stern man who commanded respect from colleagues and fellow Dominicans. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the poilce officers today which poses a big problem not only for the force but for the citizens of Dominica. When self- respect and respect for others re-awken in Dominica, life will be a lot more pleasant for all.

  13. Joy
    January 12, 2015

    Anyone from La Plaine should be very proud of the legacy that Chief Philbert left. That legacy has been tampered with today resulting in a very divided community as a result of the sad and unfortunate politics- a very sad commentary.
    May his soul RIP.

  14. Toffee City
    January 12, 2015

    he was still a stern man before his death, will never ever ever have another commissioner like him… to m any political morons in the force.

  15. me again
    January 12, 2015

    cool! Nice to know!

  16. Concern citizen
    January 12, 2015

    Nice history without the politics. Some people have to realised that time has changed and Dominica needs to move with that time otherwise it will stay behind and others starts complaining the government is not doing nothing to bring Dominica there. Stop complaining and embrace change.

  17. Shaka zulu
    January 12, 2015

    That is a nice piece. Sacrifices mean something when generations remember. Hope to see more of these stories.

  18. Unknown
    January 11, 2015

    Nice piece of our history

  19. The voice of God?
    January 11, 2015

    DNO it is so refreshing to hear the names and see the photos of people like Mr. Damase Philbert and Governor, Sir Louis Cools Lartigue. Back then Dominica looked like a country that was going forward as islands like Anguilla, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Nevis and other Caribbean islands had to look up to us in just about everything. Today I am reading of our young people paying a woman money to get work permit so they could flee from Dominica. Can it ever get lower than this? I always thought that independence from Britain, though sounded good, was a nest in the making for greedy and corrupt leaders police chief and attorneys to exploit us and Skerrit and his band have done just that. The question is, can we ever get back to where we were? I think we had a very good opportunity last December but did not take that opportunity so Dominica is gone for good this time. You are too far gone Dominica

  20. BEB
    January 11, 2015

    He was a stern and no none sense man, I took my oath from him in Oct. 1969 when I joined the Dominica Police Force,while he being Chief of Police. A few yrs. later the name changed to The Comm. Of Dominica Police Force. Some time later, they thought that the word ‘Force’ was inappropriate as though they were putting force on people or forcing people and thought of using ‘Service’ instead of ‘Force.’ Although the shoulder badge ‘CDPF’ has not been changed, at times I still would hear ‘Police Service’.
    Now that Mr. Philbert has gone to the great beyond, some one will remember him and honour him while his remains may be still in the tomb.

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