Police Chief Cyril Carette has said that the police is doing all it can to conduct investigations into the recent spate of robberies and other fire arm related incidents on the island.
His comments came after stiff criticism from the public on the police’s ‘failure’ to solve many of these crimes.
Carette expressed confidence in the force’s ability and its commitment to crime fighting despite challenges.
At a media briefing on Thursday, he sought to highlight some of the achievements of the force for the year.
“As we speak the police department is rigorously pursuing all leads. Four firearms and quantity of ammunition have been recovered. Eight individuals are in police custody assisting with investigations in connection with the recent spate of robberies and other crimes,” he stated.
He added: “With a view to ensuring that citizens and visitors enjoy a peaceful season the police have embarked on a series of strategies, one of them being placement of more visible uniformed and plain clothes police officers in the city of Roseau and other communities.”
The police chief also reported that for the five murders committed on the island for year all have been solved.
“We have disrupted major drug trafficking operations in Dominica. So we know that there was significant losses by those persons who are trafficking drugs in and around Dominica,” he added.
He also informed that police had seized a considerable amount of money in different currencies from drug trafficking activities. This was done in collaboration with the Customs Department.
He said that a ‘cash for gold’ venture undertaken here by Venezuelans have also been curbed.
He commended the investigating officers for their commitment, tenacity and zeal towards solving the offenses.
The top cop also had some words of advice for the general public. “Stay alert, be aware of your surroundings, keep items in vehicles out of sight, avoid carrying large amounts of cash, be extra careful when carrying about your purse and wallets. Lock all outside doors and check that windows are closed when you leave your homes. Always keep your house keys in a safe place, not under a mat or large stone near the front or back door,” he said.
The Police are always getting criticized for something. If you make a dozen arrests, someone is asking why you didn’t make two dozen.
If you solve a robbery, someone is demanding to know why that home invasion from 2 nights ago wasn’t already solved.
As a police officer, you have to just do the best that you can and discard everyone’s comments. Negative stuff being written certainly isn’t going to help…
i would appreciate it for mr weeks to regain his career in the dominica police force because pro that is in charge presently can’t do his job propely.
peace
I am very proud of the work of our hardworking policemen and women. I know that you do your best and i want you to know how much i appreciate you all. May God bless and watch over all of you … and i continue to pray for you, our sons and daughters.
Please continue the good work
Reading all of this news as a Dominican abroad it really hurts my heart. I notice a former police officer stating that the police cannot prevent crime!! That is shocking, the police are here to prevent crime by proactive policing and detect crime by reactive policing. There will always be crime as long there is poverty and drugs, that’s common sense. We do need families and friends to come forward to name who these people are. If tourist cannot guarantee their safety they will not come, they will recommend Dominica to others. Lets put pressure on our politicians, police and ourselves to actively target the wrong doers and make Dominica as peaceful as we know it can be!
If the police chief wants to redeem himself of the shameful failure of the Dominica Royal Police force to curb drug trafficking and consumption, violence, and crime, he needs to start investigating how the drugs, guns and ammunition are coming IN. I doubt he has the testicular fortitude to challenge the shadow government in Dominica, namely, Beijing. The small guy on the street is all too happy to get paid a few US$ to go on a crime spree, so the foreign gangsters could attain a stronger clutch of our beloved country. Go to the source if you want results! Get with it chief, and do the job you’re being paid with tax $$ to do.
Quelqu’un doit dire la vérité sur ce qui se passe.
Someone has to speak the truth about what’s going on.
He knows how they are coming in. He is just another pawn.
Really wish some of us would get off our high horses and natural inclination to blame and criticize, as if these social maladies are the inevitable doings (or have the blessings) of those in power – the governing structure and all the agents thereof.
You guys make it appear as if criminality – in all its unwelcome facets, is a sudden fact of life upon us. Crime is a social must, everywhere, in each community, all over the world. Dominica will never be immune to it.
Is there a spike in criminality in Dominica? It depends on who is doing the finger pointing. Also depend on the time of year, and the opportunities presented to would-be deviants.
We admit, though, one victim of this scourge among us is one too many.
Having said this, those responsible for keeping the peace in our land must seek to energize, equip and free the police in a comprehensive and sustained effort to prevent, detect and reduce instances of criminal behavior throughout Dominica.
Yeh right…just tell them the criminals have marijuana, see how quick they would find them.
Yes, please we want to know what progress is being made on the GON Emmanuel case. This is really a sad state of affairs since it will now be 1 yr since this unfortunate incident happened. Inquiring minds want to know.
I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU EXPECT THE POLICE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS IN RELATION TO ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO A CRIME, DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO MY FRIEND? DO YOU THINK THATS HOW INVESTIGATIONS ARE MANAGED? PLEASE STOP MIXING POLICE INVESTIGATIONS WITH YOUR PETTY POLITICS OK.
POLICE INVESTIGATING ROBBERIES EH?
I SAW WITH MY OWN TWO EYES THE POLICE ESCORTING A BUS FULL OF VOTERS (LAW BREAKING VOTERS)IN THE 2009 ELECTIONS.
THE POLICE WILL NOT GET ANY RESPECT FROM ME WHEN THEY ARE THEMSELVES HELPING THE CRIMINALS TO BREAK THE LAW
@c bruce. All-u lost an election….or two, just regroup and come again na, stop crying eh. Dominicans would really like to have another strong party, trust me.
stupid—–
POLICE INVESTIGATING ROBBERIES!!!!?
SINCE WHEN THE POLICE INVESTIGATES ITSELF?
RE SUBMIT YHIS COMENT AND THIS TIME AROUND MAKE YOURSELF CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD?
These people posting these comments are amazing!! I commend our police officers for doing the work they do even with limited resources. Why not make a plea for 21 century equipment? Why not make a plea to the public to assist the police in their investigation? Why not make a plea for community/neighborhood watch? We should be each other’s keeper. Stop bashing the police!!
YES SIR.. RESOLVED FIVE MURDERS.. BUT EH SIR WHAT ABOUT ATTEMPTED MURDERS?
the information you have about the attempted murders should be turned over to the police or may be you are just talking for talking sake!! the police are doing a fine job.
Apparently drug related crimes are the ones the police are most proactive and successful with. I wonder why?
Not successful with crack an cocaine that flood they streets though. Only marijuana they in de bush after that’s where they score a higher percentage of arrests, they doe put their men where it matters.
Mr Carrette is Sico/Seco back on island? The person of interest in the GON Emmanuel firebombing?
Who cares nuissance…
As Dominican we all care, to say that who care is in human, he is Dominican
YOU MUST BE PROUD OF YOURSELF BEING ABLE TO HIDE BEHIND A COMPUTER SCREEN AND TYPE FOOLISHNESS BECAUSWE IT IS EASY TO DO SO, MERRY CHRISTMAS CLOWN.
25th December 2010 to 25th December 2011. ONE YEAR SINCE GON Emmanuel was firebombed. Any Progress Sir?
Mr. Carrette you still have an opportunity to redeem yourself by simply addressing the GON Emanuel fire bombing.
Until such time you will continue to be compromised.
Be a professional cop
WOULDN’T HE BE COMPROMISING THE INVESTIGATION TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC FOOL. CHECK OUT THE MEANING OF THE TERM COMPROMISE OK. FROM TODAY YOU WILL BE ADDRESSED AS THE CLOWN YOU HAVE PROVEN TO BE, CLOWN.
Midget I agree with you 101 percent. Some of us would only report a crime when it directly affects us, and if for some reason some profit is to be obtained from the results of crime, no one will report it, for the fear of losing their profit. But when it hits home, we want the police to solve the crime IMMEDIATELY, on the spot and one time.
Keep up the good work officers, as a former CDPF officer, I know the challenges you face everyday, police work is not easy, especially when you are not assisted by the public.
POLICE CANNOT PREVENT CRIME FROM OCCURRING, THEY CAN ONLY DETER IT SOMEHOW OR SLOW IT DOWN A BIT, always remember that. Murphy’s law in lay mans terms (What is to is, must is!)
@midget
Well midget if you have these information in the VI why don’t you take your advice and help the police over there so we doe have to get all you leftover bandits.
We need information we don’t know.thank you
@ Bell beff. You know it’s so strange that the bandits that your are talking about, where do you think most of them are from? Yes you guess right, several of them are from our beautiful nature isle DA..
I too feel sorry for Gon. 1 year ago tomorrow and still they cannot bring the man back to Dominica. they know, they know, they know.
CARRETTE + IRISH = TWO OF A KIND.. Any news on GON Emmanuel?
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THOSE TWO OF A KIND WERE IN THE FOREST, CRANNYS AND GHETTOS OF DOMINICA FIGHTING CRIME AND FOR 40 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES SERVE THEIR COUNTRY WITHOUT OVERTIME AND SPECIAL ALLOWANCES WHILE OTHERS DECIDED TO GO THE WAY OF EASY MONEY VIA THE DRUG TRADE? WHERE WERE YOU CLOWN?? THEY MAY NOT BE YOUR FOVAROTIE PERSONS BUT THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE TO COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY MR IRISH WHO HAS SERVED ON ALMOST EVERY NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN DOMINICA. THEY ARE DOMINICA ARE YOU?????????
You idiot, you seem to be one of the kindergarten cops, who left school in Grade 1. They are not the only Dominicans who have given service to the state. The thing is, they are political studges, and therefore their professionalism will always be questioned. Wonder if you have the intellect to understand that.
CORRECTION: Stooges
ANONYMOUS, I FIND YOUR RESPONMSE TO STUPES VERY INSULTING AND EMPTY.STUPES IS MAKING VALID POINTS TO WHICH YOU REPLY WITH WITH INSULTS. THE POLICE FORCE ISU NOT THE EASIEST PLACE TO SERVE ONES COUNTRY AND IT REQUIRES SPECIAL HUMANS TO REMAIN IN THIS SERVICE FOR OVER FORTY YEARS MY FRIEND SO YOU DONT HAVE TO LIKE THE GENTLEMEN BT WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM ANYWAY EXCEPT THAT TODAY THEY ARE UNDER ATTACK BY A CERTAN SECTION OF OUR SOCIETY. HOW MANY DOMINICANS HAVE SERVED ON MORE NON PROFIT ORGAINZATIONS THAN IRISH AND HOW MANY OF US CAN SERVE OUR COUNTRY WITHOUT PAUSE AND GO THROUGH WHAT THE POLICE GOES THROUGH MY FRIEND. WOULD YOUI EVER ENLIST IN THE POLICE FORCE??? THINK AGAIN BEFORE YOU INSULT STUPES. GOOD COMMENT STUPES. YOU ARE DOMINICAN SO IS IRISH AND CARRETTE.
After leaving office you will be remembered for failing to investigate the suffering of an elderly citizen GON EMMANUEL.
What happen to the investigation of GON EMMANUEL FIREBOMBING SIR?
Mr Carrette you fell short of telling us the breakthrough in the GON EMMANUEL firebombing and attempted murder. Without this, this piece of rhetoric is a gimmickry,a subterfuge, a red herring,a deceptive strategem to pass wool over our eyes. I AM FEELING SORRY FOR GON EMMANUEL!
This is very refreshing news from the top cop of Da. I llive in the VI and there are several unsolved murders still on the books. Over the past few weeks a lot of residents have been hitting the cops very hard, but some of you are to unrealistic. We go to the movies an view some of these movies and believe that this is how crime can be solved. But we tend to forget that holliwood dramatize these senarios to make us fill good. major crimes cannot be solved without help from the general populace. eg; several of our Dominican citizenry commit crimes in the VI and their relatives hide them until they can ship them back home. tell me when this is den how can any police department solve a crime committed by these individuals unless someone informs them. many time these same crooks come back home with their dirty life style and only gets checked when someone does something to them. So in closing stop blaming the PM and the Cops for all these crimes. help ut by giving annanimous tips to to cops and some of these crooks will be off the stteerts and placed where they belong which is stock farm.
what about Emmanuel own
who cares?