fp Turks and Caicos

Members of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force received appreciation awards Feb. 13 at a ceremony hosted by Crime Stoppers and members of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association.

“Tonight has been important in motivating officers and improving morale,” said Assistant Commissioner Dave Ryder. “We are all committed to improving how the force works and are so grateful that some of the good work that we do has been appreciated.”

Deputy Commissioner Herbert Hughes presented the many awards to individual officers and teams, including some for devoted service upon their retirement; some for showing tenacity in arresting offenders and recovering firearms; some officers from the Marine Branch for dedication to duty; and all the officers from the Tactical Unit.

Joining members of the force at the ceremony were members of the U.S. Coast Guard currently based in the TCI who continue to support the police in operations, search and rescue, humanitarian work and protecting the country’s borders. The officers, led by Lt. Cmdr. Julie Kuck, received an award for their work and dedication to duty.

Assistant Commissioner Dave Ryder also gave a special and personal award to Wilbert C. Stubbs, school crossing patrol officer at Ianthe Pratt Primary School, for long a dedicated service to the school and the children.

Hughes thanked the organisers, especially Ian McLeod, Karen Whitt, Ceasar Campbell and Chreyl Ann Shand.

Chief Executive Officer Mark Capes represented His Excellency the Governor at the ceremony at the Police Canteen on Airport Road in Providenciales.

Those receiving awards were:

• Assistant Superintendent Clifford Ashton: for excellent leadership and services to policing
• Assistant Superintendent Darron Williams: for excellent leadership and services to policing
• Detective Assistant Superintendent Ira Baptiste: for courageous and tenacious police work and leadership in the face of prolonged and serious disorder over a four-week period on West Caicos in November and December 2008.
• Inspector Daniel Miller: for long and dedicated service in particular to the community of Five Cays; also for being instrumental in the development of a Case File Quality Assurance Unit to support the force
• Inspector Hilton Duncan: for excellent service in Community Policing
• Inspector Kendall Grant: for excellent in leadership and in the direction in many high profile and high risk events and incidents
• Sgt. Ebbonn Ceasar: for excellent and courageous police work resulting in the arrest of three persons on suspicion of robbery and the recovery of weapon in December 2008
• Constable Franklyn Thomas: for excellent and courageous police work resulting in the arrest of three persons on suspicion of robbery and the recovery of weapon in December 2008
• Constable Shelino Forbes: for acting courageously in the apprehension of an offender after a struggle, who resisted arrest and in the recovery of illegal drugs.
• Detective Constable (retired) Timothy Nash: awarded upon his retirement for 27 years of loyal and dedicated service, particularly in crime investigation
• Detective Sergeant Willin Belliard: for consistently portraying a positive image of the Financial Crime Unit with international partners when assisting them with high-value fraud and money laundering / counter terrorist finance enquiries with very little supervision
• Detective Inspector Kenville Charles: for his excellent supervision and mentoring skills to his less experienced colleagues in the Financial Crime Unit and A and B divisions; for his polite, thorough and determined efforts for members of the public when dealing with complicated fraud issues on a local basis
• Detective Constable Colville Garrick: for his services to Crime Scene Investigation
• Detective Sergeant Grantley Williams: for supporting his CID colleagues in the safekeeping and management of exhibits in serious high profile Supreme Court Cases and more recently his transference of skills to compliment the professionalism of the Financial Crime Unit
• Inspector Hilton Duncan: – for services to the community and Community Policing
• Sgt. Odessa Adams: for continuing efforts to identify, coordinate and arrange training across the force and in securing much progress in this area to benefit the force, officers and the community
• Constable Desborne Young: for excellent and tenacious police work resulting in the recovery of a firearm and ammunition in November 2007 and the arrest of an offender
• Sgt. Everet Warrican: for dedication as Chief Marine Engineer to maintain an aging flotilla of craft and for mentoring the other Marine Engineers and setting a good example for all to follow
• Constable Esmond Dick: for outstanding performance, discipline, personality, commitment and dependability — a tireless worker always ready to get the job done
• Constable Allan Scipio: for excellent and courageous police work and his continuous high commitment in his role
• Constable Jepson Victor: for continued excellent police work and in the pursuit and arrest of suspects for crimes of burglary
• All officers of the Tactical Unit: for courageous and tenacious police work and leadership in the face of prolonged and serious disorder over a four-week period on West Caicos in November and December 2008, when some of those officers were injured during that incident.