'I am taking allegations of sexual harassment 'most seriously’- CoP Matthews
“I was appalled when I heard those allegations and I take them most seriously,” Commissioner Matthews told Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusively interview.
Constable Taina Rivera on July 5, 2016 allegedly spoke to a local news site, alleging victimisation and sexual harassment by a senior male officer.
Rivera had also claimed that Mr Matthews was highly upset that she took her grievances to the media and allegedly threatened to have her fired.
The woman alleged that the Commissioner met with her on July 11, 2016, when he allegedly gave her the option to resign or be fired.
Commissioner Matthews had a different tone; however, when he spoke to Virgin Islands News Online on July 12, 2016.
“Any female officer who feels she is being treated by a male colleague or any male must be supported and must be supported one hundred percent,” Mr Matthews stated.
The Commissioner, however, refused to go into details regarding the scandal.
“It is not right for me to discuss it any further than to say that a live investigation exists and when that investigation is complete we will provide the Police Service Commission with a file for them to consider what options are open to the force to deal with that situation.”
Will ‘Supa Cop’ be reinstated to active duty?
Meanwhile, Virgin Islands News Online had been receiving reports that Glen Callwood, nicknamed ‘Supa Cop’ for his no nonsense attitude against traffic violators, is to be returned to active duty after more than two years of interdiction.
We put this to Commissioner Matthews, who said: “I can’t confirm that at this stage [but] what I can confirm is that I have reviewed all of the interdicted officers in the force because that, first and foremost, is one of the most important things I should do as a new commissioner. I have reviewed each case to satisfy myself whether it is essential and necessary for those officers to remain suspended from their duties.”
There have been many calls before by members of the public via talk shows for the return of Mr Callwood, who was before the Magistrate’s Court on a charge of indecent assault and was found guilty of the offense on January 29, 2014. He then lost a challenge to the decision in the Court of Appeal in October 2014.
The Virtual Complainant (VC) was a Maintenance Supervisor with the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and had alleged that Mr Callwood ‘grabbed his testicles’.
“Of course an officer doesn’t get interdicted unless a serious incident has occurred. So they are all serious matters in one form or another. However, I am reviewing it and I am looking at whether there are alternatives to having an officer away from the work place, but being paid and not really giving anything back to the community, or whether we can find roles where they aren’t in conflict with any investigations going on but can give something back into the community in terms of the money that they are being paid,” Commissioner Mathews stated, while confirming that Mr Callwood was being paid although interdicted from active duty.
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19 Responses to “'I am taking allegations of sexual harassment 'most seriously’- CoP Matthews”
A lazy female officer will make such allegations. A typical spoil brat who cannot have or own way. Always sick yet want to make certain demands regarding when and where they should work. Sickening. This sense of entitlement that some BVIslanders have...