In October 2015, the RVIPF, under the then acting Police Commissioner Alwyn James, suddenly and without any reason given discontinued publishing the names of persons arrested and charged on its ‘Arrest Blotters’ sent to the media. Photo: Internet Source

Commissioner of Police Michael ‘Mick’ Matthews said he will rely on guidance from a UK Police Policy on naming of arrested persons to determine whether the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) will continue sending out arrest blotters minus names of arrested persons. Photo: VINO

He was speaking today, May 3, 2016 at a press conference held at Police Headquarters located on Water Front Drive in Road Town on the main island of Tortola.

In October 2015, the RVIPF, under the then acting Police Commissioner Alwyn James, suddenly and without any reason given discontinued publishing the names of persons arrested and charged on its ‘Arrest Blotters’ sent to the media.

‘Contentious issue’

Matthews said the issue of names being on arrest blotters is a contentious one. “I have an absolute duty to protect innocent people and there is always a danger of having trial by media,” he said when asked about the issue.

“We can’t have people being accused of something they haven’t done even if they have been charged. They are not guilty of an offence unless a court has decided that,”

He said, however, that he is aware of the press corps’ need to understand who is being dealt with and when they are being dealt with as these details are of interest to the community.

“So what I have already done is I have contacted the UK’s National Police Chiefs Council which has a very good policy on this matter, where it lays out very clearly when names could be given out and when names cannot be given out,” he said, noting that that policy had been recently updated.

Matthews said there is no point in reinventing the wheel if there is a system that is working well.

“So as soon as I get the policy I am going to look at it and see whether it has any relevance to here and if that policy provides a happy compromise between the desire of the local media and my absolute requirement to protect people’s rights, then I will implement that policy,” he said.

Mr Matthews was holding his first press conference since being sworn in as Police Commissioner of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force on April 20, 2016.