Police Bill: After 'no-warrant search' officers can seize property on reasonable grounds!
The anti-democratic Bill, seemingly aimed at turning the Virgin Islands (VI) into a police state, is being pushed by the UK-appointed Governor H.E. John J. Rankin, CMG and Police Commissioner Mark Collins, who are both UK Nationals.
Section 49 of the proposed Bill should raise red flags for all residents. The Bill in its current form gives the police powers that, once on your premises, they can seize any item merely on “reasonable grounds” for believing that the item may have been obtained as a result of an offense.
Anything can be seized
The Bill sets out that any item can be seized by police on one’s premises on reasonable grounds, if the police believe it could be evidence in relation to an offense and whether or not the item is being investigated.
The Bill also allows the police to justify the seizure on the grounds that it is necessary to hold the item/s to prevent the evidence from being concealed, lost, or destroyed, according to section 49 (3) b.
So, in other words, if the police come on your property and see a new Bentley car, they can assume via “reasonable grounds” that a resident has obtained that car via illegal means and can proceed to seize the car.
This can apply to any item on your premises from computers, books, security cameras, boats, jewelry, business, home appliances and materials, or even high-end watches. The police can keep the item/s indefinitely on the claim that it is under investigation.
No justice no peace
There is no way for the residents to know if that is a fact, and it will be hard for the court to try to interfere with an “ongoing investigation”, according to one legal commentator.
The same proposed Bill in its current form will also allow police to go on someone's premises to conduct a search without a warrant, according to section 36.
At a public meeting in Sea Cows Bay on the main island of Tortola last week, Hon Neville A. Smith (AL), the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, said he wrote the BVI Bar Association on this Bill and their advice was to “leave the Bill alone for now, as it takes away fundamental rights and freedom.”
Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) is the sponsor of the Bill on behalf of Governor Rankin, who cannot come to the Legislature.
The Premier has already assured the Territory that “the Bill will never be passed in its current form”.
See related story: Police Bill 2023 raises red flags & makes way for police abuse of rights
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49 Responses to “Police Bill: After 'no-warrant search' officers can seize property on reasonable grounds!”
If we you put those laws in and we go independent... its a set up to say look what happened after we left them to lead themselves. No warrant searches, immunity to corrupt officers & ridiculously unjustified property seizures!
They're playing the long game. 400 years deep
We dont need this police state big brother watching over your shoulder new world order.
Get rid of the guns, let us lead ourselves & get rid of the monroe doctrine mentality... this place will be a paradise.
Currently our international relations are far removed from the average VI-lander & afro-Caribbean perspectives.
The colonizers are practically ready to march to war & want to put these laws in place quickly to keep us under control because WE are the savages & super predators.
Other parts of the world are under a dictatorship.
Someone is feeding you some Kool Aid and you are drinking it down!
does police on in London have this type of authority or the Governor along with the commissioner of police bringing these measures to Road Town(Slavery Flash Back)
We all know this bill is and will target most black peoples: it is funny how some can walk into Road Town(build the big villa on the hill side and road town police including the white cops carries out no investigation as to where the funds came free
Keep the faith
There was a recent killing in the US where an officer plotted to kill his ex’s boyfriend by pulling him over and the other officers helped with the act when the boyfriend did nothing wrong.
Do you understand abuse of authority?
Police officers here collude with friends, family, lawyers to help them bend and break laws.
THIS IS A VIOLATION!!!!!!!!
Only certain people are scared of this bill. And we know why!