Premier rejects law enforcement review recommendation similar to CoI's
The over two-hundred-page document was published on April 8, 2025, putting forward a ten-year plan for making the Virgin Islands (VI) safer.
Premier Wheatley laid the document, done by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), before the House of Assembly (HoA) on April 8, 2025, during the Continuation of the Third Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth HoA.
"It is not necessarily the case that the recommendations are bad or are not fit for purpose. I believe that His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services has been clinical and paid great attention to detail, and they've gone about their work in a professional manner, but I do have a massive challenge with their recommendation similar to the CoI."
The over-arching recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was the suspension of the Virgin Islands Constitution and return legislative and executive powers to the unelected governor.
Recommendations suggest further colonialism for VI- Premier
The Premeir said that while many persons in the world are progressing and refining their democracy and their institutions of government, it is suggested in the review that the VI goes further into colonialism.
"They looked at this concept of internal security and said that it's somewhat vague or ambiguous and needs to be properly defined and then goes on to say that Customs, Immigration, Prisons, Financial Investigation Agency, all of these law enforcement bodies, their functions, should comprise internal security.
"Madam Speaker, this suggests that all of these areas should be moved under the ambit of the governor, the unelected governor, and that we should reconstitute the National Security Council to provide oversight for all of these bodies. Madam Speaker, that is taking us in the opposite direction, and it's even worse that it's a road map into the future.
Premier Wheatley told the HoA he is not shy about his view that the VI and its people have been standing on their own two feet for a long time, dating back to the fight against slavery and the fight for self-governance.
“The Virgin Islands people one day must be fully free…we should not accept that we should remain some colonial possession. We can draw confidence on what our people are achieving, not just here in the Virgin Islands but around the world…there’s no reason why we can’t take more responsibility for our affairs.”
'We will not give responsibility of those bodies to the Governor'
Premier Wheatley said he does not blame the HMICFRS for their view, but called on the people of the VI to reject it and say no to giving the Governor more responsibility.
“We will not take areas that have been devolved to the elected government- Customs, Immigration, Financial Investigation Agency, all the other bodies- we will not give responsibility of those bodies to the Governor. That’s taking us in the wrong direction, that is taking us backwards.”
Dr Wheatley said the time has come to move forward and so the opposite should be done.
“The police, the prisons, internal security should be under the responsibility of the elected government," Premier Wheatley asserted.
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25 Responses to “Premier rejects law enforcement review recommendation similar to CoI's”
These stiff laws and penalties are coming on the people, and it's not clear if crimes were committed or just abuses of power. Meanwhile, those who are supposed to have committed these acts of crime are getting off scot-free. What are these people doing? The people are getting the shitty end of the stick when they did nothing.
Show us your backbone Premier, do NOT pass this legislation in its current form. The entire HOA needs to band together and reject this bulls***
1. Never relinquish any delegated power or authority. (Only accept devolved powers).
2. Do not accept any new powers that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Government of the Virgin Islands.
3. Be cautious of any reports or advice from expatriates who have spent only a short time here; they often have hidden agendas rather than genuine insights.
4. A ten-year timeline for achievements and completion suggests that they do not believe we are earnest about self-determination.
5. They desire a better Virgin Islands, but not under our administration or governance.
6. Above all, ensure that any powers taken from us are retrieved through coercion and duress; never give them up voluntarily.
7. Any power or control that we can't stop them from taking charge them a price.
If the UK'S government ws to recommend thes same recommendations to the people of the UK, they would be quickly rejected, why not us?
I wrote that the UK'S government is rasist, one of many, not the most rasist one. Racium has no particular skin color, nor any particular country of origin on the planet.
Nothing to worry about. No one is perfect, God is, only.
Have a pleasant day, and a more bless future, I hope.
yessah!
just the other day a woman said she paid 8k to get smuggle from bvi to usvi ezy
big business there with the coco.. but nothing to see here guys
just more business men doing business and dying but yea fight the good fight guys
just dont cry over crime too much okay? nice!
Read the report.
"If you, (B.V.I people) scratch my back, I will scratch yours", but rather plenty lies, and at best deceitful
The topic issue speaks for itself. Where is the surprise? This thing is already preplanned years ago.
It is going to get worse as time goes by. Hope in man's deliverance from slavery is man's permanent stay in slavery, if mankind continue trusting in the power of self knowledge (lying AI) deliver, and other mythical unproven imaginations of the mind. When the head is sick, the whole body is at risk.