22 Jul 2010Crime Stoppers BVI Launched

CRIME STOPPERS (BVI) LAUNCHED

Press Release
July 21st 2010

On Tuesday July 20th Crime Stoppers (BVI) was launched. The BVI is now one of 25 countries in the world and the 11th country in the Caribbean to be a part of Crime Stoppers International. The BVI is also the third country to be on board for this year with the other two countries being New Zealand and Mexico.

This event was held at Myett's in Cane Garden Bay and despite the poor weather conditions, government officials, police officers, crime stoppers directors and a few members of the public were present.

The chairman of Crime Stoppers BVI, Mr. Lloyd Black, opened the event describing how the program began some 30 years ago and now has finally reached the BVI. Mr. Black went on to note that Crime Stoppers world wide is solely community-based and is considered an effective mechanism in solving and deterring crime.

Following Mr. Black was the invocation by Inspector Patrick Harewood of the Crime Prevention Unit of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.

Premier Ralph T. O'Neal who also spoke at the launch urged the public to get involved and take full advantage of the program. He reminisced of the days when the community came out and assisted in keeping the peace in the BVI, but things had gotten out of control and everything possible must be done to stop criminals causing terror in our society. Premier O'Neal also made mention of a recent shooting whereby a local businessman got shot while making his bank deposit. The Premier went on to insist on the importance of Crime Stoppers and that personally, he intended to give the program his full support.

Opposition Leader Dr. Orlando Smith was also present at Crime Stoppers launch and gave remarks on how important it was for the community to play an important role in solving crime. He noted that the community was not always responsive and, as a result, it
proved challenging for law enforcement agencies to control and solve crime, but with this new program he hopes this can be resolved. Dr. Smith went on to state that in order to solve crimes, we all have to work together as a community; the police need the intelligence that the community can provide, without which crimes would be more difficult to solve.

Regional Chairman of Crime Stoppers International Alexander McDonald, who is based in Bermuda, said that he was pleased to see the BVI get involved in such a program, a program that has worked successfully for over 30 years. Mr. MacDonald also went on record as stating that in the 30-year existence of Crime Stoppers receiving millions of calls, not a single person has ever been identified as having given information to Crime Stoppers, and no one has ever had to go to court as a witness. In fact he mentioned that it is this anonymity that is the foundation of Crime Stoppers success as an effective means of combating crime.

Mr. MacDonald even made a live call from a cell phone demonstrating to all present how simple the process was to call Crime Stoppers.

Commissioner of Police Reynell Frazer also gave remarks and indicated his pleasure in seeing the local community taking a proactive role in reducing the crime rate in the BVI. He reinforced that the local police has nothing to do with the program given that all tips from the community will only be passed on to them from an anonymous source. It is completely anonymous, he stressed.

Representing the BVI Chamber of Commerce & Hotel Association was Chairman Dr. Birney Harrigan. Dr. Harrigan indicated that when the BVICCHA was first approached by the leadership of law enforcement to serve as the sponsoring organization for the proposed Crime Stoppers BVI organization, the potential benefits to the BVI community in helping to create a safer community were so compelling that the BVICCHA Board overwhelmingly endorsed the proposal. Dr. Harrigan also stated that the successful launch of Crime Stoppers BVI was an essential step in advancing its goals. 

The Crime Stoppers Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Governor David Pearey, Premier Ralph T. O'Neal, Commissioner of Police Reynell Frazer, Regional Chairman of Crime Stoppers International Alexander MacDonald and Chairman of Crime Stoppers BVI Lloyd Black.

Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization under the auspices of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association. Crime Stoppers BVI will be managed by an independent charitable board of directors who are all citizens and residents of the local community. As an independent charity working to reduce crime in the territory for the benefit of the community, its most important responsibility will be to raise the awareness of Crime Stoppers in the territory.

Anyone can call Crime Stoppers 800-8477 (TIPS) with any information and tips concerning crime and criminal activities. If tips result in arrests and the recovery of property, rewards will be available. All calls are answered by an independent overseas call centre, and are untraceable, anonymous, confidential and free. Persons can also provide information and crime tips online anonymously and confidentially via crimestoppersbvi.com

Please visit crimestoppersbvi.com to learn more about the organzation and what it is trying to achieve!

As their slogan says - Take the time to stop the crime!

By BVICCHA