Commissioner apologises for graphic RVIPF video in circulation
Police Commissioner Mark Collins has offered a public apology for video in circulation that features himself, a number of his officers in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), and graphic footage of violence in the BVI.
The near-six-minute-long video starts by showing off the breathtaking beauties of the territory but then takes an ominous and menacing turn.
The commissioner is then seen in an interview saying: “It does constantly surprise me because you go from being in absolute paradise to being in muck and bullets.”
Immediately following that statement, scenes containing graphic CCTV footage of gunmen firing high-powered weapons at an occupied vehicle is featured.
But in a written public statement issued late Monday afternoon, Commissioner Collins said the video in question was “incomplete” and was not meant for the public.
He further said the video was “intended to be a tool for recruiting officers from the Caribbean and the UK, and aimed at capturing the benefits and challenges of policing in the BVI”.
“While permission was sought in advance from the relevant authorities specifically for the intended purpose, this raw footage in circulation lacked an introduction and a conclusion and was never intended for public consumption,” the commissioner stated.
“I received the video in its incomplete form and circulated it to a small group of officers within the Force to receive feedback to help with its completion. None of the violence, drug trans-shipments or the seizures in this video would ever be appropriate to be viewed by the public,” the top cop added.
He continued: “I am saddened by the actions taken to bring me and the Force into disgrace. I am even more disheartened that the people of this territory have to endure additional distress and trauma in this already very difficult time. I offer apologies on my behalf and that of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.”
The commissioner is then seen in an interview saying: “It does constantly surprise me because you go from being in absolute paradise to being in muck and bullets.”
Immediately following that statement, scenes containing graphic CCTV footage of gunmen firing high-powered weapons at an occupied vehicle is featured.
But in a written public statement issued late Monday afternoon, Commissioner Collins said the video in question was “incomplete” and was not meant for the public.
He further said the video was “intended to be a tool for recruiting officers from the Caribbean and the UK, and aimed at capturing the benefits and challenges of policing in the BVI”.
“While permission was sought in advance from the relevant authorities specifically for the intended purpose, this raw footage in circulation lacked an introduction and a conclusion and was never intended for public consumption,” the commissioner stated.
“I received the video in its incomplete form and circulated it to a small group of officers within the Force to receive feedback to help with its completion. None of the violence, drug trans-shipments or the seizures in this video would ever be appropriate to be viewed by the public,” the top cop added.
He continued: “I am saddened by the actions taken to bring me and the Force into disgrace. I am even more disheartened that the people of this territory have to endure additional distress and trauma in this already very difficult time. I offer apologies on my behalf and that of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.”
