The police often bemoan the BVI public’s unwillingness to offer information that can assist with solving murder cases.

But according to Police Commissioner Michael Matthews, the cooperation from the public after this week’s murder shows that people are beginning to understand the part they play in keeping the community violence-free.

“The good news is that more people are coming forward and we do have people who have been helping us since Tuesday to try and help us piece together those dreadful events. So I’m keeping a positive outlook on this and I do feel that people are understanding that they need to support and work with us,” Commissioner Matthews said.

He added: “We cannot do this alone. I’ve said this many times since I’ve been Commissioner of Police — we have to have the public’s support and you cannot keep turning your back on this saying it’s a police job to solve that crime. We can have all the modern technology, all the police officers in the world…if we haven’t got witnesses willing to come forward and say ‘I saw who did it’, then we’re going to be lost.”

There has been heightened fear in the community because of the three confirmed homicides and a few others of what the police describe as ‘unclassified deaths’. There has also been a series of armed robberies, burglaries, firearm-related offences and other serious crime.

Following the harrowing daylight murder of Williams on Tuesday, considerations are now being made to invite police officers from the United Kingdom (UK) to assist with this and other crimes.