It is rumoured that the UK contingent of the Drugs & Firearms Task Force in Anguilla is to be reduced leaving two of the three highly-trained and experienced, though retired, officers on the island.

The situation when they were recruited was one of almost despair as the local police force battled against all forms of rising crime and hard-pressed to bring the criminals to justice. There was also widespread concern in the community and in government circles. The Task Force, which also comprises some local officers, has done a tremendous and commendable job in ridding the streets of illegal firearms and halting the flow of drugs. Their successes have brought a sense of relief and security to the populace and increased the public’s confidence in the force.

Any relaxation of the law enforcement agency can swiftly, like the calm eye of a hurricane, produce a violent renewal of the storm with devastating effects. Criminals have a way of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the law and knowing when, where and how to manifest themselves. It is too early and would be a mistake to reduce the effectiveness or numbers of the Task Force. The mission of the UK contingent, working in partnership with their Anguillian counterparts, has not yet been accomplished. Although there has been a noticeable abatement of crime on the island, recent happenings indicate that the situation can flare up ever so often.

There have been anguished calls in the past for the Governor, who has responsibility for law and order and the security of the island, to do something about the crime situation. It was that demand which resulted in the temporary recruitment of police officers from the Overseas Territories and the United Kingdom.

There is no reason or sense to hurriedly reduce the island’s protection and defence mechanisms. The uneasiness in Anguilla has just begun to disappear to some extent. It would be foolhardy to think that the time is right to relax. We still have to keep our crime watchers on alert and in full force and probably for a long time.

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