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NEWS
June 13-19, 2020
TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
Improvements promised after serious assaults on prison staff A STRING of measures to protect prison staff have been promised following two serious assaults at Her Majesty’s Prison in Grand Turk this June. Riot gear, public order training, cell phone blocking equipment and group insurance, along with a full review of the prison system are all in the pipeline, the Government has said. On June 3, an inmate wielding a plank of wood knocked a prison officer unconscious in an incident that was caught on camera and widely circulated on social media. And on June 5 a prisoner threw items through the glass window of Prison Superintendent Grahame Hawkings’ office causing him to sustain a minor cut to his forehead. A Government statement on Saturday (June 6) said the prison team spoke to Deputy Governor Anya Williams just a day before the second incident. Along with management from the Ministry of Home Affairs which has responsibility for the prison they discussed their safety
An inmate wields a piece of wood that he used to attack a prison officer
issues and concerns. Williams told the prison team that protective gear has been ordered for officers and additional riot equipment has been sourced and is expected to arrive shortly. The UK Security Assistance Team will deliver public order training this week, she added, which will further help to develop skills among prison officers. In addition, group insurance will also be purchased for the coverage of incidents involving
prison officers who are injured in the line of duty. Minister with responsibility for the prison, Hon. Goldray Ewing, said: “We have many brave and caring prison officers, and we recognise and appreciate their hard work on behalf of our society. “As a Government we stand firm in partnership with them and will continue to invest in and support the improvements at the prison, for the safety of all.” The two recent incidents, while
unrelated, were both symptoms of wider issues that the strategic planning group for the prison is working on, the statement said. This group is headed by management of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Her Majesty’s Prison and the Royal TCI Police Force. It will recommend to the Cabinet a full review of the prison to identify opportunities for improvement in the operations, skills and training for staff and
infrastructure. The group will also deliver essential training and skills development to prison staff and will undertake a review of the Prisons Ordinance to allow for more effective incident response. An experienced training manager from the UK will arrive when international borders open at the end of July and will train a small additional prison officer tactical team. A maximum-security wing is under construction now with projected completion within the year, as well as the additional fencing and lighting, the statement added. A contract for cell phone blocking equipment has been signed and installation is due to begin in coming weeks. “The ministry and management of the prison are confident that these measure, along with other key initiatives, will help to improve the overall security of the prison and the skills and confidence of the staff,” the statement said.
TCI Regiment gets its first commanding officer LIEUTENANT Colonel Ennis Grant has been appointed as the first commanding officer of the TCI Regiment. The veteran police officer and TC Islander has already started in the new role and is working with, and being mentored by, the UK military. “We were fortunate to have had such a wellqualified candidate apply,” a press release from the Office of the Governor said on Thursday (June 11). Grant currently commands the Maritime Branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police and the Cadet Force, and has links with the US Coast Guard and UK military. He will spend the first year of his appointment on secondment from the force. In the coming months as
the TCI Regiment forms, Grant will develop relationships with his counterparts in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Bermuda. The regiment will have two primary roles. The first is to be in direct support of the Maritime Police, in a role very similar to that being conducted by the Royal Marines during this period. And also, to provide a contingent force capable of preparing and supporting the Islands at time of a natural or other disaster. “Beyond those operational roles the regiment, its ethos and its character, will develop into a proud symbol of the Turks and Caicos Islands,” the release said. “Lt Col Grant - as its first commanding officer - will set the tone of this early and important period in the regiment’s formation.” Positions for the five further
permanent staff who will join Grant in setting up the regiment will now be advertised. Some of these posts will involve training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst starting in September. The 40 reserve (part-time) posts - the non-commissioned officers and marines - of the regiment, will be recruited later in the year. Shortlisted candidates will be assessed over several days drawing on the methodology used by the UK’s Army Officer Selection Board. This includes physical assessment, written communication, led and leaderless command tasks, interviews and the ability to plan and conduct a detailed appreciation of a complex task. “Candidates should expect to be under some physical and mental pressure throughout. We hope the best in TCI will apply,”
Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant is the first commanding officer of the TCI Regiment
the Office of the Governor said. “We are looking for leadership potential that can be developed, so no one should be discouraged from putting their name forward for lack of experience. Training will be
excellent.” The selection process will be overseen by the new commanding officer of the TCI Regiment and UK military staff who have, themselves, been instructors at Sandhurst.
