The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) has requested 18 vehicles be added to their current fleet.
This was disclosed by the Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during his appearance on WE FM’s Issue At Hand program on Sunday.
He said that while the police force had requested the vehicular fleet be bolstered with 18 vehicles, he had given instruction to the Ministry of Finance to put $1.5 million in the budget to allow for the purchase of 15.
The Prime Minister noted that when these vehicles are bought, he would want them to be driven by responsible drivers and for conditions to be improved at the police garage.
“In addition to the vehicles which they have, they asked if they can get 18 new vehicles—they have to specify what type. I gave instructions to the Ministry of Finance yesterday to put $1.5 million in the budget which will deliver 15 vehicles, not the 18. But we do that—they have to have proper drivers for them, they have to—the commissioner and their internal arrangement, we have to clean up the garage out by the place, you have a good man out there, we have to get BRAGSA to help with that, you have to sell off some of those old vehicles for spare parts, those which you can’t, you dump them, you know, those which are just some carcasses,” he said.
The Prime Minister while speaking on the issue of police and availability of transport, reiterated his call for officers to be more active in the execution of their duties, making mention of cases where police officers are unwilling to walk relatively short distances to ensure that their duties are executed.
“You know the police complain very often that they don’t have vehicles. To walk from Calliaqua to Villa, where you have that strip where Richard Williams have their—some tell you oh they don’t have any transport—well heavenly father, that’s a leisurely 7-minute walk, 10-minute walk. What’s the matter? Come on,” he said.
