Pic Source: http://img.thesun.co.uk
Prominent Attorney Monique Francis-Gordon is making a desperate call for the police to seek outside professional help in their efforts to bring the perpetrators who have terrorised and sexually assaulted a number of women across the country to justice.
Francis-Gordon?s appeal came hours after police reported the sexual assault of two women in the Browne?s Avenue area, yesterday morning, at about 3 am.
The sisters, one of them a teenage, were accosted in their home by a masked, gun- wielding rapist, who shot the elder three times in the chest area, after she put up a fight.
The woman is now warded at Mount St John?s Medical Centre (MSJMC).
?You need somebody like the FBI Serious Crimes Unit, Scotland Yard Serious Crimes Unit, who are specialists in dealing with profiling this particular type of behaviour,? Francis-Gordon said on Voice of the People on Thursday.
Francis- Gordon said the expertise needed to solve this kind of crime is not present in the police force.
?I do not believe we have anybody here capable of doing that detailed profiling because we must admit there is a new phenomenon in our society? the amount of rapes we are having is beyond our capabilities,? she said.
The lawyer, herself the victim of a violent crime two years ago, stopped short of calling the police incompetent. She said of their abilities, ?The police are not on top of their game.?
Recounting her experiences with rape victims in the court, the attorney said oftentimes the district doctors to whom victims are sent are not available, and the victims are advised to remain unwashed for as long as 24 hours.
Women from all across the country are expressing fears, anger and frustration, as too frequent for comfort, reports are made of women being violated.
Between October 11 and 22 there are four rapes and two attempted rapes on record
On Wednesday, October 14, a 17 year old was raped in Gray?s Farm. On Thursday, October 15, a 26 year old narrowly escaped being raped in Ottos. On Friday, October 16 a woman from Martin?s Village, escaped being sexually assaulted when a masked man entered her home. On Tuesday, October 13, a 32 year old was abducted and raped while walking along Camacho?s Avenue.
Francis-Gordon said she?s not convinced that there is no evidence from which the police could deduce the culprits.
?Even if a rapist is masked, even if he uses a condom, there is a trace where there is a struggle. There is fibre transferral; sometimes fingerprints can be lifted from the skin,? the attorney said.
Elaborating further, she said,? It should be routine where anybody who comes into police station and makes a report of an assault, a rape of any sort of violent crime, automatically you get an evidence bag and take clippings of your nails.?
However, Acting Superintendent and second in command at the Criminal Investigation Department, Nuffield Burnette told The Daily OBSERVER, the police have worked along with Scotland Yard ? and we are not afraid of asking for help when we think we need it.?
The officer said the organisation has had the services of a profiler who worked with them.
Speaking specifically to trace evidence left by a rapist, the acting superintendent said, ? It is not just about fibres, you have to link somebody with the crime. We would have to have a suspect to link with what ever fibres we have gathered.?
The second in command at CID said it is not lack of capability that is preventing the capture of the rapists. ? We have the capability,? the officer said, ? We have trained people in forensics. What we don?t have is a lab, but we have been sending away evidence on a regular basis.?
According to the attorney, the police public relations machinery needs to crank up a notch or two. She noted that the lawmen must be aware that rapists have targetted young women leaving a particular nightclub.
She said the officers should be advising women to travel in groups or have male escorts on their way home. The warning, she said, should be out there to be alert for vehicles which appear to be on one?s trail, and that women should be advised never to drive straight home if they think they are being followed.
?If we are really serious about this, we have to get out there and be proactive,? Francis-Gordon said.
Asked, by this newspaper to respond to the attorney?s statements, Acting Superintendent Nuffield Burnette said the police are, in fact, taking the matter seriously.
?For every other rape that happens, it is a nightmare for the police organisation of Antigua
how can four cops heading a force that is Culture lazy make a change if hte people they are leading dont want to be led? I have seen changes and for that i must congratulate the mounties. Look at it this way, If parents do not train a child in the proper way when he is growing up, do you think they can change that child when he grows up to be a thief or rapist…at least not without extensive professional help. and in the case of the force it’s four up against 650 officers. another scenario to look at is a school..if a school (like in the case of Jennings ahd what happened recently) has lazy teachers for a number of years the culture of the school is hard to change even with a new principal. Llok how they had to move Mr shaw from Jennings. It wasn’t because he was lazy it was because it was one man against a large number of lazy staff. Imagine it was so bad he couldn’t even get the cleaners to do their jobs.
So when you talk of the mounties don’t chat your crap those men are professionals who have the knowledge and experience but little bit of tools. Do you expect a carpenter to build a house without his tools? If he does tht house will fall even before completion.
You people are so political and shallow minded you cannot see beyond your nose tips or beyond an ALP press statement
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Re. Osei -NYC still has auxilliary officers and you clearly stated that they call the police when they see something suspicious. I want you to know also that auxilliary officers have been killed because they are marked men, they don’t have guns on their sides. No one should have to designate anyone for the sole purpose of reporting criminal activities, we all should be very active in that role remembering our safety is paramount. To simplify we all should be auxilliary officers. You failed to mention that in New York you see people giving information to both the police and the press, not so in Antigua, how convenient.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
maybe all the men need to get raped for them to realize its a crisis then we will get real help
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I can’t under stand how come somebody can walk in to somebody house 3am in the morning just so and they don’t here nothing, anybody come in my house that time in the morning is a dead man.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Re Big Joe:- I live in the States now but I am also an Antiguan and who lived in Antigua until recently. My observation while I was there was that there was hardly any police presence in hot crime neighborhoods. Don’t you think that if the police vehicles were used less for personal use (picking up girlfriends etc.) and instead they were used for patrolling our neighborhoods that the criminals would be forced to retreat?
INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE WILL IMPROVE INDEED IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY!
The police is getting paid to do a SERVICE for the public. So when a police officer tells me talk to him tomorrow because “he done work for the day”, you know he or she is not a crime fighter but just another worker.
No, I am not going to let up on the police because it is their obligation to do their best to protect the public. It does not take ROCKET SCIENCE to know you have to always have visible police presence to curb crime. When was the last time you observe police patrolling your neighborhood, anytime of day or night?
Ok, you don’t have enough police? New York in the 1970′s through 1980′s had AUXILIARY POLICE office who complimented the police. The patrolled in areas where the police were not always visible and reported immediately any suspicious activity to the BIG BOYS. It worked like magic. Civilian Auxiliary Police officers there were police officers everywhere, and it dramatically reduced crime in many hot neighborhoods.
Does Antigua need Auxiliary Policing? Now might be a good time to try something new. I am sure many good citizens would volunteer their time in an Auxiliary Police force to help the police fight crime on this once peaceful island.
You know we going to get police resistance with that idea; so what? If they don’t like it they should simply get out of the way.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Critical i want you to know that i’m in america, and the police here do ask for tips which they get most often than not. Many innocent people have been jailed and killed right here in America. Beam you are trying to water down the responsibilities of the citizens somewhat, but just in case you don’t know, there is a TIPS HOTLINE.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
First checks and balances.
Second a police is sworn to keep the law and protect the people of the country.
Third if the people do not ( and i repeat) DO NOT trust the police then they do not have the eyes and ears helping them.
Fourth most people have heard this ” it takes a village to raise a child” We as Antiguans have gone far away from that idea. We have become to self indulgent and not looking for other who might not have or might need that helping hand. Think about it… if we did for every scream, for every shout, for every loud crying the first thing that would have been said is … Neighbour!!!! ah wa do yuh????
Simple question when was the last time you hear this???? We need to start with ourselves making sure we have our brothers and sisters back then we can honestly say anything, because certain things would not happen easily in our backyard!!!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I am an American, and i can proudly say: the authorities in Antigua, should seek out side help, by asking the American government for help, meaning, send some FBI agents down to Antigua, you will see how quickly those perpetrators are caught. I call on the Antiguan government to stop this lawlessness on this tiny island.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Each and every crime that is committed is an attack on the whole citizenry, so until we come to realize that, nothing is going to change. I have seen others not living in Antigua blogged on site telling you all that the best police force in the world can’t solve these crimes without any solid leads to work with. What are we looking for here miracles, or just grab anyone? Be careful what you ask for. The people have to help the police, so in turn the police can help us all.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I STRONGLY AGREE WITH BUCKHUNTER!!! MAYBE WE SHOULD START FIGHTING THE CRIMES BY INVESTIGATING THE POLICE AND DEFENCE FORCE!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I have commented on this issue so many times I am totally dumbfounded as to how this situation can be arrested, all I can say is that my heart hurt for my country and for all the beautiful ladies who has to live in fear of been violated.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
RCMP-having the “finest Canadian mounties” in top management positions is one thing.It is then up to the rank and file officers to put into action what they are being taught—such as detective type techniques/operations,the apprehension of suspects and hauling them before a court of law.Also,what does Acting Superintendent Nuffield mean when he says “for every other rape that happens its a nightmare for the police organisation”? One would think it would be a “nightmare” for each and every rape committed.Not EVERY OTHER.
At this stage of events I honestly don’t know what’s in store for Antigua and its people.Yet,we cannot just throw our hands in the air and submit to lawlessness.At some point,and Lord only knows when that will be,it will dawn upon the people that it is going to take a collective/collaborative effort in
bringing about much-needed change in our homeland.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
every non- national that enter antigua should be finger printed, also for anyone that is arrested. these hoodlums are not only raping, they are committing other crimes against the country. is their a lab for this sort of evidence?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
If comments are been deleted,because of hard questions for the police, what do you suggest? We should pat them on their back for doing a terrible job? “OBSERVER”
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
But what about the US$10,000 a month salary Canadians that the incompetent UPP brought in? Have they failed?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Still waiting to see my comments.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
maybe they just try to destabilize the country so that alp can get the government back. So, what people are behind this crimes, sometimes I think it must be insiders.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I have said this before this has been building up for a long time.It goes back to care free politicians, who opened the flood gates of our precious island to anyone who could afford a ticket there. So, for their political gains, the total destruction of the island is now in swing. First they took a bunch of foreigners most of them no one knows about and put them in the police department. Now the island is at the mercy of unknown police and anyone looking for easy prey. Look it is time to stop the sugar coating, The island is over populated with loosers, vultures and crooks of the worst kind, so every good citizen is a perspective victim. Can anyone really think, the police are so incompetent that after over two years, they still can’t catch these rapists. Maybe we need to start looking from the inside. Antigua does not have the resources, to facilitate this massive influx of people and until the population is back to a managable order these problems will never go away. I know some people will accuse me of picking on foreigners, but that is not the case. We need to be honest and realistic. This is about survival as we knew it when Antigua was pure, those were the good old days. So Mr Prime Minister, it is time to make hard decisions. These decisions should not be about what affects our carricom neighbours, but for the love and betterment of our country.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Most of the police officers were raised in a society where just about everything comes to a halt after the sun sets. Today, they still have the same mentality. Even though they are on the clock, they are in sleep mode. Whenever they are on duty,they need to change their way of thinking and be active both mentally and physically. The rapists observed the way the police officers work that’s why they are able to stay ahead of them. Police officers on duty need to stop driniking Milo and Ovaltine at nights and drink coffee. COME ON GUYS, IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The Police is not doing enough and we are all afraid. I get a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach every single time I read one of these horrific incidents of rape or burglary or intrusions of any sort. I agree with Monique that we need the intervention of people who can help us.. and we need it now. Something as simple as making sure there is a concentration of police in strategic locations all the time, everytime UNTIL something breaks…. not even that they can do?? Why cant they send out undercover cops to infiltrate suspected criminal groups? set up sting operations? send out decoys? Why??
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
There comes a time when we have to call a spade what it is. Lack of police presence is like the police giving permission to the criminal to perform their dastardly deeds on the citizens of this once peaceful land.
What we don’t realize is that the police do not really take their jobs seriously, for them it is no different from a person who pumps gas at the gas station, or the person who works in an office, or any other person for that matter who thinks that the paycheck is all that matters to them.
The level of seriousness and dedication is sorely lacking in the force. I believe a fish rots from the head and so you don’t just cut the head off and eat the rest of it, you throw the whole thing out and get fresh fish to eat.
Frankly speaking, the external police commissioner and co., brought in from Canada did little to improve the way policing ought to be done. I have not seen any improvement at all; have you?
It makes me wonder if crime is not being used as a vehicle to generate needed revenue by the courts which hand out stiff penalties for simple offenses. (Before you slap me for this comment bear me out). If a man is charged $260,000 for possession of 4.3 ounces of marijuana then it is obviously about the money since the penalty is excessively severe. My goodness, you can make a few cups of tea with the stuff and calmly have a good nights sleep.
So with that kind of money coming in for marijuana possession where would your priorities be. The police spend more time chasing down people for possession of a bunch of dried leaves rather than rapists since there is not much to gain from it financially. It is truly ironic that this seems to be the primary focus of the crime fighters on the force.
I totally agree that proper training and outside intervention may be the key to a successful and dedicated crime fighting force for Antigua and Barbuda. Let the purge begin, and let the chips fall where they may.
END THE RAPES, MURDERS, AND ROBBERIES, enough already. Let the true police officers step up and do what they are being paid to do. BRING ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET, FROM WHEREVER WE CAN GET IT!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The Antiguan Sun keeps pulling my comments so I will display here instead.
Thier cartoon in todays paper is distasteful and should have never have been printed. And they have the audacity to display such nonsense with whats happening in Antigua right now. Shame on them.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Please don’t tell me police can’t be everywhere…if you were to visit the strip bars, night clubs, beaches and some of the police homes at nights you’ll be shocked to see the patrol vehicles parked outside…even at the stations you’ll see a number of vehicles parked while officers are comfortable sitting and holding a laugh while the rapist/s are busy at work.
Shame and disgrace on the officers!!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Tenman you’re so correct…where are the patrols in these areas where rape cases are high…if anyone was to travel these areas anytime between 11pm to 4:30am you’ll be surprised to see not one police patrol visible combing the area…is it when police are given orders to patrol these areas they don’t go or go once and don’t repeat every other 30 mins….real sad and disgust to know that there ain’t one rapist behind bars at present for these rapes after 2+ yrs.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Media is a place for besr behaviour so they will say anything pleasing to the air eh. These ppl, i dont no y we r paying them.
A sugession! How about we pay them based on their performance! The Minister in charge of police can consider that! the wrongs will b made right!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Buckhunter I AGREE WITH YOU. I was just gonna suggest that! With the level of crimes now, we need to take finger prints of every one in the land. since we dont have labs but we have finger print. Then work with what we have.
Another thing sometimes i dont even want to comment because its wasting time because nothing is still gonna be done.
What was the budget for next year like for the police force. Because i think we operating like there is no force so maybe we can close it down and continue living as is. SALOP!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Now you tell me? If they dont have a lab but they jus sesd away the evidence to the lab, then when it returns from the lab is not them to work on it. Its the same thing like if they had a lab. Because if they have a lab and they do the testing then the next step is to work o it! Set of un educated jack *** (donkey)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Where are the police patrols? These incidents are happening in the same communities. The rapist is not being quiet and sometimes shooting his gun into the air yet he is able to escape. The police need to stop fooling around, how can this happen on an island the size of Antigua
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
We are quick to blame the canadians but what about the police officers on the force….. antigua and barbuda belongs to them, its their families and friends are here, why isnt that motivation enough for them to work even harder to deal with the crime issue.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The police isn’t trained for such things involving rapes and other important crimes. Their only experts for crimes against tourist!! smh
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I have become extremely afraid for myself and other women in this country.
What is really wrong with Antiguan men?
It’s obviously not one person doing this, so what is going on? You mean police can’t catch just one!!??
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The problem is the Canadians must go. The Government and the Police Force Commissioner needs to know their role and stop interfering in the Police Force. The Force when I know have some resources and prospectives but now the persons being placed in the manegerial positions are DRIVERS of ministers and other persons who have no clue but are BLUE. It is a known fact. So when the Government is serious about fighting crime. They will put in the NATIONAL CHIP. And we will all sleep confortable at night.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The Police need to take Fingerprints and DNA samples from every Antiguan. Make it mandatory. Fingerprints also from every Tourist like the US is doing.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The police need to start taking blood, DNA, fingerprint, hair and fiber samples from their OWN members and every rape reported cross checked against them. Secondly we need to know who’s living in the country and where. ID cards for ALL (National and Non nationals alike) . Thirdly we need to keep the children in school until 4 30PM so they are under maximum adult supervision at all times. This has gone beyond a ‘police’ or law enforcement issue. Its now a ‘culture’ shift issue with the Jamaican low life mentality at the forefront.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I can understand the feelings and concerns of the learned Attorney. Everytime I hear/read that one of my sisters is violently raped and assaulted, I die a little. It’s really a new phenomenon in Antigua and we have yet to see a WHITE MARCH of any magnitude mounted by the Antiguan Brotherhood. It’s easy to vent our frustration on the police, but the job of seeking out and identifying the culprits is that of the citizenry. Somebody must know or have seen something, unless the culprits are completely foreign to us or live under rocks in Antigua. To shoot a Mother, a Sister, a Daughter, while she is vigorously fighting to prevent herself from being raped, is the epitome of violence and should stir up the ire in every Antiguan and goad us into action.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
OUTSIDE HELP??? I thought we have the “finest” Canadians Mounties heading the very top positions within the Police Force. One is in charge of CRIME (CID), another is head of OPERATIONS and another is head of ADMINISTRATIONS.
The same letter the Police Service Commission sent to Delano Christopher should now be sent to all 4 Mounties. Not only will they be sent packing but in light of the pending IMF measures, it will save Antigua a lot of $$$$$ from the “All-inclusive paid vacation” package they have been enjoying for almost 2 yrs.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Even if u travel by group or with a male dem go still come an try rape u and mayb rape the man too!!!!!!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Even if u travel by group or with a male dem go still come an try rape u
Like or Dislike:
0 
0