Government
JOINT STATEMENT FROM HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVENOR AND THE HONOURABLE PREMIER ON OPERATIONAL RESPONSE MEASURES
#TurksandCaicos, August 9, 2023 – Since our joint statement released on 2 August following a fatal shooting incident in Providenciales, there have been two further non-fatal shooting incidents in Blue Hills and Five Cays. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) are actively investigating all three incidents.
We undertook to keep you informed on the steps we are taking to support the operational policing response, to ensure the threats to our safety are gripped and effectively tackled, in both the immediate and longer term.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Tactical Unit remain in active deployment in addition to
In support of these operations, the following capability has been put in place to date:
- – The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has deployed of one of its H145 helicopters. The helicopter and crew arrived on Sunday. Since their arrival, the crew have been working with RTCIPF on planned operations to provide critical aerial support as part of our operational response measures. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is funding this deployment.
- – In tackling our shared threats, the HMBS Bahamas, the flagship of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, is currently in our jurisdiction, working in collaboration with our maritime partners to patrol our territorial waters against any illegal activities occurring at sea. Members of the RTCIPF and TCI Regiment are on board the HMBS Bahamas as part of this joint operation.
- – The Turks and Caicos Islands continues to work in partnership with our colleagues from US Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP assets are supporting the surveillance of our waters and those further afield, enabling early warning of suspicious vessels and acting as a deterrent to those who want to reach our islands undetected.
- – To ensure the ongoing investigative capacity of the RTCIPF, the FCDO has allocated additional funding to extend the timeline of the serious crime team deployment.
This immediate package of measures seeks to provide substantial capability to our operational response, co-ordinating efforts on both land and sea. It will allow us to continue to investigate vigorously and bring to justice those who are causing harm and threatening our peace and security. We are particularly grateful to the Governments of the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands for their steadfast support at this critical time.
We will continue to assess threats and keep you informed of our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
To assist our police investigations, we kindly ask for your cooperation. If you possess any information, regardless of its significance, please speak to someone you trust or contact TCI Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to provide information anonymously and with confidence, for the safety of all.