Police confirm home search in Layou homicide investigation (+VIDEO)

The top brass of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) has confirmed that a police “check” was carried out at the home of one of the country’s recent homicide victims and credited it as being a necessary part of a “thorough investigation”.

Delarno Kyle Corney Patrick alias ‘Smoke’ was shot in Middle Street, Layou on Sunday, October 15 around 1 a.m. Reports are that Patrick was on his way home when he was accosted and shot about 10 times about his body.

After being transported to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), he succumbed to his injuries at about 2 am, making him this country’s 42nd homicide victim for 2023.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Acting), Trevor Bailey said that police did conduct a search of the murder victim’s home but denied that officers ransacked the house.

SEARCHLIGHT was invited by the victim’s family to tour the home on Monday which revealed a broken door and the contents of the home strewn all over the small house.

“Officers went to his home… the investigation has to be thorough and during the course of the investigation any information or intelligence that is gathered has to be checked properly.”

“I have no knowledge that the officers ransacked the house. I don’t even think we had reasons to do that because we were in contact with the brother … when I left the crime scene, he was going with the officers to his brother’s house. So I don’t think the officers had reason to go kick down the door.”

The brother, referred to by Bailey had been identified by residents as being mentally unstable and they also complained about the “aggressive” manner in which police operated during the search of the house.

ACP Bailey also spoke to the challenges the RSVGPF continues to encounter with members of the public and added to the list of promises and assurances given by the recently appointed Commissioner of Police (Ag.), Enville Williams, that the public-police relationship will improve.

“We can’t isolate ourselves today and go tomorrow and ask for help, we have to be more involved in social activities with the community.

“It is not going to change overnight- the attitude of our officers, we have to change that within our organization. We have to make sure that our officers understand that alone we cannot do it and the public is a very important agent in the crime fighting.”

He admitted that police need to be more engaging and noted that being “isolated from society” will only serve to hinder the crime fight

“… When a crime happens the officers are not there and we depend heavily on what is communicated to us by society but we have been absent from among them.”

He highlighted the culture of “divisiveness” that has emerged between the two groups and said the public can expect to hear more from the Force as it relates to disciplinary actions taken when complaints are made against officers.

“… When a matter is reported against a police officer, we don’t report back to the public as to what action was taken. That too will change and we are going to assure the general public that we are going to do more reporting. Any disciplinary action that is taken will be reported back to the public. “

He added that the message will be spread across SVG that “our officers are not above the law and if they breach the law disciplinary action will be taken. “