Minister Roger Alexander Defends Role, Rejects Calls To Resign Following Police Shooting
Minister of Homeland Security, Roger Alexander, is standing firm against calls for his resignation, affirming his commitment to continue serving the country.
His statement comes after a protest outside the Red House on Sunday, where demonstrators demanded he step down following the police-involved shooting that claimed the life of Joshua Samaroo and left his girlfriend, Kaia Sealy, paralysed.
Addressing the incident, Minister Alexander emphasised the importance of due process and evidence in police investigations.
« I will continue to serve my country as long as the Honourable Prime Minister gives me that portfolio to do so. Sometimes persons are hurting. It’s an emotional call and all of these things. I continue to understand because I was here before. I was in that position that the Commissioner was in before, not as a Police Commissioner, but as a senior police officer involved in operations. And I know, no matter what it looks like, evidence is what changes the game. Evidence is what the police need to do, to get, to bring someone before a court to be dealt with according to law. »
Minister Alexander also highlighted the mandatory counselling process for officers involved in shootings that result in fatalities, noting that recommendations for leave can only be made after counselling.
« »Whenever a police officer is involved in a shooting incident and somebody dies, you have four investigators: a senior police officer, Professional Standards Bureau, the Homicide, and the PCA for oversight. That is four. What normally happens is during that investigations or after the shooting, the police must seek counselling because sometimes you will sit there and form an opinion on what you thought you saw and what you saw and all of that. And fine, I understand that. The investigation is going on. But there are persons involved. There are victims on both sides, you know. And that’s what I said and get everybody so upset. The police is also victims. That persons don’t understand. So they must go for counseling in order to be treated with mentally and otherwise. So when persons made a statement about leave after the counselling, recommendations could be made for the police officers and them to go and leave as the case may be. »
