P.M. Barrow Looks for Changes in G.S.U.
The Gang Suppression Unit, with all the flak that it has received since being established, is completely off the hook in the Kelvin Usher debacle. Prime Minister Barrow made that point absolutely clear during his address. While the matter has been resolved without incident, the alleged involvement of the GSU in Kelvin’s disappearance has once again placed the taskforce under intense scrutiny. This time, however, it is with a view to streamline its operations, as well as revise its mission statement.
Dean Barrow
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“Contrary to all that was being said and thought, contrary to all the accusations, allegations that were being made against the GSU, it is now crystal clear that the GSU, except that it went on this mission, the young man was present and he fled upon the arrival of the GSU and the firing of the warning shots, that was the trigger for what subsequently happened with him, in terms of his having been missing for these very many days. But apart from that, the GSU, it is now proven, has been guilty of nothing like the sorts of charges that certain members of the public were leveling against the GSU. I do want to make clear that in any case though, when it wasn’t altogether certain what had occurred, I had called for the meeting which I convened this morning, I wanted to be thoroughly ceased of the facts. The meeting didn’t get that far because shortly after we convened, we started hearing that the young man had in fact been found safe. But one of the purposes of the meeting had been for me to find out from the department exactly what the mission of the GSU is and whether protocols, best practices, protocols were still in place. At the time the GSU was formed, way back when, there was a kind of manual by which they were expected to operate and I certainly thought it important to find out whether that manual was still in place, whether there had been any refresh of the manual. I wanted for there to be a review of the mission, purpose and operational remit of the Gang Suppression Unit and we still, to some extent, went through that even after it was confirmed to us that Kelvin was safe.”
The Prime Minister also told the media today that he would have deployed the use of helicopters if the B.D.F. saw it necessary.
