Deputy Commissioners of Police
Assistant Commissioner of Police
Senior Officers
Members of the Force
Good morning to one and all present.
I wish to quote from the Seychelles Police Instruction Book – Chapter 1 Paragraph 2 which was published in November 1977 by Mr James Pillay, the first Seychellois Commissioner of the Seychelles Police Force:
- “The primary object of an efficient police is the prevention of crime; the next that of detection and punishment of offenders if crime is committed. To these ends all the efforts of police must be directed. The protection of life and property, the preservation of public tranquility, and the absence of crime, will alone prove whether those efforts have been successful, and whether the objects for which the police were appointed have been attained”.
(Sir Richard Mayne 1829)
These words were written in 1829 by Sir Richard Mayne the first joint Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police. These words still ring true today for any police force anywhere in the world, including for us here in Seychelles.
In order to attain our objectives, much depends on the approval and co-operation of the public, and these have always been determined by the degree of respect and esteem in which the police are held. Therefore every member of the Force must remember that it is his duty to protect and help members of the public, no less than bring offenders to justice.
First and foremost, Policing is the prevention of crime.
Most people can identify a police officer by the official police uniform. Criminals usually curb their unlawful behavior when they spot a police officer in their area.
Research has shown that the uniform of a police officer has a profound psychological impact on those who view it. The crisp uniform of a police officer conveys power and authority.
Consequently, I urge all the police officers in the Visible Policing to wear their uniforms with pride. Always be smart and walk smartly in your uniform.
Complete and total prevention of crime only prevails in a utopian society, something which we are all striving for, but which no-one has yet achieved. The efforts that we have employed here in Seychelles to achieve this ideal has been spelt out with regards to the statistics on Visible Policing and Crime Prevention which CSP Jacklin has already alluded to.
However we know that we do not live in a perfect society and the reality is that crime will take place. That brings us to the next object of an efficient police as stated by Sir Richard Mayne which is that of detection and punishment of offenders if crime is committed. This refers to the efforts of reactive policing as conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department commonly referred to as C.I.D.
The statistics for Reactive cases for the 2018 period is as follows:
- No of cases carried forward to 2019: 494
- Average solving rate: 9%
The statistics for the corresponding 2017 period is:
- No of cases carried forward to 2018: 1159
- Average solving rate: 6%
A comparison of the statistics shows that there has been an improvement in the performance of the C.I.D. from 2017 to 2018 as is evident with the increase in the solving rate and the lowering of the number of cases carried forward from one year to the next.
Sir Richard Mayne goes on to say that all the efforts of police must be directed to these two main objects, that being the prevention of crime and the detection of crime. We, as the Seychelles Police Force, are constantly directing and redirecting our efforts in order to achieve these two objectives as is evident in the statistics that we have presented this morning.
Policing in general is not a simple task, but a rather complex one. A policeman is expected and required to wear many different hats during the course of his tour of duty. He has to change hats from being a lawyer, to a doctor at times, to a teacher, a social worker, a mother, a father to name but a few. It is for this reason that we invest in our policemen and women’s skills development so that they may carry out their duties effectively and efficiently in order that the targets that are set in terms of crime prevention and crime detection are achieved.
Our targets for 2019 and beyond are determined by our previous performance and based on the statistics presented today, I am certain that we are on the right path to making Seychelles a safer and better place for all Seychellois and visitors alike. In order to achieve these targets I require the full and undivided cooperation of all my officers and civilian staff. I also require the commitment and support from the public as well as from Government and civil society.
I wish to point out that change can take place at any given time but the implementation of change follows due process and this does not happen overnight, but over a period of time. I therefore urge one and all by humbly requesting the exercise of patience in seeing the fruits of our combined labour in achieving our set goals and targets.
Working together we can achieve all that we set out to do.
Remember A “Team Player”
Works positively together with everyone to get the job done in the best way possible.
Finally, I thank all of you for the support you have given me during the year under review and I look forward to closer collaboration.
Once again, I thank you!
Mr K Labonte
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
