When I became a police officer, I was told about and I was introduced to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force Welfare Association (the Police Union) while I was still in training school. I always showed an interest in the business of the association; because I knew, the Police Welfare Association (P.W.A), is a very important protective mechanism, for police officer, especially; the most junior of the institution. Unfortunately there was and still is, a lack of trust among the P.W.A members for the P.W.A executive.
This was and may still be so, for the simple fact there was a history of the leading and most vocal members of the Executive, after elected sought to lookout for their personal interest; over the welfare of its members. The highly vocal members of the welfare executive, seems to receive sudden promotions; as a result, of their promotion; their enthusiasm waned. They became totally new people, with a loss of desire to work for or on behalf of the members of the PWA. The others were too afraid to take any actions against senior staff that had violated the rights of the members.
I was being supervised by a man whom I considered a police Historian: Sgt. Adam Billingy AKA Bill. Every opportunity I get, I look for clarity about police events, I heard about, but never had the full scoop on. Sgt. Billingy had the full scoop on all event police. From the shooting of the puppy by then inspector Bascombe, to infamous police sick out; led by Mr. Blue. I was fascinated by the police sick out. I heard about the inside planning that led to the sickout, what went wrong, and how it could have been more effective; as well as the laws that were in place and the laws that was put into place to hold officers criminal liable for any such actions. I had my opinion.
I studied all of the laws that related to police and police taking protest actions. I knew how to successfully execute such a protest action without being held criminal liable. By this time, a great number of police officer found me, each time they found themselves in trouble, with the police authority. I will give them sound counsel, which always resolved their case. Police officers came from all over to seek my counsel on all degree of work related matter. It is interested, this trend continued when I went to Bermuda.
I was assigned to Justice Don Mitchell and was a regular on the political interactive radio programs. As a result, I decided to run for the top post in the Police Welfare Association. I was bubbling over with plans to enhance the working conditions, to force the hierarchy to create policy that will be of benefit to the welfare of the men. At the time St. Vincent and the Grenadines was going through a turbulent political period and I had a plan for that also.
The law gives the time frame for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Welfare Association to have general elections, the time frame had passed and there were no preparation to facilitate the preliminaries to the elections. I had made my intention known. The police bosses and the politicians on both sides were quite comfortable with the current chairman and since I had declared my intentions to run for the post, they were afraid that my popularity would have given me the victory; hence the reason for the delay.
As a result, I wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of police Mr. William Harry, informing him of the law as it relates to the Welfare Association annual general meeting; I also informed him, if he did not put the mechanism in place, to ensure the election is held, I am going to take him to small claims court for damages for denying me of my lawful rights. Not because I want money but to embarrassed him. Soon after the Deputy Commissioner received my latter, he put the mechanism in place to facilitate the P.W.A elections, which includes the date for the elections.
I told Justice Mitchell, of my intent to seek the post of chair of the P.W.A; he did not express his opinion on the matter. However; I contested and lost the chairmanship of the P.W.A but was elected secretary. When I broke the news of my defeat to Justice Mitchell, he give a victorious and audible yes! he shook his head approving the decision of the members not to elect me as Chairman of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Welfare Association.
Then he said, Mr. Palmer I must tell you, I am happy you did not win the elections, let me tell you why he said. He told me a story and he called the names of some people, he was friends with in Anguilla, who took some unpopular acts against the government, and he was found guilty in the court of popular, political, opinion, of being the master mind behind the men’s actions. As a result; Justice Mitchell was black balled by the government.
The Judge further said, Mr. Palmer knowing you, you are going to come up with, execute and stand by some very unpopular things and like what happened so many years ago, everyone is going to believe that I am the one who was giving you counsel. They will never believe me if I said the plans were all your ideas.
He paused for a while as he looked out at the sea. I wanted to ask you not to run for the post, but I did not want to get involved in discouraging you to service in whatever way you could. Well don’t take it too hard, there is always next year: he said with a justifiable smiled on his face. The officers were still coming to me for help, and I did my best in offering them the best help I knew how.
By this time the St. Vincet and the Grenadines political impasse was in full motions. The local unions had joined with the political opposition with personal promises to the union leaders for their support and the support of their members. There was chaos in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the opposition had promised to make the country ungovernable and he was succeeding in doing so. I was approached my Sgt. Charles who was later promoted to Commissioner of police by Ralph Gonsalves as well as lenford Brewster who was also later promoted to Assistance Commissioner of Police. Both men approached me on separate occasion. I honestly did not know that these two men were actually the opposition leader: Ralph Gonsalves Bitches.
At the time Charles was a member of the PWA however, both men came to me and tried to entice me into pushing the P.W.A to joining the impasse. They said, Palmer, all of the other unions are on strike what we doing? I told both of them the same thing; I said; we are police officer, our sworn obligation is to protect the community and to uphold the law. What will happen if, the police join into the strike, who is going to protect the people who are striking? This will be total anarchy. We are police officers we are not politicians, it is our responsibility to protect the strikers to ensure they have a safe environment to exercise their lawful and democratic rights.
I also took the time to share with them my plans. I said I am going to use this political deadlock to put the police at an advantage. I explained, I am in the process of preparing a document; then I am going to make arrangement to see the Prime Minister, and present to him the document, and asked him what he can do for us base on the critical needs of the constabulary.
After which, I am going to make arrangement to see the Opposition leader, which will be easy because of his desperation; I am going to let him know what the government has offer and find out what he was going to do for the police and in what time frame after which, I will make a presentation to the general body and have them vote their conscience. Unfortunately I could not get executive support for this plan; the executive members of the Police Welfare Association was afraid to join me. An opportunity missed because of fear.
One day, I met PC Lett at Central Police Station in Kingstown; PC Lett was on suspension from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, after he was implicated in the shooting death of a civilian, while he was on duty at South Rivers with the Drug Squad (Narcotic department). Lett’s implications and suspension did not sit well with me. I was also hearing some conflicting stories. I knew PC Lett, before he became a police officer. I first met PC Lett, While, I was assigned at the Chateaubelair Police Station, Lett was a well-mannered, discipline teenager; who was just completing secondary schooling. At the time the young man was looking into possible careers choices. He wanted my opinion on becoming a police officer.
Now the cool young man was suspended from his job on a criminal indictment and was awaiting a High Court trial for the homicide. I inquired about Letts Defense only to discover that the young suspended police officer did not have a lawyer because he could not afford the services of a lawyer. I knew the young man’s family and knew they were not in a position to afford a lawyer. I was shocked, extremely upset and I was heartbroken; for the ambitious young man. All he wanted was an opportunity to help his family and now even that was taken away from him.
I thought for a while, Let was out on official duties when the incident occurred; he was the most junior of the party (Fresh out of Training School); his alleged actions was not malicious, vengeful or excessive force; I still did not believe that Lett was responsible for the man’s death. I am of the opinion, that people within that department, took advantage of the young constable inexperience and naivety and used him as a patsy, leaving him holding the ax handle: taking the blame for someone else’s actions.
I knew lets conditions and knew his domestic condition, the young man just wanted to create a better life for himself and his family. He was literally alone in this fight. All of his colleagues were on the job and let was suspended. I was of the opinion that the Government should pay for this young man’s defense and I had quite a winning argument and if they don’t pay for his defense, I was going to take them to court to ensure that they did.
As a result, I told Let, go out and find a lawyer of your choosing, tell them that I Allan H. Palmer of the Police Welfare Association give you permission to retain them to represent him in this matter. I was going to ensure the Government pay for PC lette’s defense. As a result I prepared a document with my argument and I sent the said letter to the Minister of National Security and copied it to the relevant authority. Needless to say, the Government paid for PC Lette’s defense and he was acquitted criminal charges.
One day, I drove into the Central Police Station; I notice the entire PWA executive was standing around in the yard. In my ignorance of the gathering, I asked what was happening, because I did not know there was a meeting. I asked my friend and Course B (one who train to be police together) Daniel. He said, the Acting Commissioner William Harry invited the executive to a meeting in his office. I asked how could he invite the executive for a meeting in his office and I was not there.
It was then I was told that they were specifically told not to inform me of the meeting. Apparently the then acting commissioner of police William Harry told the PWA executive, I am going to get them into trouble; he did not offer them any evidence of how I was going to get them in trouble, after which he insisted that they move a motion of no confidence against me and he insisted that the PWA voted on the motions of no confidence in his office and in his presence; which they all did.
I asked my friend and Course B, and no one defended me, when I asked him if he voted he said, after everyone decided I went along with them and I also voted with them. The whole process was illegal, corrupt and may very well be criminal coercion. Here we have the chief law enforcer involved in criminally coercion his junior to break the law of the land.
This was not the legal process of obtaining a vote of no confidence motion, and the involvement of the commissioner of police who used his office coerced his juniors were contrary to the law. It was stink and it was illegal. However, sometime later, certain people were walking around proudly displaying their promotion. Their promotion was the price of: Blood; the reward of betraying the honest and hardworking men and women of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
I choose not to fight the decision of the other executive members, because after what they did, the weakness they displayed and the betrayal; I did not care to be their friend or to work with them in the capacity. Some time after, I remembered some advise my father give me. He said, no matter what you do. Don't every become a trade union leader. He said they will betray you.
Then my father Hamilton Palmer told me a story to support and justified his counsel. Unfortunately, here I was, having forgot my father's counsel; only to be bitten in the same way he had predicted so many years before his death.
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