Mr. Colin John, Commissioner of Police, said goodbye to hundreds of police personnel during his last Commissioner’s Parade and Lecture at the Old Montrose Parade Ground on Thursday, September 28, 2022. Mr. Frankie Joseph, Deputy Commissioner of Police, led the procession, which was accompanied by officers of all levels, including the Gazetted Officer’s Corps.
The commissioner shook the hands of every police officer on parade and praised them for their support and service to the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) and the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Commissioner John addressed the police in the Old Montrose Lecture Hall after the march. In a pleasant but contemplative tone, the commissioner thanked the audience for their support throughout his term and asked them to provide that same support and more to his successor when he was selected. He said that, with the exception of a few “bad eggs,” the RSVGPF is a “good” force with some of the most industrious and committed officers he has ever met. He took the time to congratulate all of the policemen who had lately been promoted and to console those who had not.
Concerning personal and educational growth in the organization, the commissioner expressed his delight at seeing some members of the constabulary pursuing studies in various fields. This, he believes, will assist the RSVGPF. “Seeing a number of young officers studying various subjects is a very encouraging sign.” There are several benefits to doing so. I speak from personal experience. Very soon, I will physically and symbolically be walking away from this work, and people are wondering and questioning, ‘What is he going to do next’? All I’d say is that I have many possibilities. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the people of SVG, the region, and the world in this capacity,” stated Commissioner John.
Commissioner John reflected on his early days as a police officer, beginning on January 16, 1988. He worked at several stations, branches, and units, including the Beat and Patrol, Honour Guard, Immigration Office (Bequia, Mustique, and Canouan), Calliaqua, Mesopotamia, Biabou, and Owia Police Stations, the Police Canteen, the Police Training School, the Criminal Investigations Department, and the Narcotics Unit, according to him.
Commissioner John works as a lawyer and attorney. Holborn College in the United Kingdom is where he earned his law degree. On July 22, 2010, he was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales, and in October of same year, he was admitted to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Bar.
He was then promoted to Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions at the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (ODPP) Office. He was named Deputy Commissioner of Police on August 1, 2016, and then Acting Commissioner of Police in 2017. On December 31, 2018, he was confirmed for the position of Commissioner of Police. In 2019, he became the first Vincentian Police Commissioner to be chosen President of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP). In 2021, he was re-elected to that office.
Commissioner John has been a police officer for almost 35 years. The RSVGPF’s Gazetted Officers and rank-and-file members appreciate him for his service to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and wish him well in his future endeavors as he departs from the organization.
