Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Ralph Gonsalves, has strongly condemned a recent proposal by Minister St. Clair Leacock to grant powers of arrest to the officer ranks of the cadet corps, dismissing the idea as “silly” and “ill-advised”.
During a recent radio broadcast, Gonsalves highlighted that the suggestion is “fraught with practical and legal problems”. A major point of contention for Gonsalves is the apparent lack of consultation regarding the policy. He questioned the origins of the proposal, stating his belief that Leacock had not discussed the matter with the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, or even the Prime Minister before announcing it.
“He was just talking off the top of his head there. He didn’t think out this one,” Gonsalves remarked, bluntly categorizing the proposal as a “bad idea”.
Furthermore, the Opposition Leader argued that granting such authority to cadets is entirely unprecedented. “If you go on Google and ask AI if there is any place where you have somebody who is not a police officer or an army officer who is a cadet if they have powers of arrest, they will tell you no,” Gonsalves stated, asserting that implementing such a policy would be “wrong in law, discipline, and practice”.
The proposal has also drawn sharp criticism from the public. Callers into Gonsalves’ radio program echoed his concerns, pointing out the immense complexities involved in executing lawful arrests. One caller highlighted that understanding offenses and the proper “mode of arrest” is something that even fully trained police officers sometimes struggle to execute properly, making it highly inappropriate to delegate to cadets. Another citizen expressed deep alarm over the idea of giving “children” the power to arrest people, warning that it could lead to further complications.
Gonsalves dismissed the proposal as an unvetted, off-the-cuff remark from the current administration, advising the public and officials to completely disregard the idea.