Above: Turks and Caicos

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Turks and Caicos Islands has named James Smith the British Overseas Territory’s new police commissioner.

Smith’s appointment was announced by TCI Governor Peter Beckingham on Wednesday.

Smith is a former commander in London’s Metropolitan Police Force, where he was involved in the response to the London terrorist bombings.

His previous experience also includes a stint as Acting Police Commissioner of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, among other stops.

“He was  a Commander in London’s Metropolitan Police Service, where he was  involved in the response to the London terrorist bombings, and introduced neighbourhood policing, a concept which we might usefully further develop here,” Beckingham said. “He was also a senior officer in the Scottish police. His experience makes him a first class leader to take forward the men and women of the RTCIPF into the next stage of their professional and organisational development.”

He succeeds former Commissioner Colin Farquhar, a native of Canada whose contract had concluded.

“I would like to take this opportunity to publicly recognize the contribution of Commissioner Colin Farquhar to policing here in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which continues to benefit from one of the lowest crime rates in the Caribbean and is widely recognised  as a largely safe and welcoming destination for our residents and visitors. I wish him well as he resumes his policing career in Canada,” Beckingham said.