Bailey: ‘I Make no Apology for Confronting These Monsters’
Police Commissioner says murders fell by 43.8 per cent in 2025 as he vows to continue crackdown on criminal elements
Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey has declared that he makes no apology for confronting violent criminals, vowing that the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force will use every lawful means at its disposal to protect the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Speaking at a news conference at Police Headquarters on Airport Road, Providenciales, on Thursday, October 15, Bailey defended his approach to policing, pointing to significant reductions in murders and major crimes while outlining plans to transform the Force through stronger leadership, improved operational capabilities and greater accountability.
“I make no apology for confronting these monsters,” Bailey declared, referring to the gangs, gunmen and organised criminal networks threatening public safety across the Islands.
He stressed, however, that the fight against crime must remain firmly within the law, warning that the police cannot abandon the principles they are sworn to uphold.
“Operate within the framework of the law,” he said, reiterating that the Force's authority depends on its legitimacy and respect for the rule of law.
“The moment we abandon the law to fight the lawless, we become indistinguishable from them.”
Murders down 43.8 per cent
Bailey reported that murders fell from 48 in 2024 to 27 in 2025, representing a reduction of 43.8 per cent. He also said the Islands had recorded three murders so far in 2026, an 88 per cent reduction compared with the same period last year.
Major crimes overall, he added, were down by 42 per cent.
The Commissioner described the figures as evidence of progress following a period of heightened violence that had left residents fearful and raised concerns about the country's reputation as a safe destination for tourists and investors.
“These are not mere statistics. Behind every number is a life preserved, a family spared grief, a difficult decision and a community given back its peace,” he said.
Bailey recalled arriving in the Turks and Caicos Islands on October 7, 2024, when he joined the Force as Deputy Commissioner. He described the country at the time as being “under siege”, with armed criminals committing robberies and killings.
Six weeks after his arrival, on November 21, 2024, then-Commissioner Edwin Martin resigned, and Bailey was asked to lead the Force.
By the end of 2024, the country had recorded 48 murders, a situation Bailey said had left some communities living in fear and parts of the Islands effectively becoming no-go zones for residents, visitors and even police officers.
He argued that restoring security was essential to economic development, noting that crime undermines business confidence, discourages investment and diverts resources away from education, healthcare, infrastructure and job creation.
“Security is not a by-product of development. It is the precondition for it,” he said.
Transformation of the Police Force
Beyond the reduction in crime, Bailey said his administration was pursuing a broader transformation of the Force, built on three pillars: leadership, capability and integrity.
Under the leadership pillar, he outlined key appointments intended to strengthen the organisation's management structure. These include an Assistant Commissioner responsible for training and recruitment, a Chief Operating Officer overseeing procurement and financial management, and a Deputy Commissioner responsible for discipline and standards.
The appointments, he said, are intended to improve operational efficiency, financial accountability and the handling of complaints involving police officers.
On capability, Bailey said officers were undergoing management, investigative, tactical and marine training as part of a deliberate effort to strengthen the Force and prepare future leaders.
He emphasised that the transformation programme was not intended to discredit previous work or undermine serving officers, but to build on existing achievements and prepare the organisation for emerging security challenges.
“My mission is not to tear down what we have built, but to build upon it. Not to criticise our officers, but to empower them,” he said.
He added that every officer should have the training and skills necessary to respond effectively when confronted by violent criminals.
Warns against misinformation and division
The Commissioner also cautioned that organised criminal groups could seek to undermine law enforcement through misinformation, disinformation and attempts to create division within the Force and between officers and the public.
He described organised crime as a profit-driven enterprise that would resist efforts to disrupt its activities, potentially using proxies to manufacture controversy and distract the police from their work.
Bailey urged residents to remain united in the fight against crime, arguing that community cooperation was essential to sustaining progress.
Citing former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Robert Peel's principle that the police and the public are fundamentally connected, he called on citizens to stand with law enforcement.
“The criminal’s greatest ally is a divided community, and his greatest enemy is a united one,” Bailey said.
He maintained that while the reported reductions in crime represented important progress, the work was far from complete.
“In under two years, we have moved these Islands from crisis towards recovery,” he said. “But recovery is not victory, and our work is not done.”
Bailey ended his address with a pledge to maintain the crackdown on criminal activity, declaring: “We will not relent. We will not retreat. And we will not allow these Islands to be taken back.”
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