A sharp public dispute has erupted between the top law enforcement official in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a prominent local attorney over explosive allegations that sitting police officers are redirecting surrendered illegal firearms back into criminal circulation on public streets.
Enville Williams, Commissioner of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), has issued a direct public challenge to attorney Grant Connell: produce concrete proof to back the extraordinary claim, or withdraw the damaging accusations that he argues undermine public safety and erode trust in the national police service.
Connell first made the controversial remarks during April 20 court proceedings at the Serious Offences Court, while handling the trial of 25-year-old Deondre France, a resident of Stubbs who had been taken into custody and charged with illegal possession of a .380 caliber pistol. France was ultimately found guilty of the weapons offense and sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment. During the course of the trial, Connell warned individuals considering turning over unlicensed firearms to police to exercise extreme caution over which officer they hand their weapon to, claiming some officers could potentially put the guns back into circulation on the streets.
In an official video response published after the comments came to light, Commissioner Williams forcefully rejected Connell’s allegations, saying the RSVGPF viewed the lawyer’s claims with deep alarm. “I want to state emphatically that there is no truth, absolutely no truth in this crazy suggestion by counsel,” Williams stated in his address.
The police chief pushed back on every element of the claim, noting that every unlicensed firearm held in police custody is tracked and fully accounted for, and that no weapons held by the force have ever been diverted back to criminals on the street. He reiterated that if Connell possesses any documentation, testimony or other evidence to verify his allegation, the attorney has a responsibility to bring it forward immediately. Once evidence is submitted, Williams added, full investigations will be launched immediately, and any officer found to have broken the law will face full accountability.
Williams went on to condemn Connell’s remarks as “wanton and lawless,” arguing that the unsubstantiated claims are designed to stoke unnecessary fear among the general public and tarnish the reputation of all officers serving in the RSVGPF. He stressed that the police force operates with full transparency when it comes to allegations of misconduct: any credible claim of wrongdoing by an officer will be examined through a full, open and impartial investigation, with no effort to protect personnel who break rules.
The commissioner further warned Connell that he must stop overstepping legal boundaries with his public remarks, noting that the attorney could ultimately be held legally responsible for the unsubstantiated damage his comments have caused.
Williams also explained the far-reaching public safety risks created by Connell’s comments, pointing out that illegal firearms are not minor public hazards — they are tools of violence that are used to threaten, injure and kill innocent people. Every unlicensed weapon removed from illegal possession lowers the overall risk of violence for law-abiding citizens, and Connell’s claims are intentionally designed to dissuade people from surrendering illegal weapons through legal channels.
“This is not responsible guidance; this is a dangerous message. It benefits only criminals and weakens public safety and increases the risk for further violence,” Williams added. In closing, the commissioner reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to reducing gun violence, and renewed a call for any person holding an illegal firearm or with information about hidden unlicensed weapons to contact local law enforcement without delay.