In a formal event held on Monday that marked the launch of a critical new public safety tool for the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF), Sergeant Petrina Dupigny was officially sworn in and introduced as the service’s new Public Relations Officer. The announcement of her appointment was made by Deputy Chief of Police Jeoffrey James, who opened the launch ceremony by highlighting Dupigny’s professional background and expressing strong, unwavering confidence in her capacity to excel in this new public-facing role.
During his remarks, James also took time to recognize and commend the work of outgoing spokesperson Inspector Henderson, who previously handled CDPF public relations responsibilities alongside his core duties leading the force’s Scenes of Crime unit. National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore echoed James’ positive sentiments, extending a formal welcome to Dupigny and affirming that the government and security leadership share full confidence in her ability to succeed.
In her first public address after the appointment announcement, Dupigny stated that she felt deeply honored to be selected for the position, before shifting focus to detail the newly launched Missing Person Alert System and its core outreach materials. Central to the system’s public outreach is a standardized official alert flyer designed to maximize public engagement and speed up search efforts. Dupigny explained that the flyers are structured to place a clear, high-quality photograph of the missing person in a prominent position, allowing community members to quickly recognize the individual being sought by authorities.
Beyond the central photograph, each flyer will include a full set of key identifying details: the missing person’s full name, current age, height, last known address, skin complexion, the date they were last seen in public, and any additional context relevant to ongoing search operations. To help residents distinguish official police alerts from unofficial or fraudulent posts, all flyers will also clearly display the CDPF name and the national Coat of Arms.
Dupigny closed her remarks with a public appeal to all Dominican residents, urging communities across the island to remain vigilant for active missing person alerts, and to share any relevant information with law enforcement immediately if they recognize a person featured in an alert. She emphasized a core principle of missing person search efforts that underpins the creation of the new system: the early hours immediately after a person is reported missing are the most critical for securing their safe return.