NATIVE FLOWERS, SHRUBS & TREES ON SALT CAY



JAMES AND TY



It is always exciting to have a visit from scientists and experts that have an in depth knowledge of their paricular field of study and so it was this month with a visit from James and Ty with their astounding ability to pinpoint and name a large variety of interesting and intriguing bush names and uses hidden within a sea of green.

SESUVIUM

Trekking accross the winding trails beginning at East creek we saw one of my favorite ground cover so to speak 'sesuvium' commonly known as sea purslane.The colours are brilliant hues of brown and red in the morning light.



Following in the wake of the wild donkey's and cows it was enlightening to discover the broad spectrum of species that can live in what often appears to be a harsh environment.

Over time, of course like most things there are sometimes subtle or drastic changes in the landscape. For example, historically the cutting down of trees during the Bemudan era to accomodate the Salt industry had a radical impact on the natural landscape.

Trees were felled because it was believed they attracted more rain which of course was detrimental to the salt industry.  Hyper saline ponds were altered by the salt workers and changed into productive salt ponds or salinas by building stone walls and the import of donkeys, cows and other livestock like pigs and chickens contributed to a gradual change in the ecological landscape. 

And so it was that James, Ty and myself found ourselves on a mission to discover the plant and tree life as it exists on Salt Cay  in the 21st century.

As we bounced over the sand dunes with the persistant trade winds and ocean spray we took photo's and logged the names of the herbacious creepers and grasses like the Borreria bahamensis and Suriana maritima commonly called bay cedar which are a robust salt tolerant specie.



SURIANA MARITIMA



Moving round  the rocky areas of the coastline where there are many more birds foraging in the tidal pools we see an abundance of Strumpfia maritima and conocarpus erectus that over many years have settled in to their life in harmony with the ragged rock formations. 

As we ploughed along the back dunes in our bone jarring golfcart we saw a variety of woody shrubs primarily the Ambrosia hispida and the Lantana involucrata...All very fascinating  especially another of my favorite bush teas 'Jamaica Trash.

Jamaica Trash

Continuing our journey we drove upland and away  from the harsh effects of wind and seaspray we found or should I say James and Ty found a  greater abundance of the Coccoloba uvifera.......what we locals refer to as 'seagrape'.

It was by now close to noon and we were driving in the high coppice area when James leapt out of the golfcart to study the  Plumeria obtusa.....evergreen frangipani. So little time and so many plants.

We passed a  beauty, peacefully reclining by itself, often called the 'railroad vine or goats foot vine or if you want to attempt the latin name ipomoea pes-caprae.




RAILROAD VINE

 

And as we soldiered on accross the island we spied yet another of my favorites the flowers of which are so colourful with a rich  breathtaking fusia...yet  another medicinal plant the 'morning glory'




MORNING GLORY

 



 One of the highlights of the trip was passing Ann's garden when I heard the cry "a .........  I do declare!" There in the front garden was a small tree bearing a small sweet perfumed flower - the roots of which are used to produce henna for colouring hair.....Was this native or an exotic?

It must  be remembered that settlers also introduced foreign plants for cultivation.  It is probably a fact, that the past commissioner's brought in exotic trees and vegetables to plant in the Government house gardens to explore the possibility of growing "new" species. 

 As a last thought we should be thinking and asking the question when looking at natural landscaping designs...When is an indiginous plant considered an indiginous plant? 

COMMUNITY POLICING IN THE TCI

Policing in the TCI and commitment to a National Policing Plan.

The ultimate goal of any police force is to promote high standards of performance in reducing all areas of crime. This is a complex and challenging task and requires the full support of law abiding citizens and partnerships within a community both on a National and International level.


As a public service and as an integral part of the Criminal Justice System one of the prime responsibilities of the police network is to provide a citizen focused service that meets the demands and needs of the community within a framework of respect for human rights that is both visible and accountable to the public and the Government that it serves.


Accomplishing these complex goals like any business requires ‘strategic planning’ and this concept holds true of the police force which like most successful businesses requires effective decision making, efficient deployment of resources, optimum use of budgets, monitoring of achievements and strengthening of weak areas that can be reviewed and addressed.

Many Governments in democratic countries adopt a five year or in some cases three year strategic plan which outlines the main goals and objectives of the police force. The components are then broken down into a more detailed local goal and target setting as part of an ‘Annual Policing Plan’ which when followed efficiently provide a platform to enhance police performance, increase community safety and ensure crime reduction.

In England for example there is a statutory requirement under the Police Reform Act 2002 that the Home Secretary produce a National Policing Plan annually. This was introduced after the publication of the White Paper ‘Policing a New Century: a blueprint for Reform.’ Basically the Statute gave powers to the Secretary of State to issue objectives for police authorities and identify proposals for making regulations and for issuing codes of practice and guidance.


The rationale behind the National Policing Plan was to centralize the priorities, targets and new developments in policing which would in turn help organize local planning within the various police jurisdictions spread across the U.K.

Here in the Turks and Caicos though, the Royal Police Force of the TCI has no such statutory mandate and yet they have strived and accomplished many positive achievements under sometimes difficult and often frustrating budgetary and political constraints and with a very limited state of the art IT technology that if effectively employed would facilitate intelligence led policing and a cohesive customized system of operation.


This would not only link the family islands but electronically interact and exchange relevant information between the various Departments that act in partnership with the Central Division of the Police Force.


The Deputy Commissioner of police Mr. Hubert Hughs reiterated these points when he said that the principle strategies incorporated within the Annual Plan this year are to promote high standards within the force and focus on ways to improve community policing. “We particularly would like to improve the image of the police,” he said, “and inspire confidence throughout the community, particularly within our ethnic minorities.”


He continued that the core responsibility of the force remains improving the methods of crime detection, reducing the overall incidence of crime, responding to the citizens needs and making the communities a safer and more secure place in which to live.


Assistant commissioner of Police Superintendent Dave Ryder who heads the Tactical Unit aimed at combating crime and public disorder has worked hard on collating information and devising Plans to increase efficiency and accountability of the Force. “One of the big issues for the TCI is border control and the safety of the Islands. We are looking at new measures to put in place that will protect communities from the threat of terrorism and organized crime” Superintendent Ryder continued that it was important to invest more heavily in training that would enable the current Police Force to operate more efficiently in their day to day operations”


In fact the Police Force are looking forward to the arrival of four experts from Britain that will help train the local officers and as Deputy Commissioner Hughs so aptly called it provide ‘cross fertilization’ of talent and skills.


♦Intelligence Analyst…This will help the young officers here in the TCI to enhance their skills on how to gather and analyze intelligence data in such a way that it can provide accurate and speedy information on crime reporting and community management issues and strengthen inter departmental flow of information between command centers, Attorney Generals office, court systems, domestic violence units, marine branch, border patrol and external agencies etc

♦ Fingerprint Identification Officer…It is important to not only recognize and classify finger print patterns from a crime scene by using a manual and computerized database but also to know how to communicate results, present evidence and therefore help in the rapid detection and conviction of criminals.


♦ Detective Sergeant CID….With the rise of major crime incidents in the TCI like murder, rape, serious assault and fraud that often require complex detection skills, the Criminal Investigation Department welcomes a Detective Sergeant from the UK to offer Specialist crime support and training. This will help in using the ‘intelligence’ data, building a case from the initial crime scene and through the process of arrest and prosecution of any suspects.


♦Community Policing Sergeant…Inspector Hilton Duncan in charge of Community Policing said one of the priorities of Community policing is to have a more visible and accessible police service within the community which would facilitate safer neighborhoods.


“Our long term goal,” he said, “is to provide local solutions to local problems while maintaining a focus on reducing crime.

The arrival of the Community Policing Sergeant from England” he maintained, “would provide valuable assistance in training Dedicated Community Officers with neighborhood policing and provide good teamwork throughout every segment and region of the TCI.”


The bottom line still remains that if the Turks and Caicos Islands are to enjoy a truly effective Police Force then every law abiding citizen must rally behind them and act in partnership with the Community Watch Schemes and the ‘Dedicated Community Officers’ in the fight against crime.


The Police Force also intends to increase the number of Community Watch Schemes and introduce Business Watch Schemes along with holding workshops and educating children in schools on social responsibility and how to be good and helpful citizens.


In this fashion the community needs and expectations of the Police Force can be met, the feedback can be ‘intelligently stored, analyzed and disseminated and the weak links and problem areas can be tackled and strengthened one victorious step at a time!