Commander of Operations Deputy Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was also on the ground with Gillett. Now Williams is known as sort of a hero on the Southside. He is well respected for his work in reaching out to the community and curbing crime in the city. But today in the Mayflower area there was no love for Williams.
As the commander of operations, he's the one who gave the order, sending the GSU to Flowers' residence on Sunday, and the community is very bitter about that. Williams says he holds nothing against the residents. He committed to working with them and looking at how police, especially the GSU can be more effective in their duties.
DCP Chester Williams - Commander of Operations
"In terms of how those who are disgruntle feel that is how they feel. I respect that. I am not going to demonize them for how they feel and I have done a lot of work in the Mayflower area and I know for a fact that they are good people in the Mayflower."
Reporter
"Given the reality of what happened of Sunday and you have had a chance to look at everything. Do you feel that you are justified in sending the GSU or you would have second thought about that now given what has escalated?"
DCP Chester Williams - Commander of Operations
"I don't see anything escalating. The matter where that operation is concerned with the GSU coming into Mayflower has been dealt with by way of a press release from our ministry and I'm not going to go over that. Miss Uter herself has also said that, that is done, and we must put it behind us. That issue as far as I'm concerned is dead and we are now looking at forging the path forward."
Reporter
"It's not dead for some of these residences though it's still it's not dead for them."
DCP Chester Williams - Commander of Operations
"Like I said that is how they feel and they are entitle to that. The fact that they feel that way. I have said I'm not going to demonize them I have nothing against them for how they feel. They are entitled to feel how they feel and I respect that. I will continue to ensure that we work for them and get them over the feeling that they are having."
Reporter
"Is there anything that you have looking at in terms of revisiting the way the GSU carry out these operations within these kinds of very sensitive and volatile communities?"
DCP Chester Williams - Commander of Operations
"Policing is progressive and every day we need to review what we do and how we do things and yes as a part of my responsibility as commander of operations is to ensure that whenever we go out and discharge any functions or engage in any operations that we try our best to be as professional as we can and that is something I would ensure is done that we do constant or continuous training with our specialized units."
Now this relationship mending certainly won't happen overnight so Gillett and his team says they will form focus groups among community members, partner with churches and other groups in society, counsel children among many other initiatives. Later on, we'll show you the special activity that Gillett had with a few kids from the St. Martin's area today.
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