International policing family come together for the Coronation

Coordinated by the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC), police officers from across the UK and the world have travelled to London to be part of the policing operation for the The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort.

In addition to the 43 UK forces represented, officers from the British Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies will also be involved in a truly international representation of the policing family.

The Crown Dependencies are made up of the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing dependencies of the Crown. This means they have their own directly elected legislative assemblies, administrative, fiscal and legal systems and their own courts of law.

The British Overseas Territories are 14 territories with a constitutional and historical link to the United Kingdom. The permanently inhabited territories are internally self-governing, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and foreign relations. They are extremely diverse with many small islands.

NPoCC supports the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies with planning, contingency and any additional assistance required. Examples include a cadre of several hundred officers who are trained and available at short notice to provide humanitarian and immediate policing support in the event of a major hurricane. Another example can be seen in the deployment of officers to Jersey earlier this year following a major incident on the island.

Officers from the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are crown servants who provide policing to their communities and British citizens visiting the countries. They are often represented at national events like the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation this weekend.

Here’s just a few of these officers who have travelled to the capital this weekend…

Acting Inspector Jacquelyne Tom, Royal Virgin Islands Police

“I am delighted to have been chosen to be part of the Coronation. It will be a great event in history and it’s really exciting to know I’ll be there.

“I’ve been a police officer for 33 years and community policing is my passion. I wake up every day looking forward to going out and reaching the general public, especially children and young people.

“It’s great to meet other officers and we all learn something from each other. I expect this weekend to be a spectacular event and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Detective Constable Samantha Sillitoe, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS)

“As a British national and a former Metropolitan Police officer, I am proud and excited to be representing the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) at the Coronation.

“I’m looking forward to being sworn in as a Special Constable and renewing my oath of allegiance - this time to King Charles III, to give me the powers here in the UK to protect the people of London who have come to this amazing event… and to be a part of history!

“I was an officer in the Metropolitan Police in London for 13 years before coming to the Cayman Islands in 2015. For the majority of my career in both services I’ve been a homicide detective, but here in Cayman I’ve had the further opportunity and honour of being the Major Incident Room (MIR) Office Manager. The MIR is the department from which all homicides and other major incidents are investigated. The role has a lot of responsibility and pressure and I really enjoy the challenges it brings every day.

“All police officers work as one big team and I feel really privileged to have been selected for this prestigious deployment at the Coronation, representing the people and the government of the Cayman Islands.

“I’m often asked how policing London compares to the Cayman Islands. As a British Overseas Territory, the law in Cayman is very similar to UK law, as are the investigations and court procedures.

“The RCIPS is predominantly staffed by Cayman or Caribbean officers but around 10 per cent are from the UK. The Cayman Islands have one of the most diverse populations in the Caribbean and they are a safe and rewarding place to live and work.

“The population sizes between Cayman and London are very different as we have three small islands and as such, policing is very community based. Officers are really well known within their local community and offenders tend to be very well known too!

“I really enjoy policing big events as it’s great to meet new people within the policing family, gaining potential new friends and contacts.

“I’m really excited and honoured to be part of history on Saturday and meeting members of the public who have come along to watch. I will be proud to wear my RCIPS ceremonial uniform which always generates questions from the public so I look forward to speaking to lots of people and representing my force on this momentous day.”

Detective Sergeant Shane Ennis, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS)

“I have some twenty plus years of combined service between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. Being a student of history and a police officer, my participation in the Coronation celebrations is a real highlight of my career so far and personally I’m proud to be part of such an historic event.

“I’ve been part of many high level investigations and prosecutions thus far in my career and playing a role in this event ranks right up there.

“Policing in London is similar to that of the Cayman Islands in terms of the leadership structure, policies and laws. There are cultural differences to consider but for the most part the similarities are strong.

“It’s a joy to be working with other officers from the British Territories and the Commonwealth on such an auspicious occasion. I am looking forward to working with these officers in making this occasion safe and memorable for the people of the United Kingdom.

“I am looking forward to playing my part in making it a safe and memorable experience for all present.”

DC Pippa Le Mottee, States of Jersey Police

“I feel exceptionally privileged to be invited to participate in the Coronation celebrations and it is also a real honour to represent my force at such a large scale historic event.

“I’ve been a police officer for 25 years and have served in multiple departments. I received my long service and good conduct medal in 2018.

“Working as a community police officer was one of my career highlights as I was able to get to know those within my community area really well. In addition, as I was investigating crime, I was able to work with them to resolve issues and seek solutions. One of my most fulfilling yet challenging specialisms is that of a Family Liaison Officer. I have been deployed on high profile cases and have even been deployed overseas.

“States of Jersey Police is a small force, therefore as police officers we have to deal with everything that comes in, often without being able to call on specialist teams or units. This means we all ‘multi-hat’ and carry many specialisms, which can be a challenge but makes the job varied and exciting. Also coming from a small island force we work within the community where we live, which is both a blessing and a challenge. I expect that this is very different to working in London and other large cities.

“I am a true people person so really enjoy meeting officers with a wide variety of experience and knowledge at occasions like the Coronation. There is nothing like working within a team and, regardless of whether you are from the same force or not you know that you can rely on each other. Working at large events is always exciting but also a little nerve wracking.

“I know that the Coronation will be a long and tiring day but I’m certain that the atmosphere will be incredible. I’m expecting that the crowds will be in good spirits and I look forward to hearing and seeing their reactions. To say that I was there and that I played my small part will be something that I will treasure forever.”

Police Sergeant Caleb Jn Pierre, Bermuda Police Service

"I’m delighted to be part of the Coronation, showing the diversity of the whole policing family and sharing the occasion.

"I’ve been a police officer for 15 years and there have been a lot of moments which stand out including a voluntary deployment to the British Virgin Islands in 2017 in the aftermath of catastrophic damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

"I’m looking forward to catching up with a colleague also attending the Coronation who I trained with and who served in the British Virgin Islands deployment.

“From what I’ve seen there are some similarities between London and Bermuda, especially when it comes to traffic related matters and the uniform and markings on patrol vehicles, but there are obvious differences such as the Met Police Air Support Unit. In Bermuda we do not have this capacity.

“Our service is relatively small so I know all the other officers. I'm sure there are officers here that work at the same station and may not even know each other.

“Events like this have wonderful camaraderie and it’s also amazing who you can meet and reacquaint with.

“I’m most looking forward to the regal flair of the pomp and circumstance that will be on display and spending my time with such a diverse group of people from across the policing family.”