Philipsburg: --- Several police and immigration officers are becoming agitated and are planning to take drastic actions against the behavior of the Chief of Staff of the Police Department (KPSSS) Lourdes Lake and her assistant Mr. Reece.Several officers spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity stating their concerns about how Lake would treat and speak to officers and department heads.
According to reliable information reaching SMN News Lake along with president of the Windward Island Civil Servants Unions (WICSU) William Reed were returning from Curacao on May 14 when Lake confronted a young female immigration officer and insulted her in the presence of all the passengers that was in the arrival hall of the Princess Juliana International Airport.
An eyewitness to the commotion said Lake approached an immigration officer who recently came out of the police academy and asked her why there was not any immigration official in the residence booth. The eyewitness said Lake's approach to the officer was so out of place that the officer in question asked her who she was and why she was posing that question. The eyewitness and passenger said Lake responded by asking the officer if she did not know who she was and said she was her boss, and the young lady is now on her blacklist.
The passenger further explained that Lake refused to give the officer in question her identification card and or passport so she could scan it in the system. The eyewitness said Lake shouted out to the officer saying she does not give immigration her identification because she felt those working at PJIAE knows who she is. SMN News contacted four other immigration officers who said that each time Lake travels they have a problem with her regarding her identification. One of the officer said they informed Lake that even the Minister of Justice and the Her Majesty gives their passport for scanning and she should not try to breach security, but on many occasions Lake would leave without giving in her passport or identification to immigration.
SMN News learnt that Lake and her assistant Mr. Reece allegedly insulted Lawrence Blyden for no apparent reason on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is further understood that Blyden had to leave work on Wednesday after the incident.
In an invited comment William Reed of the WICSU confirmed that he witnessed the unfortunate commotion between Lake and the young immigration officer. Reed said that Lake's behavior was indeed inappropriate and that she should have contacted the shift supervisor if she had questions about the empty booth. He said he also intervened in the confrontation and calm down Lake even though he is the union representative of the immigration officers. Reed also confirmed that the Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba has contacted him about the situation while the officer in question is busy writing her report to submit to the union.
Reed assured SMN News that he would do what is necessary to represent his membership against any form of injustice.
It is to be noted that Lourdes Lake is the vice president of the Windward Islands Civil Servant Union while she is an employee of the federal government in the capacity of human resources.
