In May 2019,the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced that Dakin would succeed outgoing Governor John Freeman as Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.[10] As such,Dakin was the representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and acted as the de facto Head of State responsible for appointing the Head of Government,and senior political positions in the territory.[10] Dakin was also responsible for chairing Cabinet and ensuring the good governance of the territory. The Constitution also reserved to the Governor responsibility for defence,external affairs,the regulation of international financial services and internal security,including the police force.[11]
Dakin's Governorship included:the COVID-19 pandemic,when he held emergency powers;[12] the challenges of mass irregular migration caused by a serious deterioration in the security situation in neighbouring Haiti;[13] a concurrent rise in gang related murder temporarily suppressed following the deployment of armed officers requested from The Bahamas and a package of UK support;[14] an election and resulting change of government during the pandemic;[15] a Royal Visit[16] and the impact of Hurricane Fiona.[17]
Dakin commissioned and oversaw the development of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment;[18] the establishment of a National Security Secretariat and accompanying Strategy[19] and the deepening of relationships with the USA and The Bahamas to deliver the inaugural North Caribbean Security Summit and the resulting uplift in regional security co-operation.[20] The decision to combine Immigration and Customs Officers to form a new Border Force was taken.[21] With UK support,the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force established a 'Guns,Gangs and Drugs' Team to tackle serious organised crime[22] and legislation was passed to provide the Police with a technical intelligence collection capability.[23]
He married Amanda Dakin (née Johnson) in 1987,in her home country of Barbados. They have two children;Charlotte (known as Charlie) and Fraser.[28]
In December 2021,Amanda Dakin was the first woman,and part of the first team including their son Fraser Dakin,to circumnavigate the entirety of the Turks and Caicos Islands using only personal physical power.[29] Over 13 days,either walking,rowing,kayaking,swimming or wading,they traversed 24 Islands and remote Cays,covering 225 miles,including the deep ocean of the Turks Islands Passage. The feat was repeated in October 2022 when Amanda Dakin led a different team.[30] Through the charity Footsteps 4 Good,$80,000 was raised for 20 charities.[31][32]
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