BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ALMOST half way through the year and the Federation is still unaware of whether there was increase or decrease in the level of crime in 2009.
Tradition dictates that something during the first month of each year, or if cannot be helped, sometime in ensuing months, statistics outlining the different categories of reported criminal activities and their levels for the previous year be released by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force for public perusal.
Today (May 4) marks the 124th day since the year began and since then, intermittently, SKNVibes has spoken with members of the police force’s top echelon concerning the release of the statistics. This media house has been passed back and forth between them, and after receiving no conclusive response still awaits their release.
When asked of the statistics during his first press conference as Minister of National Security on April 28, the Hon. Sam T. Condor said he understood the use of statistics but believed that in that particular instance to engage himself in a statistical debate would not be productive. He however failed to indicate whether or not the statistics for 2009 would eventually be released to the public.
“As I said, and I want to repeat, I am not going to be engaged in statistics…I don’t want nobody to compare last year with this year and 2004. That is not going to help us. I am here to try and see how I could solve the problem of crime in our country and not to talk about statistics and how many die. One gunshot death is one too many.
“I don’t want no debate, I don’t want anybody to engage me in any statistics. I am not interested. I don’t see how that will help us. I understand statistics because I went to university and I did economics and statistics are useful for planning and projection and so on, and it is useful. But in terms of what is happening in the country, just to say that 14 people dead…every day I hear that now.”
He said his interest is in arresting the crime situation which the Federation faces.
“I want to solve the problem. I want to see what suggestions, solutions we could have, not what the statistics say (about) how many people have died. How many have died, I already know that…that is not going to help. I want to stop it. I want to bring it to zero…I don’t see any value in engaging in statistics.
“I am interested if you have solutions, suggestions, advice. I am listening and my view is that the vast majority of the people out there who have engaged me, they are very much interested in that…I don’t want to get involved in any statistical argument about how many people die.”
However, making reference to the number of firearms removed from the streets of the Federation, Minister Condor described it as a “useful statistic”, noting that this is a debate in which he could be engaged.
“That is a useful statistic. That is saying something. That is explaining…because if you have firearms that were stolen, that is defeating the purpose. And so those are things that I could understand and engage in…but not frivolous things; just calling numbers for calling numbers sake, that doesn’t mean anything…just to embarrass people.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd was contacted by this media house sometime following the press conference and asked about the release of the statistics. He indicated that he was in a meeting and unavailable for comment but promised to address the issue sometime this week.
