By Cherisse Sutton
Reporter SKNVIbes.com
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(Basseterre; St. Kitts); It is the sixth month of the year and already the Federation has recorded seven murders so far. It is almost like a murder per month.
The alarming seventeen murders that were recorded last year, 2006 and caused many distressed citizens to speak out and cry out against the inhumanity that was occurring and reoccurring in the Federations did not stop criminals from taking the life of 18-year-old Darren Berry in January 2007.
Berry who is formerly of Keys Village was shot at Bayfords on January 12 along with his brother, however Darren succumbed to his injuries. This was the start of murder number one for the Federation.
Two young men of John England Village, St. Peters were jointly charged with the murder, 21-year-old Justin Bass and 23-year-old Lumumba Matthew. 
Just a month and days later news spread of another murder which was the slaying of 27-year-old Shermel Phillip a Nevisian female formerly of Brown Hill. She was killed on February 16, as a result of several stab wounds to her neck.
Phillip’s husband Warrington Phillip was charged with the murder. She has been the first female victim to have been murder for 2007.
As if the criminals were trying to show which one could be the most brutal, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, the lifeless body of Nigel Hanley alias Daffy of Molineux Village was found along the island main road to Bourryeau. Hanley was brutally gunned down on his way home from work located in the area.
Unconfirmed reports have said that Hanley was shot an unbelievable 30 times as if his assailants wanted to make sure he was dead. A few days later police arrested and charged Darnell Govia of Phillips Village with the brutal murder.
That was murder number three.
Murder four, occurred once more in Nevis when 22-year-old Jamarli Chapman of Bath Village was killed outside a shop on April 14.
The killing of Robert ‘Robbie’ Smith a 41-year-old man was murder number five.
His body was found at Russell Village with a single gunshot wound to his head.
The sixth murder of the year took the life of a young boy, 16-year-old Jumal Mike alias Sunkie of Saddlers Village.
Mike’s body was found in the St. Johnson Village area behind the McKnight Daycare Centre in a building under construction. His death resulted as a gunshot wound to the head.
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The seventh murder occurred on the morning of Saturday June 9, in Conaree when Craig ‘Professor’ Hamilton was shot. There have been no arrests so far.
There have been many shooting incidents occurring recently which resulted in several young persons being hospitalized.
Many people want to know what is going on with the twin-island Federation, a vacation paradise to many.
Many people also want to know who should be responsible for all these recent crimes? As we are seeing the men and young men are the ones committing them. Are the parents to blame? Who saw their kids with items that didn’t belong to them or what they couldn’t have afford but turned a blind eye to them? We know a mother will always love her son but mothers do not become like what the Calypsonian sang in his song, “Mommy don’t bother to come”.
~~Adz:Left~~Is the pressure of society the problem? Again one would say, parents should train up the child in the way he/she should grow.
A child should be brought up in a way that they know they have to work for what they want and not result to stealing or pushing drugs. They should be given supervision, direction, love, support and care.
Many also question the authorities, the police, the commissioner and also the Minister of National Security Dwyer Astaphan.
In an interview earlier in February with SKNVibes.com, Astaphan mentioned a number of new measures that will be put in place in order to help with fighting crime in 2007 including placing a CC TV Programme, new police recruits, new vehicles, new body armor, the upgrading of some stations and a K-9 unit.
Since February a number of the measures have been met and according to Astaphan in a recent press release although we are not where we would want to be in terms of national security, there is a plan of action for the security forces that given a chance, can turn incidences of crime, around. ~~Adz:Right~~
“Much of the current reduction in reported crimes can be directly attributed to a number of initiatives,” Minister Astaphan said. “Such as the fact that bail for guns and violent crimes is granted solely by a judge; penalties for violent crimes have been increased; security forces continue to receive improved crime detecting and fighting tools; manpower has been increased along with stops and searches and other security activity; the K-9 Unit, which comprises dogs trained to detect drugs, guns and ammunition is in full force; and there now exists an unwavering commitment to duty by the members of both the Defense and Police Forces.”
He went on to say that for the period of January to May, of 2006, there were 845 crimes reported in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, compared to 569 reported during the same period of this year.
“This represents a 33% reduction in criminal activity over the previous period’ he said. “Coincidentally, there was a 53% reduction in crimes reported during May of 2007 as compared to the same period, of 2006, represented by 94 and 198 crimes reported, respectively.”
In conclusion he said that “they are thankful that persons have been coming forward in support of the security forces,” said Minister Astaphan, “which has enabled our officers to successfully convict many known criminals, a factor that has greatly contributed to the recent decrease in incidents of crime and criminal behaviour.”
