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Minister of National Security Hon. G. A. Dwyer Astaphan |
Basseterre, St. Kitts (February 16, 2005): Statistics released by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force indicate an overall 16.5% decrease in the number of serious crimes between the years 2003 and 2004.
There was also a 100% decrease in deaths caused by traffic accidents which dropped from 5 deaths in 2003 to no deaths in 2004.
However, in the juvenile category there was an increase in the number of offenders during the same period from 27 in 2003 to 38 in 2004.
The increase to 38 in 2004 is of concern to police authorities given the fact that the 2003 statistics was a vast improvement on years such as 2000 when there were 73 juvenile offenders and 2002 when there were 80 known offenses.
Minister of National Security Hon. G. A. Dwyer Astaphan has however highlighted that the police force is determined that with its strict anti-crime programme, as well as governments innovative approaches, geared not only at prosecution and incarceration but also at rehabilitation of offenders, the situation is expected to improve.
In an impressive effort at community policing, the organization has moved away from the wholly disciplinary approach to an all inclusive and all embracing approach which calls on the wider community to help combat crime not only at the back end, but in community and individual outreach to at-risk youth.
The minister indicated that the collaborative seminar starting Thursday between the Ministries of National Security and Tourism is another of the new approaches to combatting crime in all its facets.
The aim of the seminar is to provide a greater understanding of visitor safety and security, crime and harassment in relation to the Tourism industry, and its potential impact on the sectors sustainable development.
The ministries are partnering with the Caribbean Region Human Resource Development Programme for Economic Competitiveness (CPEC) and with the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in funding the workshop.
