PAM unveils crime-fighting strategy

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com

(L-R) Hon. Shawn Richards and PAM’s Leader Lindsay Grant

According to PAM’s Leader Lindsay Grant, a review of the Federation’s crime statistics would show that the bulk of the crimes are being committed by youth, particularly young men.

“Somehow we are losing our young men and the challenge all of us face is how to win them back. It is internationally proven that where there are more opportunities for people they are less likely to be involved in criminal activity,” he said.

PAM announced the political party would implement a government-sponsored National Youth Programme in collaboration with civil society, including NGOs and churches, to ensure that young people do not fall through the ‘cracks’. The programme, Grant explained, would have a technical training component as well as a job mentoring and apprenticeship aspect.

Grant further stated that upon PAM’s election victory they would develop and strengthen a Ministry of Social Services, which active mandate would be to ensure that the most vulnerable and most marginalised people in society are given the appropriate attention.

At the scholastic level, the party proposed the introduction of conflict resolution to the primary school syllabus, as it would teach children the power of the mind and not to resort to violence in solving conflicts. ~~Adz:Right~~

A number of other recommendations were forwarded, including an increase in community surveillances and undercover operations, the development of a new aggressive campaign to fight the drug trade, the declaration of a gun amnesty period, the establishment of a Rapid Deployment Unit within the police force, the creation of a juvenile rehabilitation facility, stiffer penalties for drug users and those connected to gun crimes, and enhancing the crime-fighting capacity of the police force.

“We propose a new focus on the police force that will use technology as one of its strong supporting tools in the fight against crime. This will include more investment in training in areas such as forensic sciences.

“We guarantee a new independence of the police force, free from interference and political pressure. A police force where the best officers get encouraged and promoted based on their abilities and not due to any suspected political leanings,” revealed Grant.

Grant also noted that they would seek to engage the community in a very direct way, by establishing a series of community organisations to facilitate the development of an intense community programme, including sporting and cultural activities.

“We as a people can work together in all of our communities to save our young people and lead them to positive lives. The lights have not been put out on our resolve that our communities must be safer.”

According to the Hon. Shawn Richards, the goal of a PAM-lead government would be to reduce murders by 50 percent in the first year of their elected term and 75 percent over the first five years with their new initiatives.