Douglas, Parry call on society to fight crime collectively

By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

(l-r) Premier of Nevis, Hon. Joseph Parry and Prime Minister of the Federation, Dr. the Hon. Denzil Douglas

Both leaders expressed these sentiments on Friday during the National Consultation on Crime held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort on Friday, December 12.

In his presentation, Premier Parry made particular mention of the crime situation on Nevis, noting as far as he can remember the island has never recorded so many murders in one year as it has for 2008. He acknowledged that some of the five murders were directly linked to drug or gang-related activity, but particularly frightening is “the meaningless death of one or two persons who were murdered for God knows what”.

The Premier deduced that persons seem not to hold the value of life dear and do not consider the repercussions of their senseless and foolish actions to society and the economy.

He further explained that values instilled in the generations of yesteryear seem not to have been transferred, which are evidenced in the current state of affairs.

Recognising there is much work to be done, Parry reminded that the issue of crime and violence and other issues to which it is pegged, is not a matter for politics but rather one for which all members of society must join heads and devise workable and effective solutions.

The Premier suggested that a two-prong approach be adopted in dealing with drugs, guns and related issues. He explained that the first part of the plan would comprise of immediate measures while the other would work over time. ~~Adz:Right~~
 
PM Douglas expressed that his government is relentless in seeking out and prosecuting any person bent on carrying out wanton acts of violence, but was careful to note that the focus must not be solely on gangs, violence and guns. This, he said, would be counterproductive.

He said the root of the problem must be established and the issue tackled from there.

“As a society, we are going to have to come at gang and gun crime backwards, sideways and every other way that holds even the slightest promise of denting or cracking and eventually breaking whatever habits, whatever behaviours, whatever practices and patterns that we have…so that we can create…the wayward, the ‘don’t care’ attitudes and behaviours that later move into the mindless brutality that we have all witnessed…”

The Prime Minister called on the church, the media, the corporate community, government, calypsonians, songwriters and all other members of society to take a careful look at the ways they approach their various duties and find means of tailoring them so as to promote those values which seem to be lacking.

“Society’s challenge is to create an environment that does not produce a never-ending stream of new criminals. This requires us to promote those habits both minor and major that enhance our own people’s dignity, build humanity, build automatic differentiation between the appropriate and the inappropriate from earliest childhood and to very old age. It requires us to recognise and reject those specific habits that speed a society’s downward slide which we want to stop and reverse today.”