Brantley tables recommendations for crime fighting in Federation
Suggests temporary 2% tax to finance programmes...

By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

Leader of the Opposition the Hon. Mark Brantley

Brantley told the nation that while the ideas have already been tabled by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) to the Hon. Prime Minister of the Federation, they are still very much current and applicable.

The continued development of police/community partnerships was his first suggestion.

“Police should be seen in the community alongside community leaders cleaning the sides of the road, painting signs, undertaking community activities, engaging in sporting activities (police football, basketball, cricket teams or even leagues organised by the police, but with private sector funding). In this regard, I am very proud that the Malcolm Guishard Memorial Basketball League which I sponsor annually had a team of police officers participating this year,” he said.

Specific to gang-related activity, Brantley suggested the development of a “comprehensive anti-gang legislation”, the development of an aggressive anti-crime gang media campaign, the development of a specialised anti-gang unit within the Police Force “and charge them with inter alia, educating the public as to what to look for in terms of gang signs”.

“This unit should be mandated to purge the highways and byways of gang members by enforcing loitering laws, littering laws and by continually disturbing and harassing gang members,” Brantley explained.

He said the focus however should not just be on the young men of the country but also the young women who seem to play an integral role in sustaining gangs. ~~Adz:Right~~

“Reports reaching me suggest that many of the gangs use the young women as their eyes and ears and couriers. I am calling on our parents to be especially vigilant and to have open discussions with their children, even those who go to school and appear to be well adjusted.”

Another suggestion made by the Opposition Leader is the altering of sentencing guidelines for Magistrates and High Court “to avoid, where possible, the charging of fines for criminal convictions. It is standard for the Magistrates to charge say $5 000 in three months or six months in prison, especially for drug offences. I am persuaded that such sentencing leads to a spiralling in crime as convicted persons seek to raise the monies for their fines, sometimes turning back to the very crime for which they have been convicted for raising the monies. The Court should impose custodial sentences or suspended custodial sentences, or even probation and community service with fines, particularly large fines, as a last resort.”

Further suggestions include the redirecting of financial resources towards fighting crime, the development of a modern youth detention facility in Nevis, the immediate removal of duties and consumption tax on the importation of home and business systems, and the continual training, recruitment and modernisation of the prosecution service.

“Amending the National Security Council legislation to immediately appoint the Premier of Nevis and the Head of Customs to that body and institutionalising fortnightly or monthly meetings as necessary. I lobbied hard for this inclusion when this legislation was debated in this Assembly. I was ignored then but hope that the suggestion will be taken on board now. The Premier of Nevis must be involved in every facet of our national security, especially when it comes to the island of Nevis. We can no longer afford the nonsense Federal approach of pretending as if Nevis does not exist.”

Brantley informed that these and any other programme “will cost money”, and because international assistance may not be as available as would be hoped, he proposed a temporary two percent tax on income.

“I therefore propose for the government’s consideration an across the board tax on income of two percent payable by every working person in the Federation. This will not be a permanent tax but a temporary measure for a medium term of five years, and the funds will go not to the Consolidated Fund but to a special Security Stabilisation Fund from which security-related expenditure on the programmes set out above can be defrayed. My research suggests that this measure can raise roughly $10 million per year in additional revenue for this Security Stabilisation Fund. We should also look to our friends such as the Government and people of the Republic of China on Taiwan who have been with us in good times and in bad and others, including our own private sector, to contribute directly to that Fund.”

Brantley admitted that his suggestion for the imposition of a tax as the Opposition Leader is “highly unusual”, but deemed it necessary because “serious times demand serious attention from serious people. This is a time for leadership and a new direction. The old paradigms are no longer working or relevant. We must all now stand and be counted.”