Dr. Harris blames Government...
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS a result of the rising gun-related violence that has seen the senseless killing and wounding of many of the Federation’s youth for this year, the police and senior functionaries on both sides of the political spectrum have expressed grave concern over the situation.
The three parties’ concern, just like many law-abiding citizens and residents in St. Kitts and Nevis, rose to the fore in the wake of Saturday night’s (Nov. 1) shooting-death of popular passenger bus operator Kevin ‘Broadie’ Newman in the White Gate area.
In a CUOPM release, Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Asim Martin expressed shock and sadness over Newman’s death.
“Mr. Newman was a well-known and well liked bus driver who had given years of safe and reliable service to his many loyal customers.
“His passengers knew that they could rely on him at all times to deliver them safely to their destinations and it is particularly shocking that while in the faithful provision of his services – on which so many depend – there were those who brought his life to an end,” Dr. Martin said.
He urged that anyone who might have any information on the homicide to take to the authorities without delay.
Former government minister and Leader of the tri-party alliance Team Unity, the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris also expressed his concern on what has been determined as a difficult situation.
Speaking on Sugar City FM 90.3, Dr. Harris lamented: “Statistic alone cannot fully reflect the trauma, the hurt, the pain and the dislocation of people’s lives, both at the family level and at the level of the community.
“Sunday when I went to see the mother of the young man who perished so unnecessarily in the White Gate area, I saw the pain, anguish and tumult and confusion on her face…‘Why my son who was a good son, why he?’ And even without expressing it in that language I could read it from her face; I could read it from the simple words of hurt and pain.”
With fingers pointed in the direction of the Commissioner of Police, Harris emphatically stated: “…And when CG Walwyn says crime is down, CG Walwyn shows a scant regard to the fact that we are killing ourselves. That he, as the leader of the Security Force that has been mandated to provide and serve and protect the people, has not been able to give relief and to bring us to a standing where we could consider satisfactory.
“When we are among the top 10 most homicidal countries of the world, no commissioner of police should be resting on his laurels.”
He also levelled criticisms at the Labour Party Administration, noting that violence and crime are socio-economic problems and the Government is not providing opportunities for their discontinuation.
“Man must live, and when the government corrupts the opportunities that should be there for people to live from their God-given talents, the government is creating an adverse opportunity for people to engage in illicit and illegal act, because man must live.”
In a recent interview with WINN FM, Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Lyndon David stated that the Police Force is very much concerned about the gun-related crimes and is calling on the general public to cooperate with the law enforcement body.
“The number of crimes that we are seeing where firearms are involved is of concern to us in law enforcement, we the police. And we would like our community to also take it serious as we do and ensure that they themselves are putting measures in place to assist the police.
“One of the things they can do whenever they see any suspicious activity, report it to the police. Whenever they see persons who are wandering about with these firearms, report it to the police.”
He informed that the police have removed a number of firearms from the streets and that the Force has upped the ante in its modus operandi.
“What we are doing as a police force is that we are stepping up our strategy and techniques in terms of dealing with the firearm aspect. We have already had a number of firearms removed from the streets.
“We are encouraging persons to continue to share information, and persons who are known to us, we are certainly looking at them closely. And we also want to let persons know that yes, we are doing our patrols and persons who are law-abiding and stopped by us the police, you are not to be overly concerned. But we know that persons who are involved in these things are more concerned about our operations. So we are improving on our operations and we just want the community to cooperate with us, assist us whilst we are carrying out this endeavour.”
However, from this writer’s perspective, will members of the public be willing to provide information to the police whenever they witness a crime of such magnitude – gun-related?
As recent as Monday (Nov. 3), the police had informed that the Pond’s Extension shooting victim had refused to tell them who shot him.
Is this a return of the belief in the not too distant past that people are concern about their personal safety should criminals get wind that they had provided information to the police that led to their arrest and possible prosecution?
What are your views on this?
