BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRESIDENT of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC), Damion Hobson is of the view that homicides are currently the greatest threat among serious crime in the twin-island Federation.
Hobson made this pronouncement, among others, during his presentation at the recently held National Consultation on the Economy.
He pointed out that while it is said that crime is down, citizens are concerned with the homicide rate and other gun-related crimes.
“The police and Government continue to share the view that crime nationally and generally is down. But for ordinary citizens, concerns have been influenced by the spate of homicides and shootings, including those involving the police.”
He made reference to the Tuesday night shooting in Phillip’s Village as well as the one in Nevis in which Philo Wallace was reportedly shot and killed by an off-duty Police Officer.
“Of late, the police too have been involved in shooting incidents, raising fear and distrust amongst citizens. The weekend incident in Nevis has not helped the cause of the police to mend fences with the public. But it is the murders that are of greatest threat.”
As at Sunday (Oct. 25), the homicide rate has reached the staggering figure of 24, the same amount of people killed in 2014.
The CIC President noted that although many town hall meetings were held and many new resources were applied, as well as the enactment of new laws and the rolling out of more experts, the killings continue.
Directing his comments to Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, Hobson exhorted: “Crime, Mr. Prime Minister, is a cancer to the social existence of our people. Crime is disastrous to tourism and a deterrent to new investments. Crime scars the image of this usually peaceful and tranquil nation of ours. No one seems to have the answers to resolve the issue.”
He however noted that it does not mean they should stop trying to reduce crime in the Federation and suggested that the long term leadership of the Police Force is a matter that should not be a cause for more uncertainty and lack of confidence.
The leadership of the force, not just at the level of the Commissioner, but all other senior ranks, requires a new thinking.
“In some countries,” he added, “Commissioners of Police are recruited, not only from within the ranks of career officers, but from the private sector, drawing on the expertise of qualified professionals. It might be time to at least think of this approach.
Hobson stressed that people generally are beginning to lose confidence in the ability of the police to successfully detect crime and to protect the communities.
In his feature address, Prime Minister Harris also acknowledged that gun-related crimes have proven to be a nationwide problem.
He proclaimed that comparative analysis of annual statistics had revealed that serious crimes were down by 23.5 percent between January and September of this year, but “without recoiling from the fact that homicides are too many”.
The Prime Minister explained that while it is perceived that they are singling out one area, “it isn’t that we are ignoring the hurt and the trauma that is being created in our country”.
“We are repulsed by it and we want it to end. And somebody before me said there were no silver bullet…if there were, wherever it was, we would have gone to find it to deal with this problem,” he added.
Dr. Harris called on every citizen of and resident in the twin-island Federation to take a stand against crime and violence.
“We are saying that while the police stand in the forefront, legally empowered to deal with the issues and the challenges to law and order, it requires all of us. All of us to take a stand to bring back a wholesome society; to bring back a society where we show respect for each other, where we show a capacity of learning to live with each other.
“All of us have a challenge. All of us have a duty, the police especially, but all of us; the parent in the house who knows that he or she has a bad son or a bad daughter, but does nothing. It’s not helping! And yet when the worse happens everyone screams.”
