BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - The ongoing violence in the Federation is not sitting well with the Minister of National Security, Dr. Terrance Drew, as he is once again being forced to condemn all such unwarranted acts.
In recent months, the Federation has recorded a number of homicides which continued on Saturday morning (May 27) with the shooting-death of Lower Tibou Avenue resident, 26- year-old Rashaaun Hopkins.
That incident brought to 12, the number of homicides committed in the St. Kitts and Nevis for the year, and the problem continues despite the strategies implemented by the Police Force.
Regional Prime Ministers met recently and discussed the matter of crime and violence as a public health issue, and Dr. Drew noted that the regional heads expect the issue to continue as they work to quell the problem.
“I will continue to speak about it! I was in Trinidad and Tobago a few weeks ago where we expect there to be an increase in acts throughout the Caribbean; and CARICOM was there charting a new course looking at violence from a public health perspective - and that is what we are going to implement here,” Dr. Drew told reporters while in attendance at a ceremony in honour of the 20 children who recently lost their lives in the horric fire in Guyana.
Prime Minister Drew has called for the public to denounce and stop the acts of violence.
“At the same time, here in St. Kitts and Nevis, we call for people to do what is right and to refrain from negative activities. But the government will do what it has to do.”
The Federation reported double digit homicides last year, and the trend is continuing this year.
Many of those homicides were committed with the use of firearms, and that is in keeping with concerns regional governments have about the illegal importation of guns into the region from the United States and their impact on public health.
Police statistics, excluding 2022 and the first half of 2023, showed that guns continue to be the weapon of choice in the commission of crimes and homicides.
“As we all are aware, 80 percent for the last 10 years of our homicides was committed by a firearm,” former Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy told officers last year.
That came as he urged officers to step up their game, as the Federation saw an average of 21 homicides between 2012 and 2021.
Statistics for the period showed that in 2012 there were 18 homicides, 21 in 2013, 24 in 2014, 29 in 2015, 32 in 2016, 23 in 2017, 23 in 2018, 12 in 2019, 10 in 2020, and 13 in 2021.
This publication, on a number of occasions, had sought to get the official crime statistics for 2022, but all efforts were in vain.
“I call these figures so we can relate to the amount of homicides that have been committed in our Federation for the last 10 years. And on an average, we have been seeing 21 homicides,” Brandy noted.
Alarmingly, 17 of the 21 homicides on average were committed using firearms. These small arms from the United States, where residents have the right to bear arms, are having an impact on the region.
Lamenting his concern, Bahamas Prime Minister, Phillip Davis recently highlighted the correlation of the right to bear arms in the United States and homicides occurring in his country, explaining that guns registered in Florida are being connected to homicides in Nassau.
Last year in St. Kitts, police found that their colleagues in Atlanta, Georgia had busted a gun smuggling operation with connections to the Federation and the United Kingdom.
A number of territories across the region have either joined or will be joining Mexico to sue the United States and gun manufacturers over the illicit flow and subsequent commission of crimes.
“We spoke in Trinidad and Tobago, and we have asked our partner the United States to partner with us in stopping the flow of small arms. I think that is where our position was,” Dr. Drew disclosed.
Prime Minister Davis is also leading talks with the Biden Administration in Washington to find a solution to the problem, which is also a public health issue within the United States.
Ironically, the United States, which is expanding the right to bear arms, is being troubled by the mass shootings in that country.
According to ABC News, as of May 8th there were 202 mass shootings recorded across the United States, with data showing 647 for the previous year and 690 in 2021.
