BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE recent armed robberies of business entities are not sitting well with the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SKNCIC), which said it is “alarmed by the spate of robberies that took place over the last week”.
In recent times, a number of small businesses, including the Chinese-owned Good supermarkets, were targeted by bandits. And just recently one in Saddlers resulted in the proprietor being assaulted, and that was followed by two of RAM’s Supermarket Branches - Bird Rock and Camps - being robbed in the span of 85 minutes.
In a media statement, the SKNCIC “strongly condemns such criminal actions and encourages community cooperation to assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice”.
In recent months the Federation saw an upsurge in crime and violence when compared with last year, which was confirmed by the Police Force, but no crime statistics have been released by the law enforcement agency to give context.
“The SKNCIC recognizes the importance of maintaining a safe and secure environment for businesses to operate effectively, contribute to the local economy, and provide essential goods and services to the community.
“Representatives of the SKNCIC met with and with Police High Command on Monday, August 14th to discuss initiatives by both parties to strengthen the efforts to prevent such crimes. Both parties have pledged to form a closer working relationship to look at and ways to mitigate the spread and impact of crime in our communities,” the media statement read.
In calling for assistance from the public to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, the SKNCIC noted that that would assist in reducing the incidence of such criminal activity.
“The SKNCIC believes that swift action and the full cooperation of the public will help to maintain the peace and prosperity of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
