BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - DESPITE an apparent upsurge in gun-related criminal activities, the Prime Minister of the Federation, Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas, holds that the “strategic plan” which was implemented to counter crime continues to bear fruit.
Speaking recently at the February 2010 edition of his monthly press conference, Dr. Douglas forwarded that the foremost threat to the Federation’s economic and social stability and continued development is “especially violent crime…gun-related”.
His suggestion was that the homicides the Federation has recorded for the year do not mean that the government’s implemented strategies to combat crime have failed, but that crime is an ongoing problem which requires a comprehensive approach.
“The government did put a strategic plan in place to counter that. It continues to yield results. It is very unfortunate that, so far, we might have had four or five people involved in homicides for this year. We may have recovered four or five or six illegal weapons to date from the roads, but this gives you an idea of how dynamic the situation is in our fight against crime. It is yielding results but crime continues. That is why we again emphasise that fighting crime is everybody’s business and the government’s intention and policies and programme are to involve every individual, every section of our society, every group, community, or otherwise who is willing to make a contribution in our fight against crime to join and do exactly that.”
The refurbishment or reconstruction of police stations on both St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the areas which Dr. Douglas - former Minister of National Security - said his government tackled during its previous term in office and would continue to tackle. Another being that of the mounting of closed-circuit television at strategic areas in Basseterre and surrounding areas. This, he said, is also being pursued on Nevis.
“The closed circuit television system, as part of the important crime-fighting instruments that are now available to the security forces, that has continued as planned. We have already installed such at the Basseterre Police Station Headquarters. We have also identified other areas in Basseterre where such have been instituted. I have been told that they have gleaned very good support for the police in terms of their crime-fighting capacities. And we are now, of course, pursuing this also on the island of Nevis.
“What…we would want to be able to do is to expand this to different points around the island. In fact, one would wish that such would be in the precincts around each police station and wherever they are located, and generally at specific spots around both islands…St. Kitts and Nevis.”
PM Douglas extended words of commendation to those who had a hand in seeing this project from conceptualisation to birth.
“May I…commend firstly, the stakeholders who have been engaged in this activity, not only the service providers who have provided this very very important service, but also to the benefactors and those who have collaborated. I must mention, of course, LIME, which was a promise that was made and which has been fulfilled, and also the Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan whose embassy also came forward and has served in this particular capacity…quite well in ensuring that adequate support is being provided to our police and security forces generally in the fight against crime. This continues to be important.”
