BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OVER the years, there has been a significant increase in crime in St. Kitts and Nevis, and the most disturbing of these crimes is homicide.
The rate at which homicides are committed is astronomical for a country with a population of approximately only 51 000. Between 2006 to date, there have been 93 homicides and the solvability rate cannot keep apace.
The police have been calling for the public’s assistance in their crime fighting effort, but the calls all seem to have fallen on deaf ears. In our second edition of the ‘What if?’ column, SKNVibes asked, “What if you are the sole witness of a homicide, will you inform the police and be prepared to give evidence in court?”
From among the 25 respondents, only three of them said they would inform the police. The majority believes that the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force has some incorrigible members, and informing them about a homicide would not only endanger their lives but also those of their loved ones.
Lou, whose Screen Name given is Sasha, said, “I would not give evidence bcuz of retaliation i will let d police do there job an hope that justice will b done.”
However, Jamesy (de realist) was more direct. He said, “Hell no u damn crazy. not in sk nor even in the caribbean these days u got to ee and play blind or u a@% going be the next one in the coffin.”
Natasha is also in agreement with them but is stronger in her accusation of the police. She however noted that she might have a change of heart if a witness protection programme were in place.
“No i would not want to do it because the police officers themselves love to talk and upon saying that they may have said things but with the intension of it staying between them and that individual but they should no better they r there to protect the citizens but instead they r putting them in harms way so therefore i would not do it or unless they have some kind of witness protection program which they do not so i would not put my life on the line for something like that sorry.”
Sjones, whose Screen Name is Sebjah, said, “Thats a tough call....Morally yes i would testify because i would like to see someone be seriously punished for taking someone's life...but nowadays when u go to an officer and report what u see they call ur name to the person you are making the report on...so it is a safety issue..how many witnesses have been killed because of what they know? So its a ticklish area to ask someone to be a witness and say i saw Tutman and John kill somebody and they know is u see them...”
AG Woods (AG) was very brief in his response and believes that going to court would not solve the problem of homicides. He said, “No. Court can’t stop bullets.” And John Doe, who gave his screen name as ‘Joke you mekking’, views the situation from another perspective: “sk people don’t play informer role. no time.”
Not only has Louise Chapman (llouise) asked a question; this individual believes that the Federation no longer has brave persons.
“Have you heard of all the persons who have been a witness to a homicide and gave evidence to the police and at the time of the Court proceedings they end up DEAD? I don't believe that there are any more brave persons left in the Island of St. Kitts and Nevis who are willing to risk their life and the lives of their family to boldly tell the police what they know in these troublesome some time I WOULD NEVER RISK MY LIFE...SAD BUT TRUE.”
Tash (Talk de tings dem) has similar view to Chapman. This respondent speaks to his experience with police officers.
“Even though I would love to give info that will lead to a criminal coming off of the streets, my life is more precious & I wud not jeopardize my safety. As we can see, ppl dont even make it to the court anymore because they are assassinated b4 the court date. & with all these dirty cops around, they themselves bring out important info on the streets. I once had a family member a witness in a high profile case & even b4 I knew he was a witness, the streets knew. & thats bcos police leaked it out!”
This individual, John Smithen (John), sees the police as being incompetent in spite of the amount of evidence they would have garnered. He also believes that SKNVibes has asked the wrong question.
“The question should not be whether one should come forward with evidence but rather whether the police are competent enough solve these crimes even with a preponderance of evidence.”
Smithen further said, “My information will have to be given under anonymity. The incompetence of the police is beyond laughable. In recent times there has been leakage of information and evidence into the public domain by the police. This couldn’t have been made more evident by the situation at the Gingerland police station where 1 of the officers “dutifully” sold gun(s) that were being held as evidence to a known thug. With my evidence or not the chance of these officers even apprehending someone is slim to none.”
On the other hand, Curtis Johnson (Mr. Lucky) thinks “it 100% necessary for someone to get up there & tell the truth because it will only be a matter of time before that person goes & comitts another crime which can be against you or someone your close to, we all need to put more faith in the police its there job to protect & serve, sadly it like a double standard we hate them when they get on us but we call them first when we're in trouble, i dont support locking up people but that's not what it's about it's about keeping our children safe”.
Arthur James (Federation) would like to rid St. Kitts and Nevis of criminals. He said, “Certainly, there will be no compromise. I grew up in SKN when our paradise was still virgin territory and will pay with my life to keep it safe and rid it of the scumbags that are poisoning our nation.
Ciaran Phillip (Science) believes that people should report what they see, and if this were to be done on a regular basis criminals would not be as bold as they currently are.
“I kno that many ppl will most definitely disagree with me but I am going 2 say YES! I will volunteer my information to the police as well as bcome a witness. It is high time that we as ppl who do not commit crimes report wrong-doers in the open just like how they commit their acts in the open. Think about it, if ppl wud make it known that they will report a crime once they see it, criminals will not want 2b as bold as they currently are and will at the very least resort 2 carrying out crimes only wen they are sure they will not b seen.”
However, Rashid Rannella (Jehovah Witness) claims that “witnessing is very complicated and tedious. If the criminal has connections and power it could be a bad decision. U could be antagonised, persecuted, harassed, or even killed. If the criminal is nobody then of course u can witness. Everybody with common sense knows when to talk and when to shut up”.
A seemingly despondent Mercedes is not only peeved about the delays in trials, but also about those individuals who do not pursue cases after retrieving items stolen from them.
“I have always tried to be a good citizen and have not only reported crimes, but have always shown up at court to witness to the crime. However, in many instances, the case is always delayed, and this is very discouraging to the witness. However, I am persistent, and believe in doing the right thing. Many others, especially if robbed, if the items are retrieved, they do not bother to pursue a case.”
Like Smithen, Debra Jeffers (FATTER 2682) sent two responses. In the first one she blasts the police, while responding to a statement made by Premier Parry in the second.
“It’s very risky to give clues and evidence to the police officers within the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force. There are so much evidence that the police are contributing to most of the crimes within the federation. They cannot be trusted and most people do not wish to risk their lives by aiding the police with investigations in respect to murders and homicides. This is why the Federation has so many unsolved mysteries. Police let out information to criminals. Who gon guard the guard?”
Her second response reads, “So sad to learn that these little islands are plagued with so many homicides from 2006 to date. I wonder how many of these crimes were committed by non-nationals? Just recently, the Premier of Nevis spoke to the press on the denial of non-nationals to remain on the island of Nevis and one of his reasons was that non-nationals were contributing to crimes on Nevis. Nevis had four homicides for 2010. My question to the Premier is ‘How many non-nationals were charged for these homicides by the cops?’”
Finally, Concern Mother (What if?), who deviated from the question but is saddened by the escalating crime rate, wrote, “It is most disturbing cause i ask myself how many more mothers or families are goin to sadden this killing need to be taken into consideration the law need to step in for all the homicide that took place how many are brought to justice i ask myself the question over and over again how many more.”
SKNVibes is looking forward to your constructive comments on what these respondents said.
