BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JUVENILES have been held responsible for committing less than 10 percent of crime detected in the in the Federation in 2009.
This is according to statistics compiled by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force detailing reported criminal activity for the year 2009. The body of figures reflects a decrease in the involvement of juveniles in cases that were solved.
According to the statistics, a total of 2 195 crimes were reported of which 714 or 32.5 percent were detected. Of the 714 detected crimes, the statistics further revealed that 52 or 7.29 percent were perpetrated by individuals under the age of 18.
St. Kitts was successful at solving 591 of the 1 862 reported criminal incidents, which equates to 31.74 percent. The statistical review indicates that 40 or 6.77 percent of St. Kitts’ detected cases were perpetrated by juveniles.
Nevis had a higher rate of juvenile involvement in crime. The sister isle’s detection rate stood at 36.94 percent with 123 of the 333 reported crimes being solved. Of that amount, 12 (9.76 percent) were committed by juveniles.
The police force divides all crime into seven categories: “Breakings”, “Larcenies”, “Robberies”, “Woundings”, “Malicious Damage/Arson”, “Firearms and Drugs” and “Other”. The statistics indicated that in 2009 there were increases every category, with the exception of Breakings and Woundings. All categories of crime recorded reductions in the rate of detection for 2009, barring “Firearms and Drugs”, which maintained a 100 percent detection rate.
In 2009, juvenile involvement in Breakings reduced by 0.5 percent, a 5.6 percent decrease was recorded in “Larcenies”, an almost 20 percent decrease in the “Robberies”, 8.33 percent reduction in juvenile involvement in Woundings and 7.37 percent in Malicious Damage/Arson. The other two categories saw reductions of 1.24 and 1.59 percent respectively.
While juvenile involvement in crime would seem insignificant, it must be noted that almost 40 percent of Breakings on St. Kitts were perpetrated by juveniles and 25 percent on Nevis.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) with responsibility for Operations, Joseph Richardson said that while the police are doing their part in addressing this social ill, crime is “not a police problem” but rather a problem of society.
“I think that’s the mistake everyone makes; that crime is a police problem. Crime is a problem of society. So all the institutions of society, the churches, schools, the police and even the press have a responsibility to try and divert the young ones from crime. The police are doing their part by having social clubs such as the Police Boys Club, the Operation Future and DARE, which has been dormant for some time now but will be reintroduced during the new school term.”
