Grant calls for enforcement of curfew laws
BASSETERRE St.Kitts (April 5th 2011) - In what was described as a passionate, informative and inspiring presentation Ms. Terrelah Byron, one of the youth presenters at the 46th annual St.Kitts Opposition Party People’s Action Movement convention, laid the blame of the country’s continuing and spiraling Crime Crisis at the feet of the current labour administration.
“The chief function of Government is to secure its citizens and protect them from harm. This should be a basic indisputable fact upon which any discussion as to a multi-dimensional approach on crime-fighting is founded. Any Government's fundamental objective is national security; and when there is a national security catastrophe, the Government can be said to have failed in its fundamental objective,” said Byron.
Ms. Byron, the 2005 St.Kitts-Nevis runner-up State Scholar continued “I point a finger at the present Government for our current crime situation and I make no apology for so doing. It was their Party who resolutely committed themselves in the run-up to the 1995 General Elections to make Law and Order priority #1 in their campaign pledge to ensure that every citizen and visitor to the islands feels safe and secure (See pages 5-6 of their 1995 Manifesto). Now, I am NOT saying that it is only the Government that has responsibility to bear, but I certainly point a finger at them for letting it get this far. In 1995, the number of murders for the year was 4. From 1995 to 2009 the number was 168. It is now well on its way to 200 murders since 1995. The most being recorded to date in a year is 27 murders recorded in 2009.”
Ms Byron also went on to endorse PAM’s proposed issuance of a new Crime Fighting Initiative which party Leader Lindsay Grant indicated will be launched within the next few weeks.
“There can be no doubt that the People’s Action Movement as the next government will ensure that justice be served when it comes to criminals. PAM will move swiftly to curtail crime and criminal activities. Very shortly the People’s Action Movement will unveil its 5 year crime policy which will cover broad areas including: crime prevention, the judicial system, establishing a rehabilitation program, restructuring the prison system, establishing early detection programmes for problem and at-risk individuals, re-introduce an active truancy programme, and establish a Home for boys and a Home for Girls much like the Harris' home,” said Byron.
Party leader Lindsay Grant has again expressed his renewed grave concern of the seemingly never-ending crime crisis, in light of the recent suspected homicide and possible rape of a young woman who was found at the C.A.P Industrial Park and the shooting death of a young man at Dorset Park in front of horrified co-workers.
“Over the last few days including at my party’s Convention I have echoed my grave concern about this Crime Crisis and the government’s seemingly gross lack of will to effectively deal with the problem," said Grant. “We have heard very little from the government with regards to our Crime Crisis. And the little we have heard has for the most part been lip service as based on the continued Crime Crisis, nothing with regards to Crime fighting is working. This is why my party is again taking the initiative to issue and present to the country its New Crime Fighting Initiative which will be presented shortly,” Grant indicated.“I must also mention that I am further deeply troubled by the fact that a young lady at just 15 lost her life under what seems to be very brutal and tragic circumstances. I think her death brings into light the need for the enforcement of our curfew laws regarding children under the age of 18,” opined Grant.
Grant also expressed sincere and heartfelt sympathies to the families of the young victims at their time of immense pain and bereavement.
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