BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER and Minister of National Security Sam Condor said that a witness protection in the Federation is a sophisticated and high level programme that needs to be improve on and the government wants to focus on that.
The Minister made this statement yesterday (Apr. 13) at the Prime Minister/s Monthly Press Conference held in the Parliamentary Lounge, Government Headquarters on Church Street.
He was responding to a question on the government assuring the nation of a safe and secure witness protection programme that could lead to the solving of the crimes that occur, at yesterday’s (April 13), PM’s Monthly Press Conference.
“If we are to get maximum cooperation and support from the public we will have to improve on that, and that will take resources which is a major constraint,” Minister Condor said.
Over the years, there were witnesses to most of the crimes committed in the Federation, and many of them did not report to the police what they saw because of fear for their lives, as it is alleged that some witnesses who were to give evidence in court are among those murdered.
The Security Minister said that with a safe and secure witness protection programme, it would assist greatly in solving a number of the crimes.
“And we are in the process of seeing how we can get overseas assistance. It is a way of getting the evidence to get a higher level of conviction, and we are aware of that and we are doing everything to help with that,” he said.
Prime Minister Denzil Douglas also spoke of the important role the public has to play in helping to solve crime.
The year is just in its embryonic stage and already the Federation has recorded seven homicides, including four in six days (April 3-8).
PM Douglas said a strong public response will bring out some kind of movement where these recent crimes are concerned, and that providing information on a crime does not require a person going to the police station to deliver it in person.
The PM said that valuable tips could be and many of them were provided anonymously. He also urged the nation to continue sending tips to the authorities.
He cited the public’s role in the Brimstone Hill tour bus robbery that led to the arrest of seven persons and the police presently searching for another suspect, Curtis Long.
Dr. Douglas said that the government has been both saddened and appalled with the spate of killings in the Federation over the past two weeks and is appalled by the spate of crime, generally, in recent times.
“A number of specially dedicated teams have been established to deal with these murders specifically and have responded to other unsolved crimes before us. Persons have been taken into custody and our security forces have been working around the clock to solve these crimes,” he said.
He continued: “The son of our Commissioner of Police is one of those in recent weeks who have lost their lives.”
The PM said that the Federation’s security forces face three powerful challenges - the glamorisation of thug culture, illegal drugs and illegal firearm. He also called upon the media to undercut the glamorisation of thug culture.
“Thug culture, with its emphasis on physical brutality and sexual vulgarity, is glamoraised primarily via media. Only members of the media can decide what you will and will not do to undercut the glamorisation of sex and violence in our culture. You may decide to establish some kind of agreement among yourselves, or you might bond together in defence of our society to understand and undercut this toxic glamorisation, or you may not,” he said.
