Says murder is area of concern
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER and Minister with responsibility for National Security Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris has reported that collaborations between the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force have yielded fruit, including a reduction in major crime over the first half of 2015.
PM Harris addressed members of the media yesterday (Jul. 15) at his monthly press conference and, in his opening statement, expounded on these accomplishments.
He noted that the only exception to this downward trend is that of homicides.
According to the comparative statistics provided to the media for the periods January– June 2013, 2014 and 2015, the total reported crime was 936, 607 and 403 respectively. And major crimes for the same period registered 839, 548, and 361 respectively.
The statistics revealed that there was a 56.97 percent reduction in major crimes between 2013 and 2015 and a 56.94 percent reduction in overall crime over the same period.
“The only area of record on which there has been significant movement in the other direction is those in relation to murder. And since the murders, by and large, are through firearms, the firearms statistics with respect to crime obviously would move in a corresponding manner,” Dr. Harris expressed.
He commended the armed forces for their work in driving the figures down.
“Whatever our view, these are the hard facts and I want therefore to offer commendation to the Acting Commissioner of Police and his High Command, to those in the Defence Force and all those who have been cooperating in the fight against crime. These statistics are commendable anywhere and the only area then of which they are problematic on the face of it is in the area of homicides and the use of firearms.”
The Minister also offered commendation for the implantation of a more aggressive policing strategy, which saw hundreds of individuals being stopped and searched for illicit items over the past three weeks.
He informed that during that period, 75 abandoned buildings were searched, 545 individuals stopped and searched, 462 vehicles were stopped and searched, 62 derelict vehicles were also searched, 20 arrests, 85 tickets issues, 13 ferry searches and more than 5 000 marijuana plants were uprooted.
The Prime Minister disclosed that a joint operation including the Traffic Department was conducted as recent as Tuesday, and SKNVibes was informed that some 150 vehicles were stopped and searched. And according to Dr. Harris, the exercise resulted in the removal of tint from some 75 percent of the vehicles that were stopped.
“This is alarming and it is no secret to any of us here that many of the vehicles used in criminal activity are reportedly to be extremely dark tinted. We therefore want to implore all in society to join us in an all-out crusade to create a more wholesome society.”
He pledged that “we will not allow those who chose to live a life of crime to destabilise, tarnish and disrupt the normal, peaceful living of persons in our beautiful Federation”.
His appeal to parents in this regard is to not “harbor the criminals in their homes, not to allow the stolen property in their homes and, most importantly, if there are guns and ammunitions and arms in your homes, or perhaps in your neighbours or anywhere in your community, please report it to someone”.
