BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – RESIDENTS of Cayon have expressed their willingness to support the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force in its fight against crime, but pointed to a number of factors that are impeding their collaborative efforts.
Among those factors are the number of officers based at the Cayon Police Station, timeliness in response to reports, insufficient drivers at the Station and the lack of confidentiality.
These concerns were expressed at a town hall meeting held by the Police Force High Command at the Cayon Community Centre on Monday night (Oct. 12).
Speaking to the reasonably large gathering, among whom was Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, Acting Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd and Assistant Commissioners Ian Queeley and Vaughan Henderson provided reviews of the Force’s Six-Point Plan to reduce homicides and violent crimes, its current crime fighting efforts, and the results of those efforts.
The Senior Officers also took the opportunity to beseech those in attendance to cooperate with the police, to join in the fight against crime and to encourage those absent from the meeting to do likewise.
In his brief address, recently-appointed Commander of District ‘A’, Superintendent Lionel Moore told the residents that the police were there to interact with them on the topic of crime and violence, to respond to their questions and to listen to their comments and suggestions in order that together they could make Cayon a safer place to live.
Noting that evidence points to too many criminal activities taking place in Cayon, including homicides, Moore asserted that they are being perpetrated by “our children and the police cannot do the work alone. So we are asking you to come with your suggestions, come with your inputs so that we can move forward and reduce crime and violence in the community”.
The Acting Commissioner gave an overview of the main terms of the Six-Point Plan of Action and told the attendees that “whatever we do, the first and foremost is crime prevention, and whatever we are doing is to prevent crime. But we recognised that we cannot stop crime and that is why a great deal of effort is being spent on training”.
Both Queeley and Henderson took turns in providing in-depth explanations of the Six-Point Plan of Action, stating that it comprises Crime Prevention, Targeted Operations, Community Engagement, Collaboration Strategies, Intelligence-led Policing, and Continuous Improvement and Administration.
Viewing the effects of crime and violence from an economic perspective, Queeley said: “We have for the past few years gravitated from an agriculture-based economy to one of services and tourism. The stakes are high in tourism! A number of Caribbean countries are competing for a piece of the same pie. Our product is unique, our product is good! Any investor who is going to invest in our country, one of the first things that investor looks for is security. If there is no safety and security, that investor’s confidence is somewhat shattered.”
As the ACP with responsibility for Crime, Queeley told the attendees that crime affects the entire nation in some way, shape or form, adding that “when these gangsters who are relatives of some of us get involved in criminal activity, we ought to know better because there are family values here that all of us were taught coming up. And we must strengthen our resolve by indicating, by showing that interest and love for country”.
He made reference to the violent crimes that pervade the Federation and urged the attendees to get involved in the fight against the perpetrators.
“None of us likes to hear on the news the rampant shooting and killing of our citizens. It is a time for us to reflect very deeply when we look at the number of homicides and violent crime that we have that are permeating our society on a daily basis. And if we stand by and do nothing, we are just as guilty. So, I urge you to play your part.”
Queeley also apprised the residents of the Federation’s statistics recorded for this year, noting that there has been a significant reduction in major crime when compared to the same period last year.
“To date, we have some 22 homicides recorded or reported. That in of itself is very disturbing to all of us in the Police Force and should be to all of us as citizens. We have had also some nine incidents where persons were wounded by shooting, which represents a 125 percent reduction over the same period last year, January 1 to the end of September. Similarly, we have had 12 shootings where persons were shot at and not injured, and that is a 300 percent reduction over what we had during the same period last year.”
Queeley declared that there has been a 23.5 percent reduction in major crime over the period January to September 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.
He also declared that according to this year’s statistics, of the 22 homicides, three were committed in Cayon, while also in Cayon, three persons had suffered gunshot injuries and a number of shootings in which no one suffered injuries.
He stressed that those incidents indicate that there are firearms within the community and that the statistics point to a direct correlation between guns and drugs in that district.
Henderson, the ACP with responsibility for Operations, also spoke about the Six-Point Plan of Action, noting that there has been a countrywide increase in patrols by law enforcement officers drawn from the Police Force, Customs and Excise Department and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force.
He commended those members of the community who have reposed trust and confidence in the police and suggested that working together is one of the solutions to crime reduction.
During the question and answer segment, many senior members of the Cayon community had made valuable contributions and sought answers to their concerns about community policing, among others.
One female, in particular, was very candid in her contribution. She was high in praise of Sergeant Carl Greaux, who is the Officer-in-Charge of the Cayon Police Station, but pointed out that there were only five officers to man that station.
That commendation was supported by almost all present at the meeting, who, on hearing it, signalled their approval with loud cheers and the clapping of hands.
The female however stated that on some occasions when calls were made to report an incident, an officer would inform that no one was at the station to drive the police squad car to the scene of the incident.
She therefore implored the High Command to not only increase the manpower at the station, but also to ensure that all officers stationed there be taught how to drive.
The High Command took note of her requests and promised to rectify the situations.
The outspoken female also implored the police to find the root cause of the crime situation in that community and recommended that officers should visit every home in the district while performing the duties of community policing. This, she added, would improve trust and confidence in the police.
In response, ACP Henderson opined that one of the root causes lies in the lack of proper parenting and suggested that those present should endeavour to visit the homes of others who were absent at the meeting, especially those homes perceived to house at-risk-children, and inform them of the proposed plans to eradicate crime and violence within the community.
He stated that it does not necessarily have to be done in the presence of a police officer, but by those law-abiding and conscientious residents who are engaged in community policing and want to see changes for the better of all in that district.
The female also highlighted that many parents display the lack of discipline and respect for others, which she noted are habits learned by the children that lead to deviant behaviours.
Questions were also raised about those children of gang members and what could be done to assist them in being outstanding citizens.
The man who asked the questions had suggested that those children should be enlisted in the Defence Force where they could inculcate discipline, which could positively impact on them not following in their parents’ footsteps.
The High Command was in agreement and informed that steps were already taken to address that matter in the form of the Defence Force Cadet Corps, the Police Drum Corps, and the MAGIC and Operation Future school programmes, among others.
In furtherance to his explanation of root causes of violence and crime, Henderson spoke of at-risk children.
“We believe that the major cause, the root cause of this gang violence is drug trafficking. Gangsters are preying on young at-risk children. It could be an underlying issue of poverty or delinquency in the home, poor parenting, et cetera. But these gangsters who are out there, they are not looking at the child who is going to church or who is going to Sunday school; they are looking at the child who is not going to school. Parents might be poor and not working. That is the at-risk child that a drug trafficker is after because that child is young and impressionable and can be recruited for a drug runner.”
He explained that after recruitment and that child goes out to sell the drugs, he becomes “hardened”, and in order to protect his turf “they have to use violence…they have to use a gun”.
In addition to the school programmes, ACP Henderson informed what is being done at the New Horizons Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre, noting that it is playing an integral role in reaching the at-risk children.
The town hall meeting ended in an atmosphere of goodwill and camaraderie as both parties indicated their willingness to cooperate with each other in the fight against crime in that community.
