Society Must Combine Resources To Fight Crime

St. Kitts – Nevis Police Officers
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
May 28, 2008 (CUOPM)

St. Kitts and Nevis says several initiatives taken to deal with crime have been met with success, but the fight is a long and arduous process which will involve the entire society.

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said as the twin-island Federation continues to build its new economy, crime could undermine the very foundation of that economy if the society does not combine its resources to combat and eradicate it.

He said his Government full understands the multi-dimensional nature of crime and has re sought to combat it in a variety of ways.

“In respect to the social and educational dimensions of crime, we have been reducing the percentage of dropouts in our school to minimise the pool from which criminals are quite often recruited. We have enhanced the rehabilitation programmes in our prisons and have sought employment for ex-convicts with a view to ensuring that such ex-convicts abandon the life of crime as they are integrated into the society. We introduced PROJECT STRONG to provide nurturing and training for young people at risk of falling into crime. We are establishing a Training Facility at Harris’s to train and rehabilitate young people in trouble with the Law. We have strengthened skills training component of our education system to provide practical and marketable skills to schoolchildren who prefer such training to the traditional academic training,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

He said his Government continues to provide enhanced equipment and facilities to the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.

“We have provided enhanced technical and managerial training for our Police Officers. We have introduced community policing. We are continuing to improve the conditions of service of our Police and other Security Officers. We have insisted that our police increase the frequency of patrols with the assistance of the Defence Force where necessary. We have intensified the search and stop activities of the Security Forces, and we have stiffened the penalties for criminal activities, especially in respect of gun-related crimes,” said Dr. Douglas, who said that the initiatives outlined have borne fruit and will bear even greater fruit over time.

He said the fight against crime is a long and arduous process and requires the involvement of the entire society.

“We cannot leave the task to the police alone; the entire society must support them by providing information, giving evidence and doing all that is necessary to rid our society of that evil. The Government will continue to do its part by providing the necessary resources to enhance the capacity of the security of forces. We are also soliciting technical assistance from the Government of Canada with a view to further strengthening the managerial as well as the crime prevention and crime detection capabilities of the Security Forces,” said Prime Minister Douglas.