There is a need for a greater police presence on the ground, says Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
“I want to say, and I hope the Commissioner of Police is listening and the others in the leadership of the police, it is true that the police are not the cause of serious crime, there are complicated issues,” Gonsalves said on radio on January 4.
He called for a greater presence of police particularly in the areas between Stubbs and Rillan Hill, which he said were the most populated areas of the country.
And in calling for that increased presence, the Prime Minister made it clear that there were more than enough resources to facilitate this, and he identified this measure as being a deterrent to individuals who might want to do something unbecoming.
He referenced as being totally unacceptable, that within a half mile of the Calliaqua police station that someone can get robbed on the beach at 7 in the night.
“So, I’m hammering that greater presence,” he said.
The Prime Minister also called for an increased effort to gather intelligence so as to be able to move in a more proactive manner to arrest those engaged in serious criminal behavior.
Funding has been provided under the recurrent budget for 2023 for the recruitment and training of additional police officers, he said.