The Unity Labour Party (ULP) government is struggling to effectively address the crime situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Homicide and violence are becoming a fact of life for too many people. The ULP has not kept its promise to be tough on crime and the causes of crime. The grim reality on the ground is that most Vincentians are concerned about their safety. They no longer feel safe walking on the street going about their normal lives.
Over the weekend, we have had three (3) reported homicides. Othnell Lavia and Stanran Stapleton were shot and killed in Petit Bordel while Elijah Crease was stabbed to death in Calliaqua. And on Monday 30th September 2024, the body of 13-year-old, Matthew Da Souza, was found at Sion Hill Bay.
St Vincent and the Grenadines has seen record levels of homicides over the past two years. In 2023, fifty-five homicides were recorded surpassing the previous record set the year before.
Shadow Minister for National Security, Major St Clair Leacock, said, “This government is failing in its most important duty, to keep our people safe. Over the weekend, we have seen further homicides and violence on the street. The ULP doesn’t seem to care about this, and hope that the problem goes away. They are taking our people for granted. They talk about improvements but it’s clear it’s all empty talk from an empty government.”
We call again on the Minister of National Security, Ralph Gonsalves, to step down. He either doesn’t have the energy or interest to deal with this crisis or he simply doesn’t care.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence and sexual offences against women and girls are a plague in our country. One case is one too many; the current widespread nature of the problem is a national disgrace. It must be addressed urgently and seriously. These types of offences require sensitivity and specialized training to investigate and prosecute effectively. A Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Unit in the Police service staffed with specially trained officers and counsellors is required for success in combatting such crimes. Also, wherever possible prosecution must be pursued, even when the victims do not wish to proceed.
Praedial Larceny
Praedial Larceny is an area that requires special attention. Agriculture is critical to our economy. But the stealing of farmers’ crops and animals is out of control and is destroying agriculture and farmers’ livelihoods. There can be no tolerance for such crimes for though they don’t make headlines, they hurt farmers badly and do terrible damage to our economy. Combating praedial larceny requires more than just rural constables; it requires a comprehensive approach that involves tracking agricultural commodities and punishing offenders who are detected, including those who aid and abet thieves by buying the goods from them at cut rate prices. The upholder as well as the thief must be held accountable! And we must be serious about that.
The NDP has a plan to address the crime situation in the country. We will:
* Establish a national forensics lab
* Improve training for police
* Collaborate with international criminal enforcement agencies
* Introduce community policing
* Strengthen the police service and justice system and rebuild trust in them
* Equip the police service with modern tools and procedures to defeat criminals
* Protect women and girls from sexual violence and domestic abuse with dedicated services
* Establish a separate fire service
* Have streamlined procedures and specialised units to respond to tourism-related crimes, especially yacht break-ins, and praedial larceny.
We will promote rehabilitation of offenders. Fighting crime is not only about punishing offenders; it must also involve rehabilitation. Offenders should be provided with programs that would help to keep them from reoffending and becoming a perpetual menace to society. In this regard, we should establish a Young Persons Rehabilitation Centre for non-violent young offenders. This will prevent many young offenders from becoming hardened criminals lost to a life of crime. The NDP committed to working with all stakeholders to combat crime in St Vincent and the Grenadines,
Street Children
The death of 13year-old, Matthew Da Souza, has sparked widespread discussion about the problem of ‘Street Children’ in Kingstown. Matthew’s body was discovered at Sion Hill Bay on Monday 30th September 2024. It was reported that Matthew was often seen in Kingstown and was considered a ‘Street Child’.
The ULP government has failed the children who live on the streets of Kingstown. Did the ‘Education Revolution’ take into consideration those children? In 2008, the ULP government recognized the problem of children who lived on the streets of Kingstown and conducted a study to find out the reasons why the children were on the streets. The main finding was, all of the children who lived on the streets came from poverty-ridden families whose parents cannot afford to educate them. The report also identified the villages from which the children came. Having that critical information, what did the government do to assist the children and parents? What did the government do to prevent the situation from getting worse? It would appear that no programs or policies to assist the children and parents were put in place to stem the flow of children on the streets of Kingstown.
The main problem identified why children lived on the streets was poverty. And, there has been an upsurge in poverty since this government took power, from 2008 to 2018 poverty has increased. The government has not published the report of the Poverty Assessment Survey which was conducted in 2018. A leaked copy of the report which was obtained by the NDP revealed that poverty moved from 30.2% in 2008 to 36.1% in 2018. And, indigence from 2.9% to 11.3% of the population for the same period. The government needs to implement programs to effectively deal with children living on the streets and address the burning issue of poverty in the country.