NDP VIEW -Lack of action to gun violence is costing lives

The New Democratic Party (NDP) has condemned the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government for its lack of action to combat the gun crime epidemic in the country.

The government’s inaction in reducing crime is emboldening criminals and making the crime situation worse. We need strong leadership. The government must make a public statement outlining what actions it will take to stem gun crime. Their inaction is costing lives.

Last weekend, three young men were shot to death in different areas of the country. Three killings in three days! These recent killings have brought the number so far for the year to forty-four (44). Two of those killings took place in broad daylight. One of the persons was shot at Young Island dock according to news report. This is an area that is visited regualarly by tourists. Were tourists in the area when the killing occurred? We knew that there was a tourist ship docked in Kingstown.

Earlier this year, we erected a billboard highlighting the murder rate in the country for 2023. The billboard highlighted the fact that fifty-five (55) homicides were recorded in 2023.
There was an uproar from the ULP against the billboard. It was said that the information on the billboard would have a negative effect on the tourism industry. Now, which is worse, the billboard or the killing at the dock?

Too many lives are being lost. Think about it, one hundred and forty-one (141) persons have lost their lives for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 so far. This is alarming for such a small country. St Vincent and the Grenadines is ranked number seven (7) in the world for homicides. What is even more disturbing is that a significant percentage of these homicides remain unsolved as the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force seems unequipped to come to grips with this crisis.

These senseless killings show that the ULP government simply has neither the interest or the energy to counteract this rising levels of crime. The Prime Minister who is also the Minister of National Security should be taking this issue in hand but instead he is not doing anything to deal with the crime crisis. Our people are being killed on a weekly basis. These killings must stop. We recall that in February 2023 the government said they had a plan to stop the rising level of crime. We are still waiting for that plan to be unveiled. The ULP is out of ideas. Its leader is tired, low on energy and out of touch.

Our Plan

President of the NDP, Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday, has outlined the following measures: We must focus on crime prevention. We should therefore invest heavily upfront, on crime prevention. In this regard, the programmes outlined in the NDP’s Spiritual and Social Redemption Charter should be implemented. The Charter promotes positive community-oriented programs that would steer vulnerable young people away from crime towards socially positive behaviour.

We must restore trust and confidence in the police and the criminal justice system. Trust in the system now is shaken and broken. Political connections should not shield anyone involved in a shooting, theft, domestic violence or other crimes from proper investigation and prosecution. Justice must be equal for all. This will help everyone and will help the police in their work and their lives. They and their families are members of society and like the rest of us are equally vulnerable to crime and violence.

The police cannot solve crimes by themselves. They need the community to provide information during investigations and to be witnesses in criminal cases. We can promote this by implementing and pursuing community policing.  With specific training in community policing, the police would engage in trust-building activities in communities.
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We need a well-resourced and well-equipped criminal justice system. There continues to be an outcry in our country about the ineffectiveness of our criminal Justice system that too often fails to impose appropriate penalties to deter offenders. Creating an effective and well-resourced criminal justice system involves the police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the courts (i.e., magistrates and judges) and the prison system. It is vital that these components are appropriately equipped and that they function professionally and independently.

It also involves (i) reviewing our criminal laws and revising them to provide greater sentencing options for magistrates and judges; (ii) introducing measures that would improve access to justice; (iii) increasing the number of magistrates; (iv) expanding the High Court and improving its facilities; and (v) upgrading forensic laboratory services to expedite investigation and prosecution of offences and thereby eliminate the backlog of criminal cases.

We must 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. Focusing on rehabilitation is not coddling criminals (as some might say). On the contrary, it is effective crime fighting that protects all of us.  Rehabilitation has been proven to work and is cost-effective.

We must professionalize and modernize the police service. To achieve the best outcomes in crime fighting, the best officers must be recognized, supported, and rewarded. This includes reviewing remuneration and promotion practices for the police, including the Auxiliary Police, and ensuring that they are done, not as political favours, but on merit. Fairness is key to success. It should be clear that combatting crime is not just for the police; it is everybody’s business. It requires us to work together at all levels to succeed.