BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Terrence Drew says a national consultation on Crime will be held here as he calls for an end to the murders in St. Kitts-Nevis.
Drew, in a radio and television broadcast, did not give an exact date for the consultation but said that the twin-island Federation “cannot tolerate the willful violence that has resulted in the unacceptable number of homicides over the past two decades… and particularly the loss of life over the past few days and months”.
In his broadcast, Prime Minister Drew said that so far this year, 19 people have been murdered and that over the past five days, three people were killed by gun violence.
“Rest assured, my Administration will do everything it can to bring justice for your families,” Prime Minister Drew said, expressing condolences to the families of those killed, adding, “We have lost our way as a society.
“Every homicide is one too many. Remember, every life is precious. We cannot become numb to any violent crime.”
Prime Minister Drew said that the National Security Council, which he heads, “has not become numb,” meeting weekly to ensure that strong policies are created to sustain a safe St Kitts and Nevis.
“This is the responsibility of any government. The National Security Council includes the heads of all national security agencies in the Federation. As a result of the carefully crafted policies of this Council, we are seeing a rate of 50 percent detection of homicides for the year, an increase over last year.
“This is admirable, but, for me, not good enough. Not only should we detect, charge, and prosecute the destructive criminals, but we have to prevent their nefarious actions.”
He said regarding the 19 murders so far this year, “The intelligence I have received suggests that two-thirds of those homicides were as a result of gang violence and reprisals.
“I want that statistic to sink in. We have a serious gang problem in our society. This societal ill, reflected throughout the region, has been severe for us for at least two decades. Still, it has worsened because of the introduction of money into the equation.
“Not only do the gangs have numerous members, but because of the ill-advised peace program, they have significant amounts of money used to buy influence and dangerous sophisticated guns, which are used to carry out heinous acts.”
He said this is why suppression was focused in the last National Security Council meeting this week.
“Suppression is preventing the inception of Crime or expansion of criminal activity. Let it be known that the National Security Council has agreed to a drastic change in suppression activities.
“I warn everyone there will be constant vehicular checks and searches from today onward. There will be constant searches of the homes of gang members, their partners, and affiliates. Illegal tints on cars will be removed.
“We will be relentless in our suppression of criminal activities. These are the measures that are necessary to not only locate the persons involved in destructive criminal activities but remove their firearms and weapons off our streets,” Prime Minister Drew said, appealing to citizens for their patience, understanding, and cooperation a” s we do what is necessary to arrest this scourge of gangsterism and violent Crime.
“Those involved in criminal activities can no longer feel comfortable in their homes, gathering spots, or moving around the Federation. I implore all persons involved in gangs and criminal activity to change their lives and change now. If not, we will find you. We will prosecute you. We will jail you.”
Prime Minister Drew said that not only will the police and army be on the streets, but the Joint Security Operation Tactical Team (JSOTT) will be strategically patrolling hotspots.
Drew said that the Barbados-based Regional Security System visited St Kitts and Nevis numerous times, conducted interviews and analysis, and recently submitted a report to the Ministry.
“I pledged that we would Strengthen the Intelligence Capabilities of our Security Forces. This has progressed steadily, especially with the utilization of the Fusion Center, leading to the increased detection rate I referenced earlier.
“This week, it is through our enhanced intelligence infrastructure that a suspect for one of the recent homicides left St Kitts, and we were able to find him on a neighboring island. We continue to request the general public’s assistance to bolster our intelligence.”
Prime Minister Drew spoke of the various initiatives being undertaken to deal with the crime situation, including establishing a partnership with the United States law enforcement authorities for a coastal radar system to detect any unlawful coastal entry into our territorial waters and smuggling of humans, drugs, and firearms.
He said the government also decided by implementing the Firearm Amendment Act in May, in which penalties were increased significantly such that persons in possession of illegal firearms and ammunition can serve up to 40 years in prison and be fined up to EC$500,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents).
“We also have embarked on a comprehensive criminal justice reform exercise, which has seen the Justice Interference Prevention Act passed in June 2024 and other legislation soon to come, such as legislation to allow gang-related trials to be conducted by a judge only in the High Court.”
Drew said that he has constantly advocated for violence to be treated as a public health issue, a position formally adopted by the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping.
“The holistic approach to crime fighting led us to create the National Security Taskforce for treating Crime as a Public Health Crisis, consisting of members from the various arms of civil society, whose chief consultant is Dr. Izben Williams.
“An all-of-society approach is the only way we can see the end of this scourge of violent Crime in our society. Therefore, we have implemented various social interventions to positively impact our people, especially our young men and the most vulnerable. I love and care for all our people, including our young men,” he added.
However, the prime minister acknowledged that despite the various crime-fighting measures and policies, the government needs help.
“Fighting crime is not a matter of partisan politics. Instead, it transcends political boundaries. It takes all of us. This is everybody’s business. It is a whole-of-society approach.
It takes the parents, the family members, the teachers. The church leaders, and the neighbors. The partners, the community, and civil society organizations. All of us must play our part.”
He said this is why he has directed the Ministry of National Security to begin preparations to host a national consultation on Crime and violence, among other crime-fighting initiatives.
“The national consultation on Crime will invite all political organizations, all civil society organizations, and anyone who cares about this Federation to come to the table to provide their ideas and plans for us to end this decades-long scourge of violent Crime. This is my pledge,” he added.
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