[ad_1]
Author: Staff
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS (WINN) – Crime remains a serious challenge despite efforts by the government and the Ministry of National Security to address it.
Prime Minister Dr Terrence Drew confirmed the Government has been implementing plans and allocating resources to address community issues.
“I don’t think there is any government in the Caribbean that invests as much as we do in our young people to keep them on the right path. Free schools, free healthcare, opportunities to join various groups and clubs. Opportunities to get into the music industry if they want, to go to university later if they want. So, St. Kitts and Nevis, we provide these opportunities for our young people. That’s why when people see this, they say, why are the young people, many of them not taking advantage of these opportunities, Madam Speaker? These are exactly what our young people deserve. So, we have to redouble our efforts to ensure that the communities take back their communities to ensure that we live the peaceful lives that they deserve.”
The prime minister made the remarks after two people were found dead in a bullet-riddled vehicle and a man was shot multiple times and later pronounced dead in hospital during the recent National Assembly session.
“Madam Speaker, I was really shocked when I heard an officer on the radio say that they were encountering kids who were interested in gangs, gang life, and gang activity. These were elementary school kids. That alerted me. That impressed me so much that I said we need to look at the situation and see what’s going on. And when we looked at the study, Madam Speaker, it confirmed what the officers were saying, that somehow there are kids who see gang life as something to aspire to.”
Dr Drew stressed that practical solutions were needed to combat the current crime wave and to this end, the Government was working on a plan to address the growing problem.
“We have had a consultation to come up with solutions from that perspective to decide how to deal with this. Of course, we are still working on many solutions. One of them is of course for us to have a national consultation, provide information and listen to the community to decide how to deal with this. Madam Speaker, there is no quick solution to this problem. It requires everyone to come together. Madam Speaker, this government is ready and has been doing so.
Madam Speaker, we will therefore be hearing more on this issue over the coming weeks as consultations with stakeholders continue.”
Minister of Youth Empowerment, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, reiterated that an “all hands on deck” approach is needed to tackle the problem, which has resulted in 21 homicides this year, as well as several brazen daylight robberies.
“It’s really sad and disheartening to hear about the violence that’s spreading in our communities. It’s shocking to hear about the deaths and murders that have been reported recently. So I want to express my condolences to the families of those who have been affected, the families of those who may have lost loved ones and friends, especially to this violence and this crime. We really need to take a whole-of-society approach.”
The Minister has been engaging with young people, especially high school students, to educate them on the challenges of crime as a public health issue. Data shows that many victims of gun violence are 30 years old or younger.
“We recognise that if we are looking for a generational shift in the way violence is viewed, how it manifests in our society, we really need to make sure that our young people are very well informed because we are seeing violence increasingly present in our primary schools, in our secondary schools, whether it be levels of aggression or levels of anger. We really need to be able to intervene at an earlier stage. As Ministers, through the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs, we are committed to finding opportunities, creating opportunities and finding initiatives that can do that.”
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spoke about the incident at Newtown Stadium which left two people dead.
“I am not ignorant of the fact that what happened today (August 2, 2024) at Newton Square is concerning to our people. Because I feel what they feel. I feel what they are going through. Because at the end of the day, I am a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis and I care deeply about our people. Not just now, but in all the areas I have worked in my adult life, I have always been committed to caring for our people.” – Dr. Terence Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.
[ad_2]
Source link
