Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Caribbean Nation Still Troubled With Crime Rate

Basseterre, St. Kitts - Nevis
March 11, 2010 (SKNIS)

The Government has unveiled plans to carry out “a comprehensive review” of current crime fighting initiatives and has signaled further resource commitment to ensure all residents of St. Kitts and Nevis can live in peace.

While reading the Throne Speech at Wednesday’s opening of a new Parliament, Governor General His Excellency Sir Cuthbert Sebastian, said in recent years, Government has introduced a separate gun control and anti-gang unit, mounted closed circuit television cameras around the capital Basseterre, strengthened crime laws and established K-9 units in both the Police and Defence Force.

He revealed that measures are in place to determine the impact of various anti-crime strategies “with a view to evaluating their effectiveness, committing more resources to the initiatives that are achieving results and developing new community-based approaches to the fight against crime.”

The security forces have also been targeted to ensure that they are adequately prepared to police in a rapidly developing society.

“We have exposed our law officers to advanced training in the use of the latest law enforcement methods and technologies and have procured technical assistance from law enforcement agencies in advanced countries to assist the police in the implementation of a crime fighting plan,” the Governor General stressed, while speaking in the National Assembly.

“… We have improved the police facilities through the renovation of the Basseterre Police Station and the upgrading of the Frigate Bay Police Station (and) we have started the construction of a new Police Station at Dieppe Bay. … Moreover, we intend to implement an EU (European Union)-funded project to comprehensively improve and upgrade the accommodation and facilities of the Police and Defence Force.”

Governor General Sebastian announced that as part of this project, Government is pursuing a proposal to build a new Fire Station and a new Police Training Academy at Lime Kiln. The property that currently houses the station and training school will be transformed, as residential units for the police will be constructed.

The announcement comes on the heels of a consultation exercise with security forces by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Honourable Sam Condor. Minister Condor pledged to work closely with authorities to ensure they are equipped with the necessary crime fighting tools and can respond to the challenges of the new economic landscape of St. Kitts and Nevis.

It is anticipated that the allocation of additional resources will also be laid out when the Budget for the fiscal year 2010-2011 is presented in the National Assembly in the coming weeks.

Related posts:

1. New St. Kitts - Nevis Police Crime Fighting Initiatives
2. St. Kitts - Nevis Still Rife With Violent Crime
3. St. Kitts - Nevis Aims To Step Up Crime Fighting
4. Canadian Police To Help Fight Crime in St. Kitts - Nevis
5. PAM Party Leader Wants Crime Fighting To Be A Priority

Gun Crime In St. Kitts - Nevis

Basseterre, St.Kitts - Nevis
People’s Action Movement
March 08, 2010

This past  weekend  saw the murder of yet another youth. Denzil “Para” Williams became the 8th homicide for the year. This follows the murder the weekend before of a not yet eighteen (18) year old in a brazen drive by shooting that left three others injured.

“This latest homicide epitomizes the lackadaisical and apathetic attitude to crime fighting that has become the  hallmark of this Labour government,” said People’s Action Movement Deputy Political Leader Hon. Shawn K. Richards.

With record numbers of  homicides and shootings each of the last 6 years the only response that is forthcoming from government is that they are not responsible for crime.

MP Richards blasted the labour government on its dismissive attitude towards crime

“Crime is everywhere we are told so what if we have it here. It is everybody’s responsibility to stop crime we are told but this government is conspicuously missing from inclusion in everybody,” said 2nd term Constituency #5  Representative MP Shawn Richards.

The government has been long criticized for it’s failure on the fight against crime as well as it’s refusal to accept any sort of responsibility for the record number of homicides, burglaries and robberies over the last 10 years.  In place of transparency and collaboration the government has been accused of  deliberatly refusing to be truthful about the extent of the crisis.

“The country is always in the dark when it comes to information regarding the true state of affairs when it comes to crime. We are always mislead with sugar-coated statistics that often does not reflect the true state of affairs,” said MP Richards. “That is why we are never clear on how many robberies, burglaries, rapes or non lethal attacks happen each year,”.

MP Richards continued, “The army and strike force were specifically ordered and sent to patrol in Half Way Tree on polling day in military fatigues, bullet proof vests and bearing assault rifles to protect illegal voters from St. Pauls but are barely present in well-known gang and crime hotspots,”.

Since the infamous slaying of popular radio personality Lorenzo Greene and his wife Michelle in 2005 there has been an amazing (91) ninety-one murders in the federation of St.Kitts-Nevis. Reports have indicated that of the 91 murders less than 20% have been detected or solved. Of the 8 homicides for this year thus far and the 27 murders last year less than 4 have been solved. The murder rate in SKN is not only among the highest in the world but the  detection rate is among the lowest.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts - Nevis Records Murder #20 For 2009
2. Christian Council Calls For Anti-Violence Support
3. St. Kitts - Nevis PM Makes False Claims
4. Reform of Security Forces Top Priority for PAM
5. St. Kitts - Nevis Records Third Murder Of 2009

Nevis Police Commissioner Speaks Out On Crime

Charlestown, Nevis
February 18, 2010

Nevis experienced an overall decrease in crime for 2009 but Head of the Nevis Police Division Superintendent Samuel Seabrookes says there is still a major concern with the incidents of house breaking, drugs and fire arm offences on the island.

The disclosure came when he gave an overview of the Nevis Division of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force at the 7th annual Police Constables Appreciation Awards Ceremony 210 at the Old Manor Hotel on Saturday.

According to the crime statistics presented by the Senior Police Officer, in the past two years there was a total of 358 cases reported in 2008 and 164 or 46 percent were detected while in 2009 there was a total of 334 matters reported with 123 or 37 percent detected.

In relation to the breakdown of offences he said that in 2008 there were five cases of murder, 24 of unlawful wounding, 77 drugs related, 10 robberies, 51 cases of larceny and 55 reports of house breaking whereas in 2009 there were three reported murders, 10 cases of unlawful wounding and 55 cases of drugs, five cases of robbery, 41cases of larceny and 73 reported house breakins.

Mr. Seabrookes further added that in 2008 a total of seven firearms were removed from the streets while in 2009 that figure increased to nine.

Court fines meted out at the Magistrates Court in 2009 amounted to $303,000.

Meantime with regard to traffic offences he said there was a slight decrease in the number of traffic accidents. Careless driving topped the list as the cause of those accidents followed by stray animals.

In 2008 there was a total of 261 reported traffic accidents three of which were fatal and 13 resulted in serious injuries while in 2009 there was a total of 257 reported cases with no fatalities but eight resulted in serious injury.

He said 127 traffic tickets were issued for speeding, 85 of those were paid to the amount of $21, 250 and $22,650 was meted out in fines by the Magistrates Court for traffic violations.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts - Nevis’ 2008 Crime Statistcis
2. Nevis Police Wrestle With Illegal Drug Problem
3. Nevis Tourism Industry To Benefit From Declining Crime Rate
4. St. Kitts - Nevis PM Wants UN Help On Drug Crime
5. Nevis Premier Discusses Crime Problem With Police