Crime figures up says NDP, not so government says

The New Democratic Party (NDP) says the party will never accept as normal, the crime situation currently existing in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Leader of the Opposition Dr. Godwin Friday, speaking on Monday, December 2, 2024 on the NDP’s New Times radio programme on Nice Radio, said his party is committed to keeping the issue of crime at the forefront because in their opinion, the situation is out of control and not being addressed by the government and Minister of National Security, Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

Friday’s comments came in the wake of the Saturday, December 1, 2024 shooting of four men in Paul’s Avenue, three of whom died, bringing the homicide count for 2024 to 49, six short of the 55 in 2023, and surpassing that of 2022, which was 42.

His comments also come on the heels of the August 12, 2024 statement made by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) with responsibility for fighting crime, Trevor “Buju” Bailey, that despite what persons may think, crime in the country is not out of control, and the statistics are contrary to what some persons are saying.

Friday said the situation is something that the nation’s political leaders should keep on the agenda because people are worried.

“…but the government- I mean, their silence is deafening, and it seems to me that they have just thrown up their hands and say ‘listen, there is nothing we can do about it’….”

“When you get to that stage it is time to go home,” Friday said, while noting that in his opinion, a different entity needs to take leadership of the country and provide governance.

Speaking on Boom 106.9 FM this week, the Prime Minister’s Press Officer, Shevrell “Candyman” McMillan, expressed similar views to ACP Bailey.

“We do not have an increase in crime…”, he said, while adding that statistics obtained from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) show that at the end of November 2024, there were 3,400 reported cases of crime, and at the end of December 2023, the number was 4,100. These numbers represent all crimes, and not just homicides which stand at 49.

McMillan said these numbers show that there is a reduction in crime. Back when ACP Bailey spoke in August, he had noted that up to the end of June this year, they were seeing an 8.4 per cent decrease in crime overall, in comparison to the same period the year prior, when there were 2222 incidents, compared to 2212 in 2024.

However, on radio on Monday, Friday insisted that the situation is dire, stressing that the NDP has an analysis of the root causes of the problems, and also solutions and suggestions how to this should be combatted.

He said one of the things they suggest is a collaborative approach, but the government is treating the situation as a “partisan thing”.

“I don’t know why the government wants to treat this as such a partisan thing as, if I say something that makes sense, they can acknowledge and say ‘fine, let’s work with Dr. Friday and the members of the Opposition in Parliament and try to come up with a common proposal to how to we move forward’…”, Friday said.

He noted that the political divide which exists in the country spills into the communities in many different ways and, as a result, people have to be shown that there is no partisanship when it comes to crime fighting.

Last May, the NDP erected a billboard at Gibson Corner highlighting the homicide count in 2023- a figure of 52. The positioning of the billboard had caused some people to question the NDP’s motive in placing the sign there at a time when hundreds of tourism consultants were in the country, and could have seen the sign while heading to the Sandals Resort in Buccament.

Friday said on Monday, that besides the murders, there is a “particularly” bad record when it comes to crimes against women.

On Monday, December 2, 2024, Acting Commissioner of Police (COP) Enville Williams, speaking on radio, said that 46 of the 49 homicides committed in SVG this year are considered to be murders; three of these killings were as a result of incidents involving the police.

The police chief told listeners that there are several initiatives designed to respond to the current situation, and added that they are using the cybercrime law to deal with criminal activity and have made strides in dismantling firearm and ammunition smuggling, among other breakthroughs.

COP Williams said also that there is a new inter-agency internal security mechanism, but pointed out that it was not prudent to talk about some of the things that are being done in the fight against crime.