New carnival measures a success

Several measures were introduced this year by the Royal St.Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and the Ministry of Culture to make Vincy Mas 2k6 the most peaceful Carnival ever. They seemed to have worked as there were no murders recorded during this year’s festivity.

The last time the country could have boasted that there were no murders during the Carnival period was 2001.{{more}}

On Tuesday, July 2, 2002 the discovery of 12-year-old Lokisha Nanton’s nude lifeless body hanging from a mango tree at Sion Hill sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Seven days later, Wednesday, July 10, 2002, the body of 62-year-old Linton John was found in his pickup truck at Argyle burnt beyond recognition.

The following year, on Saturday June 28, 30-year-old Ronny Anderson’s battered and bruised body was found on the Murray Village mainroad. The father of two was also discovered with strands of hair apparently pulled from the root of his head.

In 2004, three murders were recorded during the Carnival season. On Saturday, July 3, 37-year-old Silma Wallace’s nude body was discovered in a temporary toilet at White Chapel Road, Kingstown. She was the mother of four children. Three days later, 34-year-old Decima John was gunned down while on her way to an outside toilet just a few yards away from her home. The mother of three was due to appear in court on Wednesday, July 7.

Amidst the enjoyment of a final Carnival fete onboard the “Shipwreck”, Antonio “Bogo” Cuffy a 22-year-old basketballer and former model was shot on Wednesday, July 7, 2004 in the back. He died later that morning.

And last year, the lone murder during the Carnival season was 21-year-old Oran “Bobo” Cuffy of Redemption Sharpes who was found on Monday, July 4, lying on the road near to the Intermediate High School with a fatal stab wound to the back. That morning revelers were celebrating J’Ouvert.

In addition to a heavy police presence on the streets of Kingstown, this year a ‘No Bottle’ policy was introduced to limit the violence on the streets.