SVGHRA condemns spate of violent crimes plaguing the country

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA) has condemned the continuous spate of violent crimes which seems to be plaguing the country and highlights its explicit concern that many of these crimes involve the nation’s youths.

The SVGHRA, in a release issued yesterday, also called on Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr Ralph Gonsalves to “speak to the nation on the issue of Crime and Violence, outlining his Government’ plan and strategies to address them, as there is evidence of a culture of fear, uncertainty and anxiety permeating this BLESSED land, which impacts overall productivity, transparency and good governance.”

The release said the most recent events relating to the robbery of medical doctor Twana Browne-Caesar and that of the police officer at gun point, highlight the fact that “no one is exempt from crime, even the school child that was robbed of her mobile and her pocket money in the vicinity of Block 2000, or the Fruit vendor outside the Nurses Hostel in New Montrose or the attempted, armed robbery of the Black Rose Bar in Arnos Vale.”

The SVGHRA calls on “all social service agencies, educational institutions, faith based organisations, parent teacher associations, the media, the corporate sector, the network of non-governmental organisations, the trade union movement, representatives of the opposition parties, to pool their human and financial resources in attempt to address the sore and vexed rising situation of crime in this blessed land and here, indicates its willingness to be part of a facilitative and collaborative process,” the release said.