Peace, prosperity and equality for all should not be the cost of progress

Editor: A heart heavy with concern has made me overcome most of my instinct for self-preservation to write in your paper my concerns. The political climate, the current crime rate, the number of unsolved crimes and the inexpert dealings of the police force are some of the things which I will address in my letter.{{more}}

SVG has changed. Some of this change has been good, but not all of it. The governing ULP laud their victory in the last elections, while the NDP is still looking for its supposed win. It is my opinion that neither side has much of a reason to celebrate. Many persons did not vote for the ULP, but rather voted against Arnhim Eustace and the slate of candidates fielded by the NDP. In the same way that many of the votes cast for the NDP were done not in agreement with their position, but rather as a means of revolt against the ULP’s practices and the effects of some of these practices on society. Many persons are not happy with either the Government or the Opposition; so where does that leave us? To whom do we address our concerns?

We often hear much talk about the number of police officers currently employed. One cannot substitute quantity for quality. Studies conducted have concluded that when the public has little confidence in the response of the police, then they are unlikely to report crimes and even tend to take the law into their own hands. No one can doubt that the crime rate has increased in SVG. What we need, dare I say, is a complete overhaul of the police force: better trained, more intelligent officers who serve the people. We need all officers to meet reviews (physical and performance) in order to continue on the force and we need a COP with no political ties and the experience to do the task. This may mean importing one. Part of his task will be to train the next COP from within the local ranks.

I love to see the progress made in developing SVG. However, peace, prosperity and equality for all should not be the cost of progress.

KD