The worsening state of criminal activity in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is fast exhausting the tolerance level and the patience of the people of our Country.  Moreover, as the Nation continues to witness wanton disregard for human life, the anti-social approach to resolving conflict with gun violence and homicide, and deliberate attacks on the business community, residents, local and foreign investors, the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce is issuing a serious call to the Ministry of National Security to seek out, as a matter of urgency, new and workable approaches to nip in the bud this national emergency.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors is also concerned about Government’s recent decision to retain the services of former Attorney General, Dr Dennis Merchant, and former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Robert Jeffers, to assist and advise on the way forward in responding to our crime wave.  Both of these gentlemen have had the opportunity to make a positive impact on reducing crime and have been proven unsuccessful during their respective tenures.  As such, it begs the question, “What new strategies do they now bring to the table, which are yet untried but guaranteed to bring fast results?”

 The Chamber is confident that the time has now come for Government to admit that our Nation’s debaucle with crime can only meaningfully be addressed by procuring outside expertise as a matter of priority.  The Federation can ill afford to dawdle on this critical decision – neither can the Country afford the socio-economic fall-out that will result from continued, unchecked and unsolved criminal activity.  The well documented abysmal detection rate for all categories of crime serves as a loud wake-up call for all concerned.  We wish to see results-oriented expenditure of any financial assistance provided to us to strengthen the fight against crime.

A spokesperson for the Chamber has indicated that the Organization will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Security in order to further address its growing concerns about crime. The Chamber also re-affirms its well-documented position that crime is a national scourge that demands a national response and, as such, the Organization is ready - as always - to support Government and law enforcement agencies in addressing this issue in a holistic and effective manner.