BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – The Caribbean Neighborhood (CARICOM) Implementation Company for Crime and Safety (IMPACS) started a four-day assembly right here on Monday with Prime Minister Dr. Terrence Drew, noting the elevated situations of violent crime involving the usage of unlawful firearms within the area.
“Right here in St. Kitts and Nevis, we can provide testimony to this as prior to now 12 months, we recorded a number of incidents of gun violence. Additional solidifying my level is my nation’s present actuality the place our legislation enforcement businesses are totally engaged to arrest a criminal offense spike we now have been experiencing for April,” Prime Minister Drew advised the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) Sensitization and Consciousness assembly.
He mentioned St. Kitts and Nevis isn’t proof against the elevated incidence of firearms-related crime and that the legislation enforcement businesses within the Twin Island Federation are “totally engaged in arresting this menace to our society.”
IMPACS mentioned the assembly right here is the primary in a collection of sensitization and consciousness conferences it’s holding to handle gun crime within the area. Over the approaching months, different conferences are scheduled to happen in all 15 CARICOM member states.
“These conferences intention to assist CARICOM international locations in detecting and stemming the wave of firearms-related crimes that are pervading our nationwide and regional borders,” mentioned Lt. Col. Michael Jones, CARICOM IMPACS government director.
IMPACS mentioned that “The Weapons Compass: The Caribbean Firearms Research 2023” notes that: “the Caribbean area suffers from a few of the world’s highest charges of violent deaths, with firearms used within the majority of those crimes. Though most murder victims are males, the Caribbean as a area additionally faces one of many world’s highest charges of violent deaths amongst ladies.”
Prime Minister Drew mentioned that just about 18 years in the past, CARICOM Impacts was born out of a collective want to cut back gun trafficking and violence within the area.
“Now we have achieved a lot since then. Now we have benefited from capacity-building initiatives, explored avenues for sustainable intervention applications, and carried out worldwide and regional commitments to cut back firearms-related violence.
“Now we have collaborated with numerous companions and stakeholders on coverage points that profit our area. We proceed to seek out new and progressive methods to advance safety. Nevertheless, like the rest, there may be far more work to be carried out and enhancements to be made.”
Prime Minister Drew mentioned that the presence and prevalence of unlawful firearms have been the “bane of our existence within the Caribbean area for fairly a while.
“It follows that gun violence is a type of crime with which we now have lengthy been armed. There is no such thing as a single firearms and ammunition manufacturing facility within the Caribbean. But, our small island growing states have been locked on this tenuous struggle to protect the lives of our folks – our most valuable useful resource.
“Each life is valuable and have to be valued and guarded. Regardless of our greatest anti-crime and border administration efforts, this scourge has stubbornly grown and advanced with us. Therefore the complexity of the matter,” he advised the opening ceremony.
Prime Minister Drew mentioned the trafficking of unlawful weapons into any nation is a direct breach of its borders and a risk to the security and safety of each man, girl, and baby therein. “Such actions solely erode the efficacy and integrity of the nationwide safety apparatuses of our international locations right here within the Caribbean. As a folks and as a nation, it’s our nationwide obligation to be taught all that we are able to to arrest this plague and rid our societies of the darkish veil of gun violence,” he added.
This workshop is being facilitated by CARICOM IMPACS and the US’ accomplice businesses. The organizers mentioned that over the following few days, members will define the CGIU’s objective and goal and discover the position of member states concerning info and intelligence sharing with the CGIU.
Prime Minister Drew mentioned he was trying ahead to partaking in “sturdy and substantial dialogues with my CARICOM and worldwide colleagues to buttress our maritime safety technique, establish potential new threats, and share info important to the strengthening of our nationwide safety techniques.”
He mentioned he hopes it is going to present “us with actionable info to help with charting the course to an period freed from gun crime.
“Let me spotlight, in fact, that it requires the entire area, with our worldwide companions, to take care of the scourge of the trafficking of weapons throughout this lovely area,” he added.
Associated
