By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
” (Basseterre, St. Kitts)””The time must be now, we can wait no longer.” These were the words of the President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC), Mr. Mark Wilkin, at a press conference on October 3, to address the escalating incidences of crime in St. Kitts and Nevis. Vice President of the CIC, Mr. Michael Morton, Immediate Past President of the CIC, Mr. Franklyn Brand, Past President of the CIC, Mr. Charles Brisbane, Members of the Board of Directors of the CIC and Members of the Chambers General Body were present at the press conference to show their seriousness about tackling crime. Mr. Wilkin said that repeated calls for the government to be more proactive on crime have been treated with indifference and that it is now time to take the bull by its horns. In light of this the Chamber requested an urgent meeting with the Minister of National Security, Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, within two business days. “The St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce once again wishes to place on record its dismay at the continual escalation of violent crime,” Mr. Wilkin said. The Federation has recorded 17 murders for the year with three months remaining in the year. In 2006 there were 16 murders on record, one less than 2007. “Grappling with crime and violence is the country’s most important challenge at this time. It affects all of us. We need to collaborate to rid St. Kitts and Nevis of this scourge. It is not a political issue and therefore should not be treated as one,” Mr. Wilkin said. “The number of gun-related crimes and shooting incidents keep growing. If all shooting incidents were fatal, the numbers would be staggering,” he said. Mr. Wilkin said that the CIC has been issuing calls for a collaborative effort on crime since 1994. In 1994, the CIC convened a forum for national unity. Out of this forum emanated the Four Seasons Accord which addressed the issue of crimes, involving guns and the question of the adequacy of resources for the police and its crime-fighting capacity, which, were all noted as needing action, he said. In 2005, the same call was made louder when it was stated that it was time to take the community and country back from the criminal elements, Mr. Wilkin said. Rumors abound in the Federation that a prominent businessman and his family were kidnapped, threatened and robbed of a substantial amount of money. The police have been tight-lipped on the matter. The CIC has had to invest huge sums of money in security in the purchase of surveillance cameras, the employment of security guards and the implementation of other security measures because of the rising crime, Vice President of the CIC, Michael Morton said. The CIC has issued a three-pronged approach to tackling crime: prevention, containment and protection, and rehabilitation and punishment. If crime is not curtailed, it would seriously damage our tourist industry and compromise the already fragile economy, Mr. Wilkin said.
