BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, June 24, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The security forces in St. Kitts and Nevis came in for high praises on Tuesday (June 23) evening, as recent statistics have shown a significant reduction in overall major crimes across the Federation for the first 20 weeks of 2020, in comparison to the same period in 2019.
Major crimes include offences such as homicides, non-fatal shootings, robberies, break-ins, sexual assaults, drug offences, damage to property and more.
Statistics from the Local Intelligence Office of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force show a 43 percent drop in major crimes, moving from a total of 697 of such reported crimes in the first 20 weeks of 2019 to 399 major crimes recorded over the comparative period in 2020.
“Major areas of reduction include homicides with the possession of firearms which dropped by 73 percent; non-fatal shootings were down 88 percent, and robberies were also down. St. Kitts recorded a 41 percent reduction and Nevis recorded a 53 percent reduction in major crimes,” said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during Tuesday night’s edition of Leadership Matters, the popular virtual forum series of the Team Unity Government.
Prime Minister Harris, who is Minister of National Security, used the occasion to commend the men and women of the various law enforcement agencies, adding that, “For the achievements in law and order – the reduction in crime and the safety and security which we now enjoy and some take for granted at this particular moment in time – we should give good consideration and commendation to the security forces.”
Dr. Harris further noted that with this significant reduction in crime, the strong platform for the built out of the stronger and safer future for all citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis, is being laid.
“Our success in keeping our people safe of course has beneficial effects for our society as a whole. A free and safer environment everywhere, including our hospitals, our places of business and our places of work, all redound to greater production and productivity,” the prime minister observed.
The result of better policing; effective collaboration across the security forces; the new and revised intervention such as the Teen and Police Service [TAPS] Academy, the Explorers Club and the Peace Initiative; the development of the countries forensic capacity; the increase in the quality and quality of assets provided to law enforcement and the improvement in the number of persons trained in the last five years are all contributing factors to the 43 percent reduction in overall major crimes realized in St. Kitts and Nevis.
