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St. Kitts'
PM Douglas expresses outrage at loss of life through
criminal activity, appeals to community to assist in
fighting crime
Date Posted: April 28, 2008.
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, (CUOPM) St. Kitts and Nevis Prime
Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has expressed outrage at
the continued loss of life as a result of criminal activity
and issued a call to the entire community to assist the law
enforcement agencies in fighting crime.
Expressing sympathy to the families of the persons who died
recently as a result of criminal activity, Prime Minister
Douglas vowed that the law enforcement agencies will
continue to do whatever is possible to reduce and eliminate
incidents.
I personally today join with my fellow citizens, my Cabinet
Colleagues and the Law Enforcement Agencies and express
outrage at the continued loss of life through criminal
activity, Prime Minister Douglas said at his monthly Press
Conference on Tuesday.
He said that the government continues in its quest to reduce
the incidents of criminal activity in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The law enforcement agencies will continue their stop and
search of cars and individuals on the streets; execute
search warrants on homes and have been successful in taking
a number of weapons guns, ammunition, knives and other
dangerous objects off the streets. The agencies have also
uprooted marijuana plants and confiscated and seized
marijuana and crack cocaine. Several criminal charges have
been brought against these individuals and successfully
prosecuted in the courts, said Dr. Douglas.
He noted that his Government recently went to the National
Assembly to provide legislative support for imposing longer
prison sentences for persons found guilty and convicted of
attempted murder, shooting or wounding and inflicting bodily
harm on other persons.
We increased from 10 years to 25 years, the sentence which
may be imposed on any person who is convicted of attempted
murder by administering any poison or other destructive
methods or by any means whatsoever wounding or causing
bodily harm with intent to commit murder.
We increased from 10 years to 20 years, the sentence which
may be imposed on any person convicted of shooting or
attempting to shoot or wounding with intent to maim,
disfigure or disable any person or to do some other grievous
bodily harm to any person or with intent to prevent the
lawful apprehension or detain of any person and increased
from two to seven years the sentence for any person
convicted of inflicting bodily harm with or without a
weapon, said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said that the government and the law enforcement agencies
cannot do it alone. We need the parents, guardians, the
grandparents, family members, friends and neighbours, the
churches and non-governmental agencies to help in this
endeavour, appealed Prime Minister Douglas.
He said that while similar occurrences are taking place in
other Caribbean islands and countries further afield, we
have to find ways of confronting this problem which is
impacting our daily lives, socially, economically,
religiously and financially.
