Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre yesterday reiterated the need for reinforcement of the security forces—in the wake of last weekend’s gruesome killing in Vieux Fort, which accounted for the deaths of four persons including that of a 2-year old child.
The prime minister strongly condemned what he described as, the “animalistic behaviour” of the criminal elements in that community who act brazenly to stir “depravation and fear” into those neighbourhoods.
Referring to the latest homicides, PM Pierre reported that he visited the Vieux Fort community, on Monday, and was taken aback by the level of grief and sorrowful emotions expressed among the residents in those crime stricken areas.
He stressed that more “social intervention” programmes will be rolled out in an effort to create a more conducive, and productive environment for citizens.
“In the next steps, we have to do some serious social intervention in that area…but while we do that, there is need for enforcement,” PM Pierre told reporters at a media briefing, Tuesday.
“There can be no excuse for that level of criminality …the government is going to embark on a serious process of more social intervention,” he added.
“We are going to try some crime prevention strategies. We are already speaking to some people about doing that,” noted the National Security Minister. “But, in the meantime we have to wipe out that criminality …that criminality must stop. And I make no excuses for it…the government will use all the resources (available). The police have been instructed to use all available means within the law, all available legal means to wipe off that criminality in this country.”
He declared that, the “community outreach will continue, but this animalistic behaviour cannot be tolerated and we can make no excuse for it …and the police have been given the instructions to use all legal means necessary to wipe that brutality that seems to be happening.”
The prime minister admitted that government is cognizant of the depravation and fear that the criminals are bent on instilling in the communities, which ultimately affects the welfare and habitat of the residents.
However, he noted, “it is but a small section of the community causing these disturbances … the community is still very embracing and very hopeful. But it’s a small part…and I don’t want us to stigmatize any part of the country.”
Added PM Pierre: “The message is clear – Social Intervention, the Community Outreach, and the Empowerment will continue, but criminality must stop and all legal means will be used to wipe out that criminality.”
While taking umbrage with the callous and reckless behaviour of the criminals, the National Security Minister said, the situation has gravely affected the residents.
“These people have to leave their homes, these people are accustomed of being in that area, they have their homes and they have to deal with the community situation,” he noted. “And, it is true that there is a level of depravation and fear in the communities.”
Commenting on the effectiveness of the strategies being employed by the security forces to curb the incidents of criminality, Pierre said, this ‘political blame game’ must stop and rather, the criminals must be blamed for the anarchy in the country.
Said PM Pierre: “The people who want to politicize that situation sees things that are really not true …the police will never be able to police every inch of territory in this country.
“The police are trying their best and most of them are committed to the cause, so I’m not going to blame the police.”