INDEPENDENT Senator Noorani Azeez has warned against politicizing crime and urged policymakers to take steps to remedy the situation.
During Tuesday’s Sitting of the Senate, in his contribution to the debate on the motion to establish an Anti-Crime Initiative Fund, Azeez noted that political parties have failed to maintain a grip on the situation and called for more social programmes to be put in place.
According to him, “the worst thing we can do with crime is politicise the issue because the harsh reality is crime and the communities which are currently inflamed have been before us for decades. They have been sitting and they have been festering…”
“What we have to desperately try to do is address our failures and shortcomings as policymakers and to dramatically expedite (the) healing that must come to these communities in order to mitigate issues of violent crime,” Azeez said, adding “my hope is that this Anti-Crime Initiative Fund will include a lot more social programmes that are critical to the healing of these communities.”
He also provided a handful of solutions and stressed on the need for long term measures.
“I am not very clear on what the funds are going to be used for but I dare say that the whole concept of fighting crime… that psychological approach to addressing crime in order to mitigate it is a short-term measure and not long term…,” Azeez said.
“Land rationalization programmes (are) critical if you want to fight crime…. addressing the rehabilitation of prisoners… reforming the education system…,” he stated.
Azeez also urged politicians to show a genuine interest in citizens, noting that many have expressed their displeasure with their behaviour.
According to him, whilst some individuals have attempted “to be the hero in solving crime, the reality is this is not something that can be solved by any political party. If anything, political parties have failed us time and time again.”
Instead of doing the latter, Azeez suggested, political parties should “fall in line and get behind civil society actors that have been walking these communities… not for political gains, not to be politically expedient, but to sit down, listen, (and) finally, to hear the cries of these people and to understand what their issues are.”
Said Azeez: “It is unacceptable when these individuals lose loved ones that the only thing we do is show up with our police officers but in showing up, where are our social service programmes and our support programmes? Where are our counsellors and people who can intervene at the developmental level? Where’s the caring? where’s the compassion?”
Government, he said, must ensure that funds are used realistically to address the needs, issues and concerns of these people.
“They’re sick, tired and fed up of political actors that come around and shop for votes once every five years. They’re tired of the social services systems that don’t come often enough to address their needs, they’re tired of the education system that locks them out, they’re tired of the private sector that doesn’t want to give them a job because of where they come from,” Azeez said.
Bravo! Senator Azeez. You’ve hit the nail squarely on the head.
You were Called for such a time as this. Now find the stamina to spearhead the resuscitation of Justice, Judgement, Truth and Equity;
Rally hard for the return of Knowledge, Wisdom and understanding;
Haul Compassion Kindness back into the hearts of tho new generstion
Energize old people; young people; rich people; poor people; everybody to return our island where we can all sing again
St. Luci doo
Do co sewo
A DANIEL COMES TO JUDGMENT:
In my last letter to Saint Lucia, I ask for a man with the vision to deliver the citizens of this lovely Island, I may have found one in you Sir, who is this man you may ask well folks you will know him soon, for I believe he will move the thinking capabilities of the citizen of Saint Lucia, to working for a cure that is now ailing all citizen on the Island.
Step up and be counted my good man, step up to the plate don’t be afraid of the bowler, your words are as fire to their bosoms, striking the right cord on every swing. Finally here is a man of vision, the question I place before you oh my people will you let him in, will you follow him, will you find yourself on the winning team?, I pray to my Jehovah that you will.
There is a time for everything under heaven thus says the good book, this man’s time is now, if you ask me who is he, I will say you are looking at Saint Lucia deliverance in a nutshell. If the words he spoke did not move you, as a citizen of Saint Lucia, then you deserve to be victimized by those profiteering political bastards.
I told you before they have not been tested, those political Johhny come lately, nor have they suffered, like you, who have lost loved ones, due to the escalating crime wave here on the Island. Mark well the words spoken by this new deliverer this son of the soil, guard up your trousers take up your pitchforks, RAILLY THE YOUTHS, and people it is time for action.
Let me express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to you, Sir, I hear you from afar off, the question is my brethren the citizen of my Saint Lucia, are you listening, to what he has said in his writing, I told you before that both your political parties are too busy engaging in a power struggle to notice you, that the delima you citizen of Saint Lucia, are facing, they the party members will not bring the peace you so yearn to have, they have all failed you, and will keep on failing you if you decided on living by blind faith.
And now arise a voice of reason, a champion, a David willing his words of wisdom, will you sit idly by and wait for another to take you out of this mess, or will you support this your champion, this son of the soil?
I awaited your movement with much anticipation, and to you my dear good man, I have long waited for a champion like you to deliver Saint Lucia from the dark hole of crime, you may not know it yet but you have starred the blood in me, and I hope so do the blood of all Saint Lucians.
Let’s not live our deliverance from crime and all other sorts of violence to the sick men of both political parties let’s not follow blindly, for losers will always be losers if the will to succeed is not in them, so far they are batting a fat zero. They do not care a darn tooting thing, they are only there to score some political jib-jab, whether you like it or not, their fancy suit and their lying speeches, they spin as they gather around round table to sprout their peacock feathers, whiles living you to eat your dung, as they enjoy their ill-gotten pleasure.
A DANIEL COMES TO JUDGMENT.