Can any government stop crime now. The answer is an obvious and absolute NO.
Of late we, on this precious small island, have been witness to a spate of shooting related deaths in a number of communities. Carnival Monday also opened with the death of a 23-year-old National Footballer, the victim of a stabbing incident at Vigie. Recently, we were informed of the shop owner and the 15-year-old shot in Marchand which followed the killing of a pregnant woman in an incident involving the death of others.
This is all so very difficult to hear or even write about but what is worse is imagining the realities of the families involved and the effects going forward.
Many have suggested that these incidents are restricted to gangs and individuals intrinsically involved in illicit activities and that there is less to worry about as it relates to the safety of the ordinary citizen. That as well is obviously incorrect, especially when you look at the effects of crime on the tourism industry and the local economy or even the mental stress on the younger ones in our society.
Many of us are adamant and we look to politicians to stop and solve this dilemma that we have found ourselves in. But can they really? Again, a resounding NO. No politician regardless of their pronouncements is able to singlehandedly adequately deal with this issue and anyone who said so seeks to mislead.
What is required? The truth is the answer is not dramatic enough for the political platform and not quick enough for concerned citizens or pronounced enough to stymie the effects on the tourism sector. It must be remembered that this issue of gun violence and violence generally is a national burden and must never be politized as we run the risk of doing more harm than good. Each political party have the responsibility to put country first where crime and violence is concerned.
It will require a multi-sectoral approach {an abused phrase} that will likely span possibly three government cycles. It cannot be expected that a problem that gradually developed over the years can be solved in months. Likewise, this must bring key stakeholders {another abused phrase} to the table, including the churches, the opposition, community groups alongside the police and the government. If this sounds familiar it is because we have talked the talk.
The difficulty with this plan is getting the various stakeholders {that word again} especially the government and the opposition, to agree to stick to that plan for the long haul while actively battling the perpetrators of the day, however it is what is required to eventually realize massive reductions in violent crimes.
It is said that crime has it own culture and changing cultural behavior takes time. The question is, are we willing to adopt an all hands-on deck approach or retain the “I can” posture.
St. Lucia is small and resilient but we must commit.