BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 05, 2024 (SKNIS) – Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, has lauded the Citizen Security Secretariat for its successful execution of the all-inclusive 90-Day Campaign Against Crime and Violence from a Public Health Perspective that has yielded significant insights into the root causes of crime and identified comprehensive measures to address the issue.
The Secretariat presented the results of the 90-Day Campaign to the wider population during a live event today, Thursday, December 05, 2024, at the Solid Waste Management Corporation conference room. During that event, stakeholders provided a comprehensive review of the campaign’s achievements, data-driven insights gathered from the various community engagement activities, and outlined actionable plans to reduce crime and violence across St. Kitts and Nevis going forward.
Prime Minister Dr. Drew, in his presentation, said there have been many previous attempts at addressing the national issue of crime and violence. He noted that what was lacking, however, was the comprehensive approach that could derive data-driven preventative measures.
From the onset, the government adopted an all-of-society approach as part of its broad response to crime and violence, crossing all political and societal lines in the process. As a result, all political parties in the Federation, youth organisations, law enforcement, academic institutions, faith-based organisations, and the sporting community were invited to the table to work together, share their concerns and present ideas and recommendations.
Throughout the life of the 90-Day Campaign, a significant reduction in crime and violence was realised in St. Kitts and Nevis. Prime Minister Drew indicated that this reduction was not by accident, rather, “It was because you, the community, decided you would come together to deal with the matter, and so the community is responsible for the results.”
It was in this vein that Prime Minister Drew reiterated his stance that crime and violence are not just issues for law enforcement, but rather they are public health concerns that affect the entire community, and by addressing these issues holistically, St. Kitts and Nevis can create that safe society that every citizen and resident desires.
“At the end of the day all of us want to live, work and flourish in a safer St. Kitts and Nevis, and so we have to make our approaches comprehensive, and universal, but they must be evidence-based as well so that we can resolve a lot of the issues with crime and violence,”Dr. Drew said.