By Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 29th August 2024)- ”The majority of the people of this country, we must now come together and become a gang; a gang of forceful, decisive and resolute peacemakers who will end all the criminal gangs.
It is time for us to take control; not to allow them to intimidate us. If any intimidation is to happen, let them be intimidated. We have to liberate our country. The country is under siege, and I’m not being hyperbolic here.” So said well-known social and political commentator Dwyer Astaphan, a past National Security Minister, in his latest commentary of Wednesday 28th August 2024, who has suggested bringing in 30-50 highly trained and disciplined professionals as well as hiring an overseas K-9 unit in helping to tackle crime in St.
Kitts and Nevis. He lashed out at the criminals saying: “They are disrespecting and terrorizing this country, giving it a bad name, and this can cause people not to visit, not to invest in our country, then what?
If this is not stopped now, the stability and future of this country will be in serious trouble.” Astaphan pleaded to both the government and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, advising to take a stand. “I call on the Government and you the people of this country to take a stand now.
You have to choose which side you are on and to act accordingly. Any decision you take will be tough but the consequences of choosing the side of the criminals are far worse than the consequences of choosing to be on the side of saving the nation from these people.” He stressed the importance of decisive action, warning against allowing criminals to gain the upper hand.
“You either sacrifice for a bit as we get this mess cleaned up or you sacrifice for the rest of your life and for the lives of your children and grandchildren. You choose. You see what’s happening in Haiti and Jamaica and now Trinidad?
The gangs are running those countries; certainly Haiti, and you hear news coming out of other island in the region. You all want that to happen here?” Astaphan also expressed support for stronger law enforcement measures, including the possibility of bringing in highly trained professionals from overseas to assist local security forces. “… let the police and the defence force do their work, and cooperate with them.
Of course we will not accept ‘bad eggs’ doing bad things but we have to work with the peace agencies. And I would have no problem at all if the government brings in a group of 30-50 highly trained and disciplined professionals to help clean up this mess.
Keep the criminals on the back foot. Keep the pressure on them. Squeeze the resources out of them.” He also suggested: “Hire a K 9 Unit from overseas until you build out your own. We should have had one 20 years ago but some people in decision-making positions were not interested in listening to that.
And I’ll tell you about K-9s: There is no bad man who feels he is a bad man when a K-9 is on him. We’ve
had enough of this crap; everyone must understand it is over but it can’t be over unless you the people make it happen. Don’t call on the government, don’t call on the police and you stand off like a spectator.” Astaphan called for a comprehensive approach to addressing the crime wave, alluding that simply increasing funding for security measures is insufficient.
“Our security forces need to be cleaned up, and I am not convinced that simply throwing more and more money at the problem without a strong and sustainable action plan, and without cleaning up will solve anything. Social and economic intervention strategies are needed, and there are other medium and long term steps that can and should be taken.” Additionally, Astaphan, however, pointed to the reality that some individuals may be beyond reform. “…but right now, it is clear that some of these young men are not going to change, and the 40 years in jail for gun possession will not deter them as long as witnesses and other people can be intimidated and bribed or otherwise compromised.” He went on to paint a picture of the lives led by those involved in criminal activities, describing them as trapped in a “deathstyle” rather than a lifestyle.
“These criminals are not living happy lives. They cannot sleep with two eyes closed, and they have to keep looking over their shoulders, day and night. A lot of them are stuck in the lifestyle, or maybe we should more accurately refer to it as a deathstyle.
They should be given a chance to get out of that deathstyle but they have to make a choice now, and if they don’t make that choice now to get out, then they have to take what they get. They can choose their fate. The country cannot continue this.
It has to stop; the country’s stability, security, good name and sustainability
are at stake. This is terrorism, and it can’t be allowed to continue,” Astaphan said. He issued a call to action, urging citizens to decide where they stand in the fight against crime. “…a lot of hardened criminals are juveniles.
So, if the law needs to be changed to strengthen the hands of the law and to protect the people from these criminals, then do it. This is decision time and action time. You have to choose which side of this struggle you are on, and you have to accept the consequences accordingly.” Front Page Image: Used solely for illustration purposes only shows a German Shepherd K-9 (police dog) and with an officer sourced from sportmix.com (a USA website) which has highlighted that such breeds of dogs have been serving in law enforcement roles for decades.
Well-known social and political commentator DwyerAstaphan, a past National Security Minister has suggested on the fight against crime and violence: “Hire a K 9 Unit from overseas until you build out your own… And I’ll tell you about K-9s: There is no bad man who feels he is a bad man when a K-9 is on him.”
