The government of St Vincent and the Grenadines has established a national task force to co-ordinate the response to violent crime, including offences involving firearms, after the Caribbean country recorded more murders than in the whole of the previous year.
Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday announced the measure during his inaugural Independence Day address on Tuesday. He said the government was adopting a more joined-up approach as authorities confront what he described as a serious and continuing problem for the country.
“Gun-related crime is shattering our peace and destroying young lives. We are addressing this problem head-on.”
The National Crime Reduction Task Force is intended to bring together organisations involved in policing, border control, maritime protection, financial intelligence, customs, immigration, the Coast Guard and the justice system. Ministers, senior civil servants and high-ranking police officers will also take part.
Agencies brought into single structure
Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister St Clair Leacock and Attorney General Louise Mitchell will jointly chair the body. The prime minister said its purpose would be to improve the flow of information and operational co-operation between public authorities working on crime prevention, enforcement and the administration of justice.
Other stakeholders may be consulted when required. The government has not, in the source announcement, set out a timetable for the task force’s work or provided details of specific operations arising from its creation. Its stated focus is the better organisation of existing responsibilities across the agencies involved.
- Co-chairs: St Clair Leacock and Louise Mitchell.
- Areas represented: law enforcement, borders, maritime security, financial intelligence, customs, immigration, the Coast Guard and justice.
- Crime figures cited: 42 murders recorded so far this year, against 40 in the whole of last year.
Political response to murder figures
The announcement follows a year of violence in which officials have reported 42 murders to date. That compares with 40 murders recorded across the entirety of last year, meaning the latest annual figure has already been exceeded before the end of the current year.
Mr Friday said the Attorney General’s Chambers had been instructed to pursue criminal justice reform forcefully. The stated aim is to address weaknesses in the legal and justice systems that could be used by offenders. The announcement did not identify particular loopholes or specify which legislative or procedural changes are being considered.
The government has also reviewed crime-prevention and enforcement measures used elsewhere in the Caribbean. The countries identified were St Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Officials are examining those approaches to determine whether any could be adapted for use in St Vincent and the Grenadines, rather than announcing that a particular foreign model would be adopted.
Mr Friday said stronger networks between the relevant authorities were necessary to keep ahead of criminals. The task force therefore places emphasis on co-ordination between bodies with different responsibilities, from policing and border protection to financial intelligence and the courts.
“The political will is present; we are using it to organize better to confront the difficult societal problem.”
The new structure represents the government’s formal response to the increase in reported murders and concern over gun-related offending. Its effectiveness will depend on how the participating agencies work together and on the justice reforms that follow. For now, the administration has announced the framework, its leadership and the areas of government expected to contribute.
