Government Senator Lisa Jawahir has urged an all-encompassing approach to the crime problem, including interventions by civil society groups.
Jawahir urged civil society groups to continue playing their anti-crime role, including providing psychosocial support to children whose fathers became homicide victims.
“I know that some of these children would get some support from counselors, especially in the schools,” Jawahir told reporters.
She recalled that Education Minister Shawn Edward had indicated that his Ministry was playing its part in curbing crime and violence in schools.
Jawahir pointed to crime’s economic impact, including increasing resources to emergency rooms and first responders.
She also noted that in Saint Lucia, many young men have become victims of crime and violence.
“Some of them have lost their lives and some of them have left children behind and they have left single mothers,” the Senator explained.
She stated that the situation perpetuates more crime and violence since some children grow up without a father figure in the home.
The Senator observed that having a father killed has a devastating impact on a child, and sometimes, years later, young men might try to avenge the death of a parent.
“Sometimes the public thinks that giving the resources to the police would be sufficient, but it really requires an all-encompassing approach for us to tackle crime,” Jawahir told reporters.
The Senator was nominated to be part of an advisory council to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).
Her role as a communicator is to assist the agency with information dissemination to the public.
She and Dr. Stephen King attended a recent conference in Barbados that focused on the economic impact of crime and violence.
In addition, the conference discussed crime and violence as a public health issue.
So where is the minimum wage that your boss promise on independence day you all earning 5 to 20 thousands a month you all want the youtes to work for 3 to 5 EC dollars an hour …
You say these nice words to fool the sheep, but in reality you shut down the National Lotteries afterschool program which was helping those same vulnerable youth to stay away from crime. Now look at what has happened.
We want a measured approach using tried and tested methods to get crime under control not just some half cocked idea that came into the head of a minister one day.
If you read through the whole Press Release by Jawahir it shows just how incompetent and inept is this SLP leadership.
Aside from just stating the obvious and using emotional issues to gain political points there is NOTHING in her statement that will deal effectively in the short term with criminality.
The economy destroying lack of security in the country requires short, medium and long term solutions. Drastic LEGAL short term solutions are required immediately.
Instead she sheds crocodile tears and states the obvious long tern social environment that has to be changed.
Grow up lady, this is the real world not just SLP political shenanigans. By the time we get to your solutions we may be all dead or left for another country because ours has fallen apart under the Labour Party.
Why aren’t sensible people appointed to the Senate?
“Until the community becomes one ”
Who discontinued the K-9 unit my dear Senator Jawahir?
In my honest opinion SLU needs security. At the moment I do not care who you are, if you do not have it you simply do not have what it takes to speak to Security of the country. We need the experts to come out to tell us the strategy and the plan going forward.
In this press conference, Jawahir made reference to vulnerable kids at school, in the communities and other places who are at a high risk to become a bad boy. While this is important, this is not what the country needs right now. We need to deter, mitigate and prevent the hardcore criminals in their pursuit. The authorities need to understand this is not about the kids in school at this point. There were 75 criminals last year on the street, to date in 2024 we have 19 of them just walking our streets.
The policemen and women with all due respect are part of the solutions. We need experts to design strategies and long term plan so the Police can execute. Do not mistake a Security expert with a policeman. They are two different individuals and they see things differently. Minister of Secuirty needs to get that in his head and work his way through that. At this moment there is nothing being done to the crime violence in SLU. All I can see the Police reacts to an incident. This is not the way we can win this war. We need to put proactive measures in place and only the Security experts can give you a plan to execute.
Start with lie detector tests for all MPs and Senators. Ask them if they are or have been associated with drug dealers and money launderers. Ask them if they are complicit in murder or corruption. Ask them if they have been complicit in asking the police or judiciary to do unethical things. LISA, if you are truly concerned and love St. Lucia, then lead by example.
No politician, that has illegally brandished and discharged firearms, assaulted police officers and had their travel documents revoked for nefarious reasons , should be allowed in the parliament or senate. Do this and you will gain respect. No bad boys and drug dealers should be calling a politician “my bossman”.