Cabinet: No plans to reach out to regional/international law enforcement

While the government is focusing on several different approaches to deal with the youth crime matter, there are still no immediate plans to invite or seek help from regional and international law enforcement bodies to assist like the RSS.

Information Minister Melford Nicholas when asked during the Post Cabinet Press briefing on Thursday morning said that he does not believe the country is at that point.

“No, I don’t think we are at that stage yet. That is certainly not on the cards at the moment. We have increased the number of persons in training at the police. We already fortified those agencies that provide for overall security but we don’t see the need at this stage to escalate to call upon the RSS for additional support but we are giving material, financial, and other initiative support to the security forces,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas further shared his confidence in the methods that Cabinet is expected to take where crime is concerned.

He pointed to the changes in legislation like the proposed curfew, proposed gun changes, the Anti-Gang Bill; the Child Justice (Amendment) Bill; and, the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill.

Cabinet has also agreed to engage in consultation with stakeholders who have a particular interest in deterring crime. 

Those stakeholders will include Judges and Magistrates dealing with criminal law, the Police, the Prime Minister and the Attorney General, the Bar Association, the Church, the Business Community, the DPP, a representative from the private sector organizations, and the NGOs.

The Notes reported that one of their primary tasks will be to establish a Criminal Justice Board whose primary function will be to review draft legislation pertaining to crime that will go before the Parliament; bills will, thereafter, reflect broad-based input rather than the thinking of the members of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament only.

A national day in prayer is also expected to take place.

Many in the public have been making the call for the ‘Scotland Yard’ and other international bodies to come to Antigua to assist in several investigations as well as to work closely in thwarting other crimes.