Government’s ‘lack of crime plan’ no comfort to parents, says St Kitts-Nevis opposition

The leader of the opposition in St Kitts and Nevis has pounced on the Team Unity government, accusing them of having no plan to deal with increasing crime levels in the country.

Denzil Douglas also lambasted Prime Minister Timothy Harris for being incapable of offering comfort to the friends and family of missing teenager Leanna Napoleon.

Today marks once month since she went missing on 8 May, and Douglas has already called out the government on their “deafening silence” on the matter.

The former prime minister – in power between 1995 and 2015 – spoke out after a week of shocking crimes in the federation.

Since last Friday, four people have been shot dead – a woman in Church Ground, Nevis, two men in Taylor’s Village, and a man Rawlins Ground, St Paul’s.

Douglas has slammed the government for “criticising and tearing down and deliberately deceiving the people” while in opposition but offering “no alternative to put in place” since winning the election.

“That is why we have the chaos and confusion and the mayhem and the slaughtering in our country, because there were a group of persons who tore down everything that they saw within the scope of politics in order to get into government and now they are in government they are unable to manage the situation because there is no plan, and no strategy,” he said during his weekly radio show.

[caption id="attachment_926" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Prime Minister Timothy Harris.[/caption]

PM is ‘clueless’

WIC News has approached the prime minister’s office for their response.

The opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour leader also accused the Timothy Harris administration of being “clueless in dealing with the serious social problems especially criminal activity and the high level of homicides”.

“This government lacks the capability and the ability to give policy directives in dealing with the present crime wave and for the future peace and security of residents and visitors,” he said.

He said the government is also unable to give comfort to the parents of children who leave their homes at mornings for school and to write examinations and who do not return home.

“This government does not have a plan in dealing with such issues when they arise,” referencing the case of Leanna Napoleon.

[caption id="attachment_1558" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Missing teen Leanna Napoleon.[/caption] “It took the government almost three weeks to hold a press conference in a vain effort to allay the fears and concerns of parents in the country as to what will happen if their own children fall into similar situations.”

“How is the government going to tackle similar problems in the future and what assurance can it give to parents, guardians and citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis that there is a concerted plan of action to pursue when such matters arise,” he asked.

Crime rates

The four murders since last Friday bring the total in St Kitts and Nevis this year to 13.

And according to the opposition, last year saw a 60% rise in crime compared to 2015.

WIC News has been unable to confirm these statistics.