St Kitts and Nevis 'not hearing' from government on crime, says MP

An opposition member of parliament in St Kitts and Nevis has expressed concern over the prime minister's silence over a string of murders, shootings and armed robberies that have rocked the federation.

On rcecent incident included shots being fired just outside Iris Town Primary School.

Central Basseterre MP Marcella Liburd is worried about the effects on citizens.

“It’s really shocking and sad that people, without any regard for the fact of being outside of a school to have shooting," Liburd said during a WINN FM radio interview.

"I mean shooting anywhere is horrific, but in front of a school? Could you imagine? Thank God no one was hit because it could have been a disaster down there right in front of the Irish Town Primary School."

Commenting of the fact that persons had to run for their lives, Liburd said that it only goes to show the effect these shootings are having on citizens.

“People are really very concerned and right now as they say on the streets, things seem to be very hot, because we’ve been having a number of shootings all over the place and crime is certainly on the increase.

“What is amazing to me is that the leaders seem very quiet. We’re not hearing anything from them. There was a murder on Saturday. You’re not hearing anything from them, we’re not hearing from civil society.”

The former cabinet minister hinted that the government may be trying to cover up criminal activity to create an impression that all is well in the country.

“I don’t know if it’s such a good strategy to try to suppress crime information; I don’t think it’s a good strategy at all," she said.

"I believe that crime is everybody’s business, why is it you’re trying to hide what is happening in the country?

"That is why you have a lot of people on social media sending around their own information- which is also not good thing, but what else can you do, if it is that the authorities seem to have some policy to be hiding and covering up and making sure that people don’t know all this crime is happening.”

There has been no comment from the government in response to her comments.

She added that the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party has on several indicated a willingness to work with the government and other civil society stakeholders to find a solution to the high level of crime.