PDM Press Statements

“Let’s Confront the Criminals”

The P.D.M is deeply worried about the rising tide of gun crimes in our country. Yesterday, it was stone, penknife and cutlass. Now, it’s bullet, hold-up and kidnapping.

Not too long ago a 70-year old lady was raped. And, in the last week, a well-known paro broke and opened an 85-year old woman’s house, pointed a gun at her and battered her body. At Donkey beach, two tourists, a man and his wife, were held up and kidnapped, but luckily escaped unhurt.

At Calibishie, masked men kidnapped the Manager of the Credit Union and forced him to hand over thousands of dollars belonging to the Union. At Portsmouth, the Mayor of the town was held up and robbed. Early Sunday morning, after partying together at Lagoon, Portsmouth, a 22-year old youth died from a bullet to his head fired at close range from his friend’s gun. And reports are that a Grandbay man was killed and another critically injured in gun violence over the weekend.

“BETTER DAYS ARE COMING”

We believe the Police are on the whole doing what they can with what they have. But it is plain to see that law and order are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Even a child can see that things have gotten out of hand.

This is not the time to point fingers. Criminal activity affects us all. Today is me; tomorrow is you. So, we are equal partners in the war of crime. But, obviously, government must take the lead. Government was put there to ensure that the people can go about their daily lives without fear of being victim to one crime or other.

In 2008 there were 7 cases of murder and 2 of manslaughter; 18 reported cases of rape, 26 of indecent assault and 43 of sexual intercourse with a child; 84 cases. of grievous bodily harm; 5 kidnappings; and more than 1,000 cases of burglary.

Needless to say, crime has gone to school. In the year from June 2008 to June 2009, 45 crimes involving students were reported. These included wounding, battery, threats against persons, possession of offensive weapons, drug-related offences, throwing stones and malicious damage to property.

In our opinion, Government must bear the brunt of the blame. We say this because in the recent past, rather than accept that we have a serious problem and then go on to find solutions to it, the Skerrit administration has played politics with the crime situation. It has not put in place a strategy to deal with the question for fear that, if it did, this would turn the youth against Government, and Labour power would come crashing down.

So, when in March 2006 P.D.M and organisations and institutions including the Roman Catholic Church, voiced their concerns about the growing problem of youth crime and violence in the country, what did Government do? The following month, Minister Ambrose George came on radio and told the nation that there was no such problem. The majority of Dominica’s youth were law-abiding and productive members of the society. Only a small number of young people, he said, were involved in crime. And, instead of spending time on the activities of these few misguided youth, those who drew attention to the problem should spend more time praising the good deeds of the majority.

And Minister Blackmore, proclaimed himself to be a criminologist. He boasted he had looked at the statistics, and he went on to assure us that crime was, in fact, not increasing but decreasing.

Now, the chickens have come home to roost. And Government’s playing politics with the crime situation has come back to haunt it. What clearer evidence is there of this than Prime Minister Skerrit’s comment in a moment of desperation earlier this year that we might have to bring back hanging.

A P.D.M government will not play cheap electoral politics with the safety of the people of Dominica. We will put in place a 10-point strategy on crime that has two main objectives: one, to more severely punish persons found guilty of major criminal offences. And, two, to offer our youth avenues to develop themselves and lead a useful life other than criminal activity.

Specifically:

  1. We will consult with the local and Eastern Caribbean Judiciary, to pass legislation, if need be, to stiffen penalties in respect of gun crimes, kidnapping, burglary and sexual offences.’
  2. We will promote and expand community policing.
  3. We will put an end to Government interference in the running of the Police force, including the selection of new recruits.
  4. We will immediately set up an Emergency Youth Fund of $20 million to provide our youth with jobs and opportunities for self-employment.
  5. We will bring the private sector and our State College together to map out a curriculum which supplies the labour and expertise required for the local job market.
  6. We will put the Universal Secondary Education scheme under review and bring back the Junior Secondary School programme.
  7. We will provide a playing field within walking distance of every community.
  8. We will establish training academies in cricket and football and construct an athletic facility of international standards.
  9. We will promote and assist in the development of the local music industry.
  10. We will, through the example of our leadership, promote a culture of hard work rather than laziness and self-reliance rather than dependence.

P.D.M believes that one of Government’s principal duties is to provide for the protection and safety of all its people. We are convinced that a Government that cannot do so is not fit to govern.

William Para Riviere
P.D.M, Political Leader
August 31, 2009

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