Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/4706/-1/135/
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HOUSE APPROVES MOTION TO ADDRESS CRIME SITUATION
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The Anguilla House of Assembly has given its full support to a motion to address the incidence of crime now plaguing the island.
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Opposition Members: Hubert Hughes and Edison Baird
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Following the long debate from morning to late afternoon on Tuesday, May 15, the Speaker, the Hon. David Carty, pointed out that “after a motion has been debated and passed, it becomes a resolution of the Assembly.” He further stressed that such a resolution may have the force of law, but generally it is an expression of the will of the Assembly and guides Government’s policy.
The Motion was introduced by Second Nominated Member, Keesha Webster. The Motion read as follows:
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Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming (right) and Government colleagues
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WHEREAS the number of criminal offences has increased significantly in Anguilla over a relatively short period of time;
AND WHEREAS the increase in the crime rate and the publicity of these crimes in the written, internet and verbal media has the potential to impact negatively on the tourist population which Anguilla and Anguillians depend on annually;
AND WHEREAS the citizens and residents of Anguilla are expressing more and more alarm at the quantity and frequency of unresolved crimes in Anguilla:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
(1) the House of Assembly take appropriate steps immediately to asses reasons for the upsurge of criminal activity in Anguilla with a view to exploring ways and means of reducing social ill;
(2) the House of Assembly use every effort to persuade the Governor that additional finances and/or trained expertise are required to expand the capabilities of the Royal Anguilla Police Force; and/or that the Government dedicate more finances to the immediate expansion of the officers and trained expertise of the Royal Anguilla Police Force.
Speaking on her Motion, Miss Webster stated that in the past year and even months, criminal activity in Anguilla had escalated. “The crimes are more frequent, they are more sophisticated and they are more violent…There are not only robberies and rapes, but they extend to firearm incidents, stabbings and murder,” she said. “The upsurge is even more evident when one takes even a glance at the Magistrate’s Court list and the number of indictable matters already listed for the year.”
She said that the large number of cases to be dealt with by the court and the continuing incidents were much cause for concern and were affecting the society and the administration of justice. She further noted that the prison was unable to accommodate the number of persons sentenced to imprisonment on a regular basis.
Miss Webster was of the view that the Royal Anguilla Police Force was doing all it reasonably could to cater to the upsurge in crime. She was not certain whether there was a need for more overseas officers or about the strength or weaknesses of the force. She suggested that there was a need to find out what were the reasons for the crime and then to address the situation to bring some calm to the public.
Opposition Member Edison Baird was of the opinion that “the rapid and uncontrolled development of Anguilla is now resulting in negative consequences for the island.” He said studies all over the world and had shown that rapid development and crime go hand in hand.
“There is no doubt, Mr. Speaker, that the development of this country is out of hand,” Baird continued. “We have rapid and uncontrolled development.” He said development was good, but over-development was not beneficial to Anguilla and had the potential to result in crime. “I am not suggesting that the lawlessness that is being carried out in this country is being done by foreigners or by Anguillians, but it is highly likely that it is a combination of both,” he stated.
Mr. Baird called for a slowing down of the development of Anguilla as it was leading to criminal activity. “I am not suggesting that we close down any project, but I don’t see the need for Government to be approving any more major foreign projects,” he explained. “We have enough projects that put the Government in a position where it can fulfil its primary role which is the creation of jobs for Anguillians.” He agreed that something should be done to determine the causes for the wave criminality that is threatening to inundate this country.”
He described the Motion by the Second Nominated Member as being well-presented and well-researched and requested the Government to take it seriously.
Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming acknowledged that the Government had been unhappy with the events in Anguilla. He commended the mover of the Motion and it was time to look at the problem facing the island and together “make a firm decision that we will take back Anguilla from the criminals.”
“The Motion clearly states that we should take immediate steps to assess the reasons for the upsurge in crime,” Mr. Fleming stated. “We met with the Acting Governor and the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner advanced the argument that we should look for someone from outside who studies people and the things that they do; and immediately we agreed. We will do anything to suppress this vicious activity going on in Anguilla. So we are moving quickly to get this problem solved.”
The Chief Minister pointed out that the Government had put a moratorium on alien landholding licences and had thus been thinking ahead to control the island’s rapid development. He spoke of a planned meeting with businessmen on Thursday to discuss the crime situation and was happy that a number of them said they were prepared to assist the Government with financing which was not forthcoming from the British Government or any other source.
Mr. Fleming admitted that the situation in Anguilla was frightening, although he accused some persons of being bent on publicising negative information about the island because of its development. He noted however that if the crime situation does not subside, a number of local tourism development investors would loose their money.
“Mr. Speaker, I am passionate about this topic and I am glad that this Motion is before the House, but we are not lying dead on this issue…,” he stated. “We have a criminal in Anguilla who is operating 4.45 and 5 o’clock in the morning. It behoves us all to keep our eyes opened to ensure that we half the police with the crime situation.”
Opposition Member for Road South, Hubert Hughes, said the issues raised in the Motion were very critical and salient for the island’s present situation. “Mr. Speaker, crime is certainly eating away at the fabric of the Anguillian society not only because of the upsurge and type of crime being committed, but the fact that there are people in Anguilla according to the statement made by the Chief Minister, who are advertising through the modern means of the internet, the crime taking place on this island which is very unfortunate,” Hughes stated.
He observed that the people of Anguilla had over the years welcomed with open hearts and hands those visitors who came to share the quiet and tranquillity of this beloved island, but that the ugly spectre of crime was now raising its head. “I think we need a sense of responsibility and commitment and getting our name re-established as it was in the world at large,” he stressed.
Mr. Hughes suggested that concerned persons living in Anguilla should sit with the island’s political leaders and see whether or not the ideas which the Second Nominated Member stated in her presentation… could help in addressing the crime situation.”
The Opposition Member made the point that the sensitive and delicate tourism industry which Anguilla was pursuing as the means for economic and social advancement was threatened by crime and the disadvantages of a failed state. “A state that cannot maintain law and order is a state which prevents people from visiting our shores and if we do not attract people to our shores we will not have an economy,” he warned.
First Nominated Member, Donna Banks, told the House that there was a need to consider whether tourism officials in Anguilla were delivering to the invited guests the experience that was being promoted overseas. “Those of us who are intimately involved in the tourism industry on Anguilla, find ourselves within the last couple of months always in the damage control mode,” she went on. “In the past we have been the beneficiaries of a very good press and persons have been very sympathetic towards us and negative social behaviour that has evidenced itself, has not received much attention. However I do not know how much longer that good favour will continue to shine upon us and we are ever ready for any darts that may come.”
“All of us on Anguilla, whether we are directly involved or employed in the tourism industry or not, are all beneficiaries of the successful tourism industry. Therefore, we must all feel a sense of responsibility and urgency to protect Anguilla from this scourge.”
Minister of Finnance,Victor Banks, said the Second Nominated Member’s presentation spoke on some of the critical issues affecting the ability of Government to deal with the upsurge of crime and the need to be serious about addressing the problem. He said the systemic issues of the causes of the crime, are matters which must be looked into. “Whether it has to do, as the members on the other side of the House pointed out, the increase in economic activity or whether it has to do with shortage of capacity in the police force, or whether it has to do with an enormous swing in our moral values and the way we manage our children, these are issues which we have got to face head on,” he admitted.
Mr. Banks spoke about measures taken by Government to control the rapid development of the island. He was of the view that rapid development does not necessarily lead to crime, but there was a need to have proper management in place and to put targeted resources behind dealing with the issues related to development.
He said there was a need to find out whether there was an incidence of crime or a prevalence of crime. He called for a coming together of everyone to deal with the issues confronting the island. “The Government of Anguilla has a group called the National Security Advisory Council which met on Monday of last week to deal with these issues and members of the Government and Opposition and other stakeholders met and we spoke to these issues and this is the beginning of a way to deal with them,” Mr. Banks stated.
Other speakers on the motion were Minister of Infrastructure, Kenneth Harrigan and Parliamentary Secretary, Albert Hughes. Both of them expressed much concern over the crime situation and gave their support for every effort to be made to effectively deal with the malady.
The Motion had an easy passage when the vote was taken to the House by the Speaker.