‘What is the plan?’ Opposition leader asks public safety minister, as crime continues to negatively affect residents, tourists, and businesses
As crime continues to spike and criticism of the Police continues to mount,
Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle is asking why Sir Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin,
the minister of public safety, has failed to lay out a credible crime-fighting
plan.
During an Observer Radio outing on Wednesday, MP Pringle acknowledged
the recent killing of teen-mother Yenifer Bridge, whose body was discovered
in his constituency, noting that the rise in violent crime is bad for the society
and for the economy. Accordingly, he asks Benjamin what is his plan for
reducing criminal activity.
The Opposition leader says that residents, increasingly, are feeling unsafe, as
violent crimes continue unabated; and he refers to one of his constituents, a
man in his 80s, who recently was beaten and robbed in his own home.
Tourists, too, are falling prey to robbers, especially on the beaches, and
making social-media reports of their experiences, which, residents agree, is
bad for the country’s image.
At the same time, Pringle says, businesses are being targeted by gunmen, even
in broad daylight. As a result, operators are closing shop earlier than ever,
reducing the volume of business conducted after hours. And as frightened
residents try to remain safe, nightlife is taking a hit, as well, he says.
And, yet, Pringle laments, Minister Benjamin has neither introduced new
crime-fighting measures nor improved on those established. Instead of
regular police patrols in the communities, all the public sees are the
occasional stop-and-search exercises on a weekend, he says.
Further, recalling that the Baldwin Spencer Administration had initiated
measures such as the installation of CCTV cameras, Pringle asks Benjamin
what has happened to these, noting that technology is an essential tool in
combatting crime.
Meanwhile, other United Progressive Party (UPP) officials are reminding
Benjamin that, to date, his promise of a new forensics lab has not materialized,
which hinders investigations. They note, too, complaining residents are still
being told that there are no vehicles at police stations, which impacts the
response time to reports of crime.
Most embarrassing of all, as UPP City South Caretaker Franz deFreitas points
out, is the derelict St. John’s Police Station that sits like an awful eyesore,
leaving St. John’s City with no police presence.
Residents are complaining that, instead of coming up with workable solutions
– including increased lighting and the clearing of overgrown bushes –
Benjamin is content to make comparisons of the crime rate with other islands.
“This is where I live; not in other islands,” a Rural South woman complains. “I
want to be safe here.”