Premier calls for community-based solution to crime
Following last night’s murder of LaShawn Smith - the second homicide victim in the BVI for 2022, Premier Andrew Fahie made an impassioned plea to the public to not only assist the police but to also look at a more community-based approach to solving disputes.
Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Fahie said his government denounces all forms of violence and people need to understand there are different ways to settle disputes aside from violence.
He also said each person in the community has a role to play in raising awareness about criminal activities happening.
“We have so many good parents raising their children and going well but we can’t turn a blind eye to anyone that’s not doing that with there’s. We have to understand now as a society that each parent must do even a more direct job with their children,” Fahie said.
“We are a Christian community, but we are drifting from it. More and more we see some people going to church and getting into their religion, but the child is home. The parent who already has a foundation is getting more and more and the child is getting none. We cannot turn a blind eye that as a society we drop our value,” he added.
Fahie said regardless of which government is in power, they cannot stop someone from committing a violent crime. He noted the burden cannot be laid only on the police force and the Director of Public Prosecution’s Office.
The Premier said each citizen has to say ‘enough is enough’ and hold young men more accountable regarding whereabouts just as they do with young women.
Fahie said his government will continue to put strategies in place to help fight the growing issues. He said the Deputy Speaker Neville Smith has offered a solution of a gun amnesty which he supports.
“The Deputy Speaker said publicly, and we champion his cause, a suggestion of gun amnesty and he wants it for a month and some other measures we have taken to National Security Council and recommend them. So, we wait. The police commissioner and the governor are looking for it over and we are going to also hear some other measures we are going to put in place,” Fahie said.
“We now have a bigger role to play as a community to push more programmes and community-based activities to make sure that these things don’t happen. We find a way to settle our differences rather than eliminating each other because the more we kill each other in this country the more we are opening the doors for persons who we say we are protecting it from to come and take it over from us. We are contributing to our own demise because we are not sitting down and realising that there are other ways to solve our differences,” the Premier continued.
He also said each person in the community has a role to play in raising awareness about criminal activities happening.
“We have so many good parents raising their children and going well but we can’t turn a blind eye to anyone that’s not doing that with there’s. We have to understand now as a society that each parent must do even a more direct job with their children,” Fahie said.
“We are a Christian community, but we are drifting from it. More and more we see some people going to church and getting into their religion, but the child is home. The parent who already has a foundation is getting more and more and the child is getting none. We cannot turn a blind eye that as a society we drop our value,” he added.
Fahie said regardless of which government is in power, they cannot stop someone from committing a violent crime. He noted the burden cannot be laid only on the police force and the Director of Public Prosecution’s Office.
The Premier said each citizen has to say ‘enough is enough’ and hold young men more accountable regarding whereabouts just as they do with young women.
Fahie said his government will continue to put strategies in place to help fight the growing issues. He said the Deputy Speaker Neville Smith has offered a solution of a gun amnesty which he supports.
“The Deputy Speaker said publicly, and we champion his cause, a suggestion of gun amnesty and he wants it for a month and some other measures we have taken to National Security Council and recommend them. So, we wait. The police commissioner and the governor are looking for it over and we are going to also hear some other measures we are going to put in place,” Fahie said.
“We now have a bigger role to play as a community to push more programmes and community-based activities to make sure that these things don’t happen. We find a way to settle our differences rather than eliminating each other because the more we kill each other in this country the more we are opening the doors for persons who we say we are protecting it from to come and take it over from us. We are contributing to our own demise because we are not sitting down and realising that there are other ways to solve our differences,” the Premier continued.
