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http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/...anacrime.shtml
Tough action needed on crime


Gun crime is up in both St Lucia and Guyana
The rise in violent crime has caused grave concern in Guyana and St Lucia where there are calls for drastic measures against criminals.
In recent months in Guyana, criminals who appear to be highly organised are striking almost at will in various parts of the country.

The authorities are confident that the relevant agencies will successfully bring the situation under control; however, they are warning however that it could take a long time, and that success depends heavily on co-operation from the public.

There have been over 700 robberies in the country up to the end of May, a significant increase over last year.

Guyanese, particularly members of the business sector are concerned that in the last three months both the rate and brutality of these crimes have escalated sharply.

Why is it that when young St Lucians feel the moment they have a problem with someone, they could take their life?


St Lucia PM Kenny Anthony

The business community is expected to meet the police on Tuesday when they will present proposals for combating crime.

President of the Guyana Chamber of Commerce, Gerry Gouveia, said the banditry is having an adverse effect on business.

"People have been walking into businesses and robbing the businesses and it is frightening the business community because the crime is being targeted at the business community."

Acting Police Commissioner Henry Green said on Monday that while the police are challenged to keep up with the changing nature of crime, a lack of public co-operation and internal problems within the police force have made their task even more difficult.

Tough on crime

"Many of you do not know the pains we go through to get a witness to go to court, to get somebody to come and identify a man in the ID parade,” he said.

"To get the same business people who are making noise to get their staff or to come to an ID parade, sometimes when the parade has finished they have identified no one."

Meanwhile St Lucia's Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony has insisted that his government has not gone soft on crime, in the midst of unprecedented violent crime wave that has resulted in 27 murders for this year so far.

Prime Minister Anthony said his government is committed to executing violent criminals, but suggested that the hands of the administration were tied by the need to observe due process of law.

"Why is it that when young St Lucians feel the moment they have a problem with someone, they could take their life?

"Is it because they feel that judges are easy or is it because they believe that if they murder, they will get away, they will not face the hangman, PM Anthony said.

The Prime Minister said that there has been investment in the police and that some forms of crime are being dealt with but these gains are being overshadowed by violent crime and homicide.

My Mums Friends Blames it(the caribbean as a whole) on American TV() and Bad Parenting

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