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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 11, 2017 (PLP PR Media Inc.)  — When he addressed his monthly Press Conference at Government Headquarters on Wednesday May 10, in his introductory remarks Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris who is also the Minister of National Security pointed out that by far his Government’s single greatest challenge at this time as a Nation was the issue of crime.

 

“My Government continues to tackle this scourge head-on, and will not cede this fight to those criminal elements who are bent on destroying our families and communities, our social institutions, our economy, the investment climate, and our Country’s good name in the regional and international environments,” said the Minister of National Security. 

 

“The criminals in St. Kitts and Nevis have been put on notice from the very inception of our Administration just two years ago.  We have far too much at stake in this Nation – individually and collectively – to allow their anti-social behaviours, their selfish, heartless, callous, and destructive attitudes and actions to run roughshod over the length and breadth of this Federation.” 

 

Dr Harris noted that over the past two days, he would have reminded the public that St. Kitts and Nevis is, by and large, a Nation of laws.  He added that the country is governed by laws, where he expected all to remain a respectful and disciplined people to allow for the gains of development and prosperity to be shared by all. 

 

“Each and every person in this Country deserves his or her fair share,” said Dr Harris. “Such is our right, and such is our reasonable expectation. However, the path to prosperity and a fair share is not characterised by lawlessness.  It is not characterised by criminality, by homicides, by robbery, fraud and the destructively selfish mindset of coveting what others have without working for it.”

 

He advised that such behaviour had to stop, added that it will be stopped by whatever legal and other means that are available to the National Security agencies and the people who have the right to protect what is theirs.

 

People have suffered enough at the hands of the criminals, observed the Prime Minister and noted that the families of victims have had to rebuild the pieces of their lives in the face of grief and fractured relationships.  He extended sincere condolences to the families who have lost loved ones to crime, especially gun violence.

 

“And in this regard, I want to extend even more personally to the family of yesterday’s (Tuesday May 9) incident,” said Dr Harris.

 

Gunned down during the unfortunate incident that took place in the Gillard’s Meadows was 27-year old small scale business entrepreneur Mr Gregory Mills. Latest police reports indicate that two persons are in custody assisting the police with their investigation into that shooting death.

 

“That was an individual whom I know very well and whose father had been someone who had worked with me in the Ministry of Agriculture for many years. It was someone who I thought had a very bright and promising future.”

 

He concluded by saying: “No young person, indeed no person, ought to be shot down in our communities. There is always recourse to the rule of law and to our courts.”

 

Also present at the Press Conference were Commander of the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force Lt Col Patrick Wallace, Commissioner of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force Police Mr Ian Queeley, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Hilroy Brandy, and Assistant Police Commissioner and Head of the Crime Directorate Mr Andre Mitchell.