President David Granger is of the opinion that his administration’s crime-fighting strategy is working.
Though he acknowledged that the level of interpersonal crimes continues to be unacceptably high, the president, speaking on last week’s edition of the Public Interest, maintained that his government’s efforts are bearing fruit.
Asked directly if the anti-crime strategies of his government were working, the president said, “yes.”
He further explained that while interpersonal violence, which is very difficult to stop, has been getting the most media attention, there are several types of crime which the government has been addressing and will continue to address.
Initiatives such as increased maritime patrols and giving the mounted branch a functional role rather than a purely ceremonial role have, according to Granger, led to a reduction in piracy and faster crime solving in outlying regions.
“Piracy is almost at zero because we have been conducting aerial patrols. People don’t know that but piracy is almost down to zero,” he said.
Granger further stressed that one of the visible changes in how crime is being addressed is the speed with which the police force is closing investigations.
“People are noticing that even though crime is still occurring at a rate which we feel is unacceptable, they are being solved more quickly,” the president said, before adding that the number of victims of crimes such as murder is a lot less than 2003, when the country recorded its highest murder rate.
Despite this decrease, he said it “is too high for us still and we would like to bring it to under 100 per year.” He noted that those who were children at the height of the 2003 crime spree, would now be adults and would be displaying the effects of that socialization. He argued that they have grown accustomed to violence and resolving problems with their guns and knives rather than having discussions and as a result simple disagreements over an open bus window can lead to murder.
The period had its first impact on the victims of murder and a second impact on the witnesses, he said, while blaming the situation for the “high level” of interpersonal violence seen in everyday relations.
The president pleaded with the public to be patient with his administration as he maintained that its institutional strengthening initiatives are “starting to have an effect.”
