CARICOM Heads, who convened in Grenada for their 47th Regular Meeting, yesterday expressed deep concern over crime and violence in the region.
In a statement at the end of the July 28-30 meeting, the Heads said: “We, CARICOM Heads of Government are deeply concerned by the levels of crime and violence in the Region, fueled in part, by firearms and ammunition trafficking, transnational criminal networks, and a deterioration of social structures. We are also particularly concerned about the impact of crime and violence on young people and children”.
The Heads reiterated their commitment to ongoing urgent action to protect citizens and to the safety, security and preservation of public interest in dealing with crime and violence, including through the sharing of information and the strengthening of legislation on firearms offences, violent crime and bail. They also recognized the value of restorative justice, social and cultural interventions and intolerance of corruption, in achieving long-term change.
“We commit to the strengthening and increased use of existing regional mechanisms and institutions to address crime and security, including the CARICOM IMPACS Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre and the urgent exploration of new approaches to combatting high levels of criminality”, the Heads said.
CARICOM said it also recognised the importance of the April 2023 Regional Symposium on Crime and Security as a Public Health Issue hosted by Trinidad and Tobago and welcomes the offer by Barbados to host a second Symposium before the end of 2024
“Ongoing regional and national collaboration are critical to addressing the multifaceted challenges to crime and violence which threaten modern Carib-bean society. We call on all CARICOM citizens to be part of the solution by reporting crimes and by refusing to support criminal activity, recognising that crime and violence affects us all”, the Heads added.
