Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre, the Minister for Justice and National Security, has confirmed receiving a crime-fighting strategy from the new Acting Commissioner of Police (CoP), Verne Garde.
Garde’s appointment is initially for six months.
“This morning I wish to inform you that I have received from the acting commissioner of police, the police force crime prevention strategy for the period September to March 3, 2025,” Pierre announced at Monday’s regular pre-cabinet press briefing.
“I have just received it and I will be going through it and having a discussion with the commissioner of police and the high command on the strategy,” the prime minister said while holding up the document.
“Having said so and as we deal with that strategy I want to say to all those concerned that we should watch the rhetoric as it comes to crime,” Pierre stated.
According to the prime minister, the society appears to be creating a level of animosity, distrust, and anger, which does not auger well for the country.
He declared that the battle against crime requires everyone’s involvement.
“There is no need for us to create an increased level of animosity or hatred for our own personal reasons,” Pierre asserted.
“We have to have a united effort. We have to try by our words not to appear to be looking for any excuses for criminality,” the prime minister told the press briefing.
“We should never seem by our utterance to be giving any excuse for wanton criminality, there is absolutely no excuse for it,” Pierre stressed.
He highlighted some social intervention programs the government had undertaken, including the SEEDS project, the SSDF’s ACT project, and the semi-professional football league.
“We have the football league where we are using sports as a mean of seeing if we can combat this wanton violence in the country. But each one of us must play our part, and I want to urge that the rhetoric diminish, the rhetoric of hatred, the rhetoric of revenge, the rhetoric of going after people, the rhetoric of personal attacks…that does not auger well for our society,” Pierre emphasised.
The prime minister also called for personal responsibility to stem the tide of vehicular accidents, many of which have resulted in serious injuries and the loss of lives.
