Since the start of the year, MiyVue.com has made several inquiries – to members of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force’s High Command – into the status of the preparation of the statistics and when they would be ready and available for dissemination.
Over the course of the past four months, this media house has been given a number of responses to the enquiries which range from, “They are not ready as yet” to “They will be released shortly”.
Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas held his monthly press conference on Thursday, 14th April, 2011 and in attendance were Minister of Public Works and Utilities, Dr. Earl Asim Martin, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Sam T. Condor, who both fielded questions by the media.
When asked about the status of the statistics for 2010 and why they have not yet been released, Minister Condor said statistics are released on a daily basis and appeared not to have known that they were not yet released to the media. He however pledged to speak to the relevant individuals in getting them disseminated.
“I think the statistics are well known in that that’s a public exercise. We send out, and if you don’t have them, you can get them from the Public Relations Department from the police. But I know on a daily basis, we do the counting…this is something that goes out on a daily basis which I think comes into the public domain. And so if you don’t have those statistics, then you could get them from the public relations officer.
“I will make an effort to get that done but I know for example… you know the homicides are down because the media does its own counting. I agree (that homicides are but one part and) there are other things. But we believe that there has been progress made all around. Like I said, not to our satisfaction, because we are concerned still about the level and we want to work on that…I will get the statistics for you so you could have a look at them…I can’t give you a timeframe, I wouldn’t give you a timeframe but I will bring it to the attention of the person involved…”
As a follow-up to Minister Condor’s commitment, this publication contacted Commissioner of Police Austin Williams on the afternoon of Wednesday, 20st April, 2011, to ask about the status of the 2010 crime statistics for the federation. In response he indicated that he heard when the issue was broached at the press conference and he had made some enquiries about them.
The COP suggested that this publication make subsequent contact with him as he had to make further enquiries about the statistics. Upon doing so, this media house was promised that the statistics would have been released on the following day (21st April).
As of yet, MiyVue.com has not received the crime statistics nor have they been posted on the police’s website www.police.gov.kn
Minister Condor did indicate at the press conference however, that the federation was making strides in the fight against crime.
“Last July to now, if you would review that timeframe, you would see that there was tremendous progress made if you look at what has happened. The police were taking control of the situation, we were getting things done and what happened in the last two weeks was really an abnormal aberration from what was happening previously…”
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