Crime Report. On 3rd May a 
World Bank report on crime in the West Indies was published. It is titled “Crime, Violence and Development: Trends, Costs and Policy Options in the Caribbean”. It is a crucial document. It explains in the starkest terms what corruption and crime is doing to the West Indies. It makes it abundantly clear what we can expect in Anguilla if the people and the powers that be do not take this crisis seriously. You can read an analysis of the report, or you can download it to your computer for later reading. You can get it by clicking here.
Crime and violence is undermining our growth. It threatens the welfare of all of us. It is impeding the future social development of Anguilla. Crime negatively impacts business. It is a major obstacle to investment. As crime increases in Anguilla we can expect access to financing to decline. Spending on formal and informal security measures will increase. Worker productivity will decrease.
What does this report have to do with Anguilla? Consider these statistics highlighted in the report: Murder rates in the West Indies are higher than in any other region of the world. Assault rates are significantly above the world average. Narcotics trafficking is at the core of these high rates. Narcotics trafficking diverts criminal justice resources from other important activities. It increases and embeds violence. It undermines social cohesion. It contributes directly to the widespread availability of firearms in the region.
Does this sound familiar to us in Anguilla?
World Bank report on crime in the 
The police congraratulated themselves on their new openness. I, of little faith, looked at the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteIt was announced in The Anguillian 10 days ago that a number of the violent armed robberies have been committed by one "very sick individual." What is it I'm supposed to do about this, when the police refuse to tell us what he looks like, how tall he is, whether he's fat or thin - even whether he's male or female! What would happen if everyone in Anguilla knew what he looked like? Would God fall out of His throne or what? Who are we protecting here, the sucpect, the police or us?
Can you begin to understand why a lot of us, not just the young people, feel excluded from our instruments of goverment?
Crime is a serious matter, If crime continues, the tourism surely would be gone from Anguilla.This little island is going down fast.
ReplyDeleteAbout a year ago, when we were having a few murders, the powers that be decided to create something called the national Security Committee (or Council). It was constituted just before the Huckles left and, as far as I am aware, had its first meeting today.
ReplyDeleteI was asked to keep this confidential, but I would have thought that if there were a lot of people there it won't be confidential too much anyway... The perception that a lot of the crime is not being done by Anguillians is not necessarily true. Of 40 people in jail, 36 are Anguillian. Of these, 12 are there for murder charges. That seems to be a high %, much higher than, say, in the USA or UK. An issue is the location of the jail; people are still walking to the fence and throwing stuff over it to the inmates - cell phones, drugs, guns... Hopefully building an extra security fence will have consequences, if not only to cause people to improve their throw...
So you did not hear it from me, but I expect a call to the Superintendent of Prisons will confirm whether my mole heard it right or not.
While I suspect Dr. V. Bryan or his Brother is 711, I must confess neither of them wrote the piece about appraisal fraud by (True). How I know this? My friend did it. And he was not saying the real estate agents are North Americans. However, if you read well, it will be clear that it was said American born real estate agents. I am sure after over 20 years in AXA, they would have Anguillian rights. Anguilla real estate is grossly over inlfated and only the agents and the lawyers to blame.
ReplyDeleteLeave Professor YInka alone. You are really obsess with this woman. LOL She has a voice too.
But I do agree as it relates to crime, we are the culprits. But what do you expect when the leadership is more concern about growing the economy for foreigners. They should take a lesson from China and slow the economy down. Hotel sector growth is approaching 20%.