Antigua and Barbuda Government Announces Tougher Crime Measures
Antigua and Barbuda’s Public Safety Minister, Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin, has outlined a series of stringent measures aimed at restoring safety across the nation.
Minister Benjamin emphasized the need for harsh laws to effectively address the escalating crime situation.
“We must meet the situation as it presents itself. I shall not shirk my responsibility,” Benjamin declared, underscoring the government’s firm stance on crime. His comments echoed sentiments expressed by Prime Minister Gaston Browne in a national address earlier this week.
As part of the government’s resolute response, Minister Benjamin announced increased penalties for gun-related offenses, including a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years.
“This is no joke. Antigua will return to being a safe country for all of us to live in,” he stated, stressing the seriousness of the administration’s commitment.
In addition to harsher penalties, the government will implement day and night stop-and-search exercises and increase police presence in crime hotspots. These measures are intended to deter criminal activities and enhance public safety across the island.
Minister Benjamin also highlighted a concerning trend: the involvement of young people in criminal activities. “Our records show that they are responsible for over 85% of the crimes being committed in the state,” he noted. To address this issue, the government is preparing to introduce anti-gang legislation aimed at curbing the growth of gangs in various parts of the country.
The proposed legislation will target areas identified as gang hotspots, including Villa, Ovals, Grace Farm, Golden Grove, and Browns Avenue. The minister assured the public that programs will be put in place to arrest the growth of gang activities in these regions.
Minister Benjamin also expressed gratitude to citizens who have been cooperating with law enforcement by providing valuable information. He emphasized that the police are committed to protecting themselves while carrying out their duties, especially when confronted by armed criminals.
“If the police are doing their duties and any person has a firearm and those persons fire on the police, the police will be duty-bound to defend themselves,” Benjamin affirmed.
The government’s new measures reflect a firm commitment to restoring peace and safety in Antigua and Barbuda, signaling a tough stance on crime that will be enforced with decisive action.
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I hate to hear this man talk he’s annoying he nor his ABLP affiliates are honest they got their riches from their white collar crimes 😒 nepotism and cronyism.
yall in our parliament acting your slates are so clean somebody need still investigate all you ABLP members
I cannot wait to watch the next parliamentary sitting to see how the opposition will vote. Will they vote against and say the government is too soft are will they vote with the government on these measures.
Five wah years!!! 15 and up. Bout five years as soon as you look that fly past in no time. Gosh man.
No way too small.what u doing with a gun if u not a business person. 50 years.for Rape in any form 50years. For thief and aggravate robber. With intent to do body harm 50 years. Simple little thief to full thier belly 2years or less. These upper class THIEF KNOW they going in jail n bk out to continue there wrongs… we need to start thinking wise how many crimes in this SMALL land that don’t sloved as yet.with the SAME person running free.more POWER to get away with their wrongs. Our little Antigua like wild wild west Raping babies .killling babies. Robbing. Do something that will let them see parliament mean business. Mr PM SIR.
Great measure. However, 5 years is nothing, at least double that.
Also, give incentives to join the police force, you need more presence.
You have the heart to talk about more police stop and search. It was just a few weeks ago police has a stop and search and you came on the scene after receiving a call from a family member indicating that they were stopped by the police and they want to search the car. You Mr. AG, you left from where ever you were, came on the scene and told your family to drive off then went on to insulting the young officer. And now you have the balls to talk about more stop and search by the police.
You should not even be holding public office
Well at least Cutie has a brain, and he is reading Antigua newsroom. This is long overdue. The ALP needs to stop playing with these foreign criminals.
Sentencing! I always wonder who benefit from sentencing. The thief steels from you and goes to jail. The robber robs you of your money and goes to jail. The murderer kills your loved one and goes to jail. Where is the justice in all of that. Nothing has made good on his or her lost.
Matthew 18:30-34 New Living Translation (NLT)
But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened.
It seems that you would stay in jail until you make good to your debtor.
Should we there pass such law that criminals should only be set free if they make good on their debt. If they stole from someone they will have to repay all the monies. If the killed someone what would be the price to repay the loved one of that person? Food for thought. But I feel the victims should have some redress from the criminals. When living in Europe a friend of my caused another guy to lose one eye. The guys parents sue his parents and him. The judge granted him the victim a monthly fine until he reaches the age of 30 years. That was compensation for list of opportunities had he had two eyes. At that time of the accident we were 15 years of age. This type of sentencing is common in Islamic countries. The victims families should have redress. If you killed the only son of a mother you are to take care financially of that mother or wife.
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When you travel to countries such a Singapore and you wonder why they are so clean and it looks like there is no crime, it’s because of the strict laws they have.
https://en.tempo.co/read/1895566/7-reasons-why-singapore-has-been-named-the-safest-city-in-the-world
Singapore is known for its strict legal system and strict law enforcement. Strict laws and harsh punishments, including the death penalty for serious crimes such as drugs, serve as a deterrent to potential criminals. This makes the crime rate in Singapore very low, creating a safe environment for residents and tourists alike.
Perhaps we need to the good things and apply them to our country
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