By Lennox Weston
19 august 2024
Murder and crime have been features of Caribbean society and recent events in Antigua and Barbuda have created fear, panic and so much pain among residents.
The recent murder of two young ladies, the recent senseless shooting and murder of father and son at shanty town and the spread and weekly frequency of armed gun robberies across Antigua, along with the recent uptick of rape and school children fights and melee have created a sense of fear, panic, heart ache, tremendous loss and unease among residents of Antigua Barbuda.
It is true that based on statistics and increase in prevalence of crime across the Caribbean and the World and the mass killing from the senseless wars on going in Europe and the Middle East that the specter of murder has become so common place that the normal social sensibility of citizens have become dulled in some ways and degrees. It is even true that some countries in the Caribbean have virtually become the murder capital of the world based on murder per hundred thousand static used to report on murder rate worldwide.
Internationally low murder rates are considered as below 3.5 per country while countries with high murder rate can go as high as 53 per hundred thousand, Antigua with a reported murder rate in 2022 of over 10.67 per hundred thousand could see higher rate in 2024 with 10 murders reported so far, this year.
This table based on 2022 data by World Population Review shows select countries murder rate both in the Caribbean and internationally.
| Country | Murder Rate(Total per 100k) |
| Jamaica | 53.34 |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | 40.41 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 39.52 |
| St Lucia | 36.7 |
| Honduras | 35.09 |
| Bahamas | 31.22 |
| Belize | 27.88 |
| Haiti | 18.02 |
| Barbados | 15.27 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 10.67 |
| United States | 6.38 |
| Kenya | 4.89 |
| Pakistan | 4.21 |
| Italy | 0.55 |
| South Korea | 0.53 |
| Switzerland | 0.49 |
| Singapore | 0.12 |
The data speaks for itself Caribbean countries have some of the highest murder rates in the world. With the negative economic impact of crime based on international research quoted as 3.5% GDP and crime estimated to cost Jamaica 5% of its GDP it is clear that when one also considers the social emotional impact of crime and the recent experience in Antigua it is time for a reset.
There is clear need for a reset in terms of developing and implementing a holistic crime fighting plan in Antigua and Barbuda which would draw upon the tremendous work done at UWI ICJS INSTITUE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND SECURITY and the experience in fighting crimes in those countries in the Caribbean and in the international communities who have been successful in keeping crime levels low.
Based on international data, most murders occur because of gangs and drugs and socioeconomic factors like social inequity and unemployment.
It is also true based on international experience that effective law enforcement, strict weapon regulations and severe punishment are effective in keeping crimes at a low level. It is instructive that several countries with low murder rates still have hanging as one of the punishments for murder.
This is a debate that is ongoing with many individuals asserting they do not only see hanging as a deterrent but also as a principle of an eye for an eye, those who illegally take life must be prepared to lose theirs. Rewarding murderers with 20 years of free food, health care and housing then freed wining dining fed by the State, all done in the interest of protecting their human rights.
While the victim condemned to a cold dark grave, their rights illegally appropriated by the murderer and supported by sanctimonious human rights advocates and jurisprudence of former colonial powers in Europe and North America who butchered and murdered millions during slavery and two wars they called world wars and even today sanctioning mass murder in wars in Europe the Middle East and coups all over Africa.
With Antigua Barbuda being a small close knit society with close social bonds, crime and especially murder have a devastating effect on the whole psyche, safety freedom and social milieu of society and therefore immediate action is required, a time to reset our crime fighting plans.
In this regard I propose the following elements be included by government officials in the discussions that would culminate in the rolling out of an effective enhanced crime fighting plan.
There are three basic elements that officials must consider and treat in any crime fighting plan in Antigua Barbuda. The first element that one needs to consider is based on informal reports from the Prison that vast majority prisoners are repeat offenders with a number as high as over 75% reported.
Prison officials should confirm the actual number. Recidivism is a major factor Government Authorities must tackle in this reset of a crime fighting plan.
The second element, which must also feature highly in designing crime management in Antigua Barbuda has to do with the geography of crime, the communities where most crime occur and where most criminals reside.
Again informal reports from the police suggest that communities around St. John’s within a five to seven miles radius of the city center delineate the hot bed area of criminal activity with over 75% of the criminal activity taking place. Again, the police must confirm the actual geography of criminal activities.
The third element of criminal activity that Government Authorities must consider has to do with the social characterization of criminals in Antigua Barbuda.
Again from informal reports criminals in Antigua are generally from single parent households with overburdened mothers, absent fathers with little home control, usually heavy drug abusers often times involved in the drug trade or gangs, generally young with low educational and skill status, with no permanent jobs or church involvement, with many showing signs of psychosis from abusing some illegal drug substance and significant levels of societal alienation.
The youthful age of many of the criminals indicates that a major component of criminal activity in Antigua and Barbuda is social in its origin although criminal in its execution.
With these patterns of criminality in mind the following elements in a reset crime fighting plan should be considered.
The first element has to do with Law enforcement intelligence gathering, patrol surveillance. It is obvious that the police with community and army support should mount foot and motorized patrols within the communities within that 7-mile radius of St John city center where most of the crimes occur, setting maximum standard reaction times for arriving on the scene of a crime.
This can be achieved by basic geometric calculations within each team patrol zone. The public should know this standard reaction time.
The police need to also have and cultivate informants and undercover intelligence gatherers to penetrate the gangs and gang activities to disrupt criminal activities before they occur.
The police must conduct intense searches and stop activities in this hot bed crime area day and night, intelligence gathering should allow more focus targeting of criminal elements.
Added to the human patrol every street every exit every entrance in communities around the corporate area should have electronic surveillance cameras mounted with high night resolution and citizens should be given tax exemptions to put up surveillance cameras on their homes, with at least one point into the street area in front of their property.
Government should approach friendly governments for a supply of these cameras.
All highways in Antigua and Barbuda should have multiple security cameras allowing tracking of vehicular movements while community police stations in the various communities should step up their nightly and daily patrol of communities with residents encouraged to install camera surveillance as well as intelligence gathering since criminals from rural areas tend to migrate to the city area allowing exchange of information and tracking of criminal elements.
To improve management of recidivism where repeat offenders are a major part of criminality in Antigua Barbuda, the proposal is for Parliament to change the law and add on three years of electronic tracking of criminals after serving the incarceration or prison component of their sentencing.
Every criminal should be fitted with electronic GPS bracelet for three years on release from prison with curfews from 7pm to 6 am.
As part of this tracking program and as part of its rehabilitation program the prison farm should be increased to three times its size with mini feed lots added for sheep goat duck rabbits pigs yard fowl, honey and chalk coal production ,as well as a joinery for chairs desk kitchen cup boards and a tailoring center for making uniforms. These will augment the vegetable crop and fruit tree and livestock feed component of the farm.
Individuals within the three-year tracking program along with inmates within the prison should be given priority employment opportunity on the prison farm.
The idea is to break the pattern of criminality and provide skill training and employment and self sufficiency options for released prisoners as well as skill training for self employment livelihood occupations.
The fourth element is a step up on border control at official ports of entry both air and sea ports but also increased patrol of known smuggling point s for drugs and guns and illegal consumer goods especially in jolly harbour Friars areas, English Harbour Falmouth areas Crabbes and Willikies and Brown Bay using drone technology to support all surveillance activities including their use by marine patrol.
Increase surveillance and punishment for SPARROWS Good Citizens who are sponsors of crime and criminality in terms of drug pushing money laundering and gun running should be an important element in the plan.
Who are to guard the Guards considerations should be satisfied by the introduction of a high caliber advisory board similar to the Crime monitoring oversight committee in Jamaica with members from academia civil society and political directorate to provide an over view of the efficacy and efficiency of the crime fighting programs.
The fifth element of this reset of crime management plan has to do with the social component and the fact that a lot of the criminal elements start off as social problems from households with overburdened mothers, absent fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godfathers and absent church and religious bodies and community leaders and elders.
The degeneration of the social and community umbrella so necessary in mentoring and training children and especially young boys who are left rudderless dropping out of school abusing drugs developing psychosis no sense of GOD and Godliness impotence at a young age advanced aging and paranoia with limited conflict resolution skills and income earning skills provide a ready supply line of criminals ,women abusers with violence as their only option in conflict resolution.
In this regard there is urgent need for a national census starting off with the communities surrounding the corporate area of identifying delinquent youths, at risk youths, overburdened mothers and with targeted programs to assist these households, these children these parents immediately implemented.
Community Social Boards made up of church officials, teachers, community health workers, social workers sporting leaders and community exemplars should be set up within each community.
These Social Community Boards should provide and share information and manage community-based programs that would seek to mentor support, encourage youths, and teach them social skills included conflict resolution skills as well as reduce the abuse of drugs and the use of violence and the early sexualization of our young people.
The churches should be encouraged to have outreach programs and activities for training supporting and keeping the youth busy, sports leaders should be trained and supported to provide sporting options and opportunities and school leaders should be encouraged to provide educational support to assist in the mental and academic development of our children.
Based on what appears to be the increase in abuse of drugs and the clear impacts that abuse of drugs have on the mental social and productive welfare of youths and workers in society as well as fueling the illegal drug trade and gang conflicts, there needs to be a serious review of the recent freeing up of marijuana and whether or not it has the unintended effects of legitimizing its use among the youths becoming a pathway to harsher drugs and increased alcohol abuse.
Religious exemptions can also be maintained as part of this review.
The sixth and final element has to do with a direct focus on anti gang anti drug trafficking anti gun running anti money laundering program. Gangs must be tackled head on as a direct element of this program, so too gun running and drug importation and smuggling, Gangs and drugs and guns have proven to be the biggest source of homicides in most countries.
One UWI professor noted that except for negative economic impact of crime Jamaica would have had the same level development as Singapore today.
Crime not only destroys and brings suffering to family members, but it also deprives the nation of economic agents who die too young or are in prison not producing. Crime also deprives the nation of potential skillful athletes’, academic officials and quality spouses and fathers.
Every murder committed is the loss of a loved one and every murderer who commits the murder is also the loss of a loved one. There are no winners in crime and criminality, No winners in murder.
As a society the old rule of knowing where your children are, setting rules and controls, seeking out support if you cannot manage, of good neighbors helping a child who’s going astray, providing lunch, dinner a safe haven for homework and support, taking children to church ,all those traditional community activities that built social bonds and strong social capital we must continue to do, and even reinforced with greater vigor.
Some parents, some mothers, some fathers do need help in managing their children, as a community we should ensure we provide that help. fathers are especially guilty of not only not providing child support but not spending time training mentoring caring for their children.
Young girls must stop this fetish for choosing ‘bad man’ claiming the are exciting and men should alienate and not lime with fathers who fail to feed their children.
Sadly, sometimes you will have some individuals who have lost so much of their humanity that they are better off six feet down feeding the worms.
As a society Crime is every one’s business let us discuss these matters and push our government to take decisive action with regular reports on the implementation and success of a reset of criminal management in Antigua Barbuda. For whom does the bell toll? The bell tools for each one of us.
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I do not think you should violate the constitutional rights of defendants to hold them accountable. Doing so will turn us into those same people you are condemning in your article, the slave owners who took away our human and constitutional right. Now you are saying we must do the same? I will not agree but here is my solution.
Fire with fire will not work, criminals will think just like before, I am not going to be caught, they always think that. So, focused should be on reducing the opportunity to commit crimes. This is not just about the presence (of officers). It requires strategies that confuses criminals on when and where officers will be, reduction of opportunities for criminals to commit crimes, putting fear in criminals that we know who what their plans are because we now have intelligence, data and so forth and will use this to advance national security and safety.
Fighting fire with fire is the same thing as saying, we are going to increase penalty, and this has no effect because criminals act because they think they are not going to be caught to get the fire/punish/the harm. So, this has never been effective at reducing the opportunities to commit crimes. But a strategic idea on how to put fear of being caught in the minds of criminals and reducing opportunities should be the focus.
Having more officers alone will not put that fear into criminals of being caught, and having more officerd will alone will not reduce the opportunities for criminals to commit crimes. Officers will need the guidance of experts in the field that can collect data/intelligence, analyse and recommend strategic policing styles for these officers to do what is truly needed to reduce crimes and that is to put fear of apprehension in the minds of criminals and reducing opportunities to commit crimes. Antigua and Barbuda always had laws and police. Even this weekend, they had both, but vicious crimes still occurred. It means both (law and police) are not adequate and the next step that is needed with them (law and police) is proper pragmatic strategies from those with the advance knowledge in behavior, society, minds, and so forth as described below.
The Office of Intelligence and National Security should be created by an Act which authorized INSU to set INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY priorities, implement a comprehensive and research-based national strategy on intelligence gathering, analysis, etcetera, to FORMULATE strategies to reduce internal and external threats to the country that could have a national and substantial negative impact.
This unit will be made up mainly of advanced degree holders and those with exceptional abilities in science, technology, engineering, math, criminology, psychology, psychiatry, national security, international relations, terrorism, corrections, law, statistics, forensics, economics, sociology, history, ballistics, etcetera.
I am calling on you to make this INSU operational so that experts are able to guide law enforcement in a science based strategy for national security.
The Pm, Ag, and other local leaders are in denial that the local force has the skills and expertise in this area of national security, intelligence, and research.
We are dealing with the minds of criminals. We are dealing with society (various kinds of minds), and you are telling me you do not comprehend the importance of social science in this? Do you really not comprehend the urgent pragmatic need to understanding people to strategies?
And that is if the defendant is guilty, what happens when you remove the constitutional rights of defendants who turns out to be not guilty (completely innocent). Let us use sense during this time. We can still win this fight against criminality using fairness, and human rights.
Just need to let intelligent people in that field do it. Not people promoted to the head of law enforcement only because they spent years in a department without advance degree of knowledge, research and lessons.
Put the experts there and I promise you, the solution will work and it would not include victimize defendants who will turn out to be not guilty to get control of crimes and criminals.
All these pages and nothing about the foreign criminals in Antigua. Jamaica is the murder capital of the world, so how could allowing thousands of Jamaicans into Antigua not increase the crime rate in Antigua? We need mass deportations and a resumption of hanging. Convicted murderers should swing within a year.
I would love to see something recent in terms of data this one can be misleading for present time
Kudos Mr. Weston. Great analysis. However, I wish to focus on your last point which I think is the most important. This has to do with single parent mothers, with no male presence around. The mother is struggling and maybe working 2 jobs. The fathers are not only absent but also not contributing financially. We often read of the problems women have with the court and police to pursue these worthless men. So the mother is hardly around and the kids are growing themselves. So they grow with no love, no support, no values, no discipline, no manners. And no Role Models. In today’s world, they will all have an electronic device where they are exposed and influenced by negative outside influences. Mr. Weston spoke about Antigua being a close knit society. Which Antigua? Maybe in your day. Today we do not even know our neighbours. In my youth and Mr. Weston’s youth, the village brought up the child. This sense of community no longer exists. We had respect for the elderly. We had respect for each other. We could correct or discipline a child. Try that today, and the parent will come with a machete. My point is Antigua, like the rest of the world, has changed. This is the most important point that we must accept. Then we start from there to find solutions to the problems and everyone must be involved. This is not a government, police or church problem. This is an all a we problem.
Nothing like being on the outside of the cabal and no longer supping at the trauf to clear the mind
Amen and amen
The core problem fueling society’s ills – murders, rapes, robberies, and more – remains unaddressed. We can analyze statistics and discuss every angle, but until we confront the root cause, these issues will persist and worsen.
Why do we fear the truth? While truth may sting, it challenges our deeply held beliefs and demands discipline and surrender to a higher power. We can educate and cite statistics all day, but that won’t solve the problem.
The reality is that humanity, even much of the Christian world, has abandoned the simple guidelines and disciplines our Creator established for peace and security. We’ve discarded His instruction manual, preferring our own flawed ways.
The chaos we see today is the result of following our own desires. We plant rotten seeds and expect a bountiful harvest. It’s absurd! As hearts grow increasingly wicked, our society’s moral decline will accelerate. No human system can fix this; the problem is spiritual, and human methods are powerless against it.
The world hurtles towards destruction. Climate change, crime, government corruption—the signs are everywhere. Statistics are informative, but the only solution is a radical heart change. Only by turning to our Creator can we experience this transformation.
Sadly, most will continue down the path of destruction. As the manual warns, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” It’s the easy path, devoid of discipline, boundaries, or absolute truth—a life without hope.
In contrast, the narrow path is demanding, requiring discipline, obedience, and sacrifice. Yet, it offers hope beyond the grave. People aren’t suffering from a lack of knowledge, but from rejecting the truth that leads to wisdom and healing.
Let’s boldly proclaim the truth, even if it hurts, for it’s the only way to save.
You had a chance to do something…to play role and you did nothing…stfu now. Thanks n good day.
Lenox Weston the criminality, crimes and criminal behaviors which has the CARIBBEAN REGION as one of the worst region for murders in the world is by DESIGN.
It’s not called War On Drugs the main commodity which is causing the Caribbean Region to become a war zone.
This commodity/DRUGS, a large percentage of it is to supply the DRUG MARKETS in NORTH AMERICA and EUROPE.
Most of the DRUGS which are left in the CARIBBEAN then supply the TOURISM or WHORISM INDUSTRY (that’s right it’s a WHORISM INDUSTRY); which is supported by no other, than the #WORKING_ADDICTS coming/going on vacation to get their illegal kicks and grooves on.
So, Lenox Weston, enough of the spreadsheet stats, to draw your conclusion(s) and this is fine, since, they serve the technocrats and bumbling bureaucrats to stretch their hands out begging for reliefs; but, again the main commodity which is driving the CRIMES from murder to gang wars to free movement of people to war on the streets is DRUGS! DRUGS! DRUGS!
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg👣Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
As posts here and on the internet/facebook have demonstrated, Antigua’s functional illiteracy rate must be about 95%. That means we can read and write but cannot reason. Weston does an excellent analysis and many responses are to be political or downright stupid by saying he should shut up as he was in government. We have to get past that and face what is now. But this country is so politically divided that this will never happen. While the internet has had its positive impacts, the negative far outweighs the good, as it has given the stupid and ignorant a voice.
the Big greasy rice pudding has spoken!!
Chocolingo The Bull …. HIT THEM UNGREATFUL ASTRONAUTS FU 6…..
GASTON, CHET, SAHID GREEN, MAX [ Papa Bunum ] Hurst, Sir. Pussy, Sir. CRSPPO MALVO, Sir. ROLLS ROYCE …ETC …
How can the police effectively fight crime when there are published reports of discord and dissatisfaction within the police force about the leadership approach to the entire crime situation. A house divided against its self cannot stand. The last place you would expect division and discord is in the police force. The police cannot effectively fight crime when they are busy fighting their own internal battles. You cannot send soldiers to war if they are not committed to the fight. Unless the issues hurting and haunting the police force are addressed and dealt with effectively and efficiently, it’s a joke to expect the police to give the current crime situation their undivided attention. We are really up sh*t street.
The government of Taiwan just gifted the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines 100 security cameras as part if their ongoing crime prevention strategy . It is time that we have cameras placed at strategic places throughout the country.
We have to get more strategic, calculated and deliberate as the old ways of fighting crimes are archaic and no longer relevant in this technological era. We are losing the battle and it is showing.
Someone suggested that we have murder for hire so that someone should be able to solve the problem
Mr. Weston Well said and I agree with you. I would like to add that we cannot forget we have to look at minimum wage in this country and ask ourselves if it is a livable income. Also, the Police and the Government must support the schools in their cry for greater support in security. We have a ABDF that get paid every month and we continue to recruit for. We need to ask are we getting value for money from them. When I say this, I mean wouldn’t they best are they were placed in the school system to assist the principals and teachers with dealing with the trouble youth. I have been in the position where PMS is crying out to the police and not up to now, they show up. How is it that the two gangs have active IG and Facebook page where they post whatever they want and nothing happening, and we behave like we don’t know it’s happening. The government need to place more funding on community sports and community centers to keep the children occupied as they say devil finds work for idle minds and hand. The politicians need to support more than just food vouchers, but rather assist in helping the ones that show potentials. Positivity is catching we just need to foster it
Excellent statistical analysis and ideas as usual from Mr. Weston. Hopefully, all relevant stakeholders will convene emergency meetings to implement these asap. Looking forward to the articles announcing the launches of such new initiatives. There are many different ideas out there on what to do. Doing anything is better than doing nothing at all. Looking forward to a brighter future for all our young people.
Are we sure that we have excellent analysis by Weston or he is exploiting the situation to sound academic for entitlement of return to political office? Did he have analysis when he and his party create these mafia style investors land scheme in Barbuda, that isolate the poor into apathy and crime because of the unequal distribution of wealth or survival?
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