Imagining a future like our past-Anthony Smith – Response to crime in Antigua – open letter.
By Anthony Smith, Jr.
I remember when it was common practice to leave your key under the mat, or even under a stone in your yard. No hassle, no fuss. Whoever came home first would simply get the key and open the door.
I remember when we often left a window closest to the front door partially open. Whoever came home first would put their hand through the window in the direction of the door. They would simply turn the key that had been left in the lock and open.
The worst-case scenario was to leave the key with your neighbour. We didn’t cut keys for everyone in the house. Wow! What a time that was. Do you remember such a time?
I’m not a fan of the phrase “the good old days;” but if we are going to be honest, gone are those “good old days.”
In those days, we were free. Of course, we were not careless or ignorant to the possibility of crimes taking place. We were, indeed, careful, but not panicked. Certainly, we didn’t have to be in this constant state of military alert as if we were the police or security officer.
These massive steel security bars were not part of our reality. As a matter of fact, we were shocked to see them in other countries when we travelled. But we now have to build large concrete walls for our properties and install high-tech security systems.
These are very expensive undertakings for the citizens of our beautiful Antigua and Barbuda and have caused us to become prisoners in our own homes. Meanwhile, our political leaders live in luxury and safety at the expense of the citizenry, leaving us to fend for ourselves.
How many “Breaking News” headlines must we read in the papers or watch on ABS-TV before this government gets serious about crime detection, prevention and solution? When will the government give the Police Force the necessary, sorely needed resources and training?
We may not have the resources of a Scotland Yard, but we can do better. “For de people sake,” we must do better. The surge in crime is too much for us. It is too much for the homeowner, the businessperson, the little children and the elderly.
It is obvious that the ALP Parliamentarians are protected in their fancy mansions, isolated and insulated in their bubble. But in the meantime, and until we get a government that cares about us, we, the citizens, must do the best we can.
And so, since we don’t have caring leadership in the present administration, let us come together. Let us partner with the Police and other stakeholders. This may involve community policing, neighbourhood watches, and other forms of people-organizing. It may even mean pooling resources to employ a security patrol in our various villages.
All Saints West, I know you can benefit from something like this. We have been abandoned by this government. They have left us out in the cold, while at the same time hoarding all of the blankets.
So let’s organize; let’s keep an eye out and maintain vigilance; but, more so, let us elect a more caring and compassionate government to see about our affairs. A government that is more innovative and will partner with the Police to protect the people of this land.
We need a government that will invest in the development of the Police. Such development goes beyond firearms and use of force. It is comprehensive and includes – but is not limited to – training in technology, psychology, statistics and trends, among other things.
Maybe then, we will all be able to say, “I remember when;” not only as something good from the past, but as a reality for generations going forward.
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Well said Mr Anthony Smith Jr. A letter that expresses how the majority of Antiguans are feeling about the rising crime rate around the country.
Our police and security services need much more funding to halt these increasing villainous misdemeanours.
LETTER OF THE WEEK SIR … 👏
Little newlywed boy, u support a gunman being a part of the UPP slate with you?
He support a gunman and you support the brother of a child rapist, lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Was Nigel Christian clean? How can a man that checked two barrels daily and five on christmas eve have over EC1.0M in his band account.
U think people should tek de advice of your former leader to “SHARPEN U CUTLISS BACK AND BELLY CHAP DEM UP!!!”
What say u little one?
@ Tessa Bartley
I THINK YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THE ADVICE OF THE BROTHER OF A CHILD RAPIST WHO ASK YOU MINIONS TO ‘DUTTY’ PEOPLE NAME AND ACCUSE DEM OF BEING RAPIST WHEN THE ABLP CONSIST OF PAEDOPHILES, THEIVES AND FRAUDSTERS, TO NAME A FEW 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Y dont u just shut up now! U seem to be a very angry person… go get some help
@ Smh
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
“Training in technology, psychology, statistics and trends”? is this man on drugs? We need tougher sentences. Criminals are still getting fines for illegal guns and ammo. We need mandatory minimums for these thugs. Foreign criminals need to be deported automatically and we need visa restrictions on all these high crime countries.
Michael Browne will clean your slate. I know your Dad is in Antigua. He is now your campaign Manager. Be careful your Dad..His moral is AWFUL.
Mr smith when i tell my friends here in North America that I never had a KEY to my place of residence until I came to North america. I’ve been here since 1969 and they would where the hell are you from? Antiga was nice nice nice and safe, safe, safe. I want to come home soo badly but the steady in the crime rate has me worried.
U live in North America and u’re afraid to come back to Antigua? 😳 Seriously? U’re not fazed by daily school shootings; racist police killings; white supremacist gangs armed to the teeth; but u’re afraid to come back to A&B bcuz of crime? Really?
Dont expect any thing better from the police force. The police force is like a regular 9 to 5. Antigua police force is less than 500 strong and the army is less than 300 strong. It is a known fact that antigua has the smallest army in the world. People this the truth Antigua will probably end up being a failed state before things get any better with the crime rate and gun violence.
DADLI MAN Where I’m located the homocide rate is 5.7 per hundred thousand. I feel pretty safe perhaps until I become a victim. I was born and raised in antigua and never had a sence of fear going anywhere day or night. Yes indeed, the crime rate and the steady increase in gun violence is weighing heavy on my mind. In my days if you had 2 murders in a year that would be a record high in Antigua. The crime rate, gun violence and mass murders are the least on my mind where I am there are other factors thats telling me its time to leave.
@ Antigua Bill, you obviously do not travel to Antigua very often.
I’m reading your posts and do not acknowledge anything you are saying about my beloved country.
Western countries like the US, Europe and the UK (that I visit quite often), are not only growing in crime rates, but the rise in the growth of far-right groups is a real concern to one and all.
Give me Antigua everyday, anytime over an overzealous country – like the USA – where the gun is king, and it seems that atrocities involving guns that kill innocent children, teenagers and adults are happening more and more.
Sounds like you haven’t been back to Antigua since 1969 …
I laugh when I hear these people living in North American say they are afraid to come back to Antigua where there is so much crime and downright hatred. I was in America three weeks ago and you see the women clutching on to their bags as I passed which obviously is some form of profiling and these people living there talking about they are afraid to come home. The fact that they embrace the crime and even downright hatred towards then is akin to the stockholm syndrome.
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