Nevis Premier calls for stop in involvement in criminal activity

Premier of Nevis and Minister responsible for Security in the Nevis Island Administration Hon. Vance Amory (file photo)

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (MARCH 05, 2013) — A call was made by Premier of Nevis and Minister of Security in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Vance Amory on March 05, 2013, urging persons on Nevis to desist from any involvement in criminal activity.

Mr. Amory was at the time delivering a television and radio address on March 05, 2013 and stated that it was his Government’s duty and responsibility to encourage everyone on the island to do so.

“The matter of crime cannot be condoned and while the Police will do their work, I think it is my responsibility and the responsibility of your Government to encourage all of us, to desist from becoming involved in criminal activity. It can only do harm to the country.

“Foreign investors will not want to come to a country where gun crimes are being committed. Foreign investors will not want to come to invest, to create jobs for us if the matter of security of their property, security of their businesses cannot be assured and guaranteed by your government. Our local investors will not feel comfortable if their business: their grocery, their restaurant, their small bar cannot be secured because of the perpetration of crimes of robbery, armed robbery and this is something that I want all of us to realise,” he said.

The Premier said he was aware of the island’s cultural shift and people had been subjected to outside influences through the internet and television programming which sometimes made it believable that they could imbibe some of those practices not a part of the Nevis tradition. He asked persons to desist from that practice as well.

“When in the height of the day a businessman in Charlestown was tied up and robbed of his merchandise and had shots fired when he tried to chase after the perpetrators. This is something unheard of in Nevis and it means that there could have been danger to so many other persons.

“I want us to see that this is something which we all have to band ourselves against to eradicate from our midst and I want to call upon all those who know of persons who have been engaged in crime; persons who may have illegal weapons, to give them up to the Police so that we can know that we are taking action to preserve the safety and security of our country,” he said.

Mr. Amory regarded the matter as a serious one and wanted everyone to understand their responsibility of preserving and keeping the island safe for all.

“I want us to understand that the responsibility for preserving our Nevis, preserving the peace, preserving the safety and ensuring that there is security in our homes, security on our streets, security in our offices and the security in our business places is a responsibility of all of us.

“I want to ask you if you know of anyone who has information that they give it to the Police, give it in confidence so that we can deal with the perpetrators of these crimes. Our country cannot afford it; our country cannot allow a few persons to destroy the integrity of our country,” he said.