BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, January 14, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Crime statistics in St. Kitts and Nevis continue to trend in the right direction, with Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris stating that the Federation has recorded year after year reduction in major crimes, including homicides.
A total of ten homicides was recorded in the Federation in 2020, compared to 12 homicides committed in 2019.
“We ended 2020 with a 20 percent reduction in major crimes when compared to 2019. Additionally, our detection rose to 50 percent, the best detection rate so far. This is the third year in a row that we have experienced such significant reduction in major crimes,” said Prime Minister Harris, who is also Minister of National Security.
The prime minister said the immediate goal of his Government is to enhance the safety and security of St. Kitts and Nevis to such an extent that homicides are reduced even further to a single digit.
Dr. Harris, however, urged every citizen and resident to assist the Government in ensuring that St. Kitts and Nevis is the safest place to live, work and to visit.
“I must remind our citizens and residents that each of us can contribute to crime reduction if we practice to say something when we see a crime being committed or become privy to any information on it. No one must be allowed to take another’s life with impunity. The law must take its course. We must never recoil from seeking peace and pursuing it. We continue to work hard to make St Kitts and Nevis the safest small island state in the World,” Prime Minister Harris said.
The National Security Minister commended the rank and file of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force. He singled out the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilroy Brandy, who, on the recommendation of the Cabinet, was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) for his distinguished and meritorious service to law enforcement.
“Mr. Brandy’s excellent record in law enforcement has finally received recognition and acclaim from Her Majesty…and I want to commend him on this significant conferment at this time in his career, and of course on behalf of all of us at Cabinet I extend to you again, Commissioner Brandy, our most sincere congratulations and best wishes,” Prime Minister Harris added.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 16, 2020 (SKNIS): Census Day, a day set aside to determine who is counted in the 2021 Population and Housing Census, as well as where they are counted, is slated for Thursday, September 16, 2021, in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“I want to take the opportunity to announce that September 16, 2021, is designated as Census Day for St. Kitts and Nevis and several other member states within the CARICOM,” said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during the tabling of The Appropriation (2021) Bill, 2020, on Tuesday, December 15 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort Ballroom.
This day is the reference period for the count of persons residing in St. Kitts and Nevis. Notably, the census interview is somewhat lengthy because the information is requested from every single household in the Federation on matters such as housing, access to computers and internet, educational attainment, access to health care and social services, long-term illnesses and disabilities, and employment status- to name a few. Hence, the actual interview process starts from August and continues into October 2021. Herein, the “Census Day” reference point becomes important as to where persons of a said household resided. The participation of everyone is important to enable effective planning for the sustainable development of the Federation. “It’s you. It’s me. It’s us- 2021 Census”.
Officials from the Department of Statistics in St. Kitts and Nevis recruited field enumerators to assist the department in conducting the Pre-Census Listing and Mapping Exercise which will run until December 2020.
“Enumerators will be collecting data such as the place of residence of all of our citizens and residents. This information will determine the official record of the population distribution and other socio-economic data across the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Prime Minister Harris. “This information would be relied upon to indicate in real terms what additional investments may be required to meet the needs of the various communities.”
Prime Minister Harris said that having updated and accurate data is key to ensuring systematic policy planning.
“Mr. Speaker, our efforts to build a stronger and safer future for our citizens and residents cannot be undertaken without access to current and accurate data. And, in this regard, we remain committed to advancing the implementation of the 2021 Population and Housing Census,” said Prime Minister Harris. “This undertaking will facilitate evidence-based policymaking as we endeavour to provide access to essential services and basic infrastructure.”
He encouraged the general public to cooperate fully with the enumerators, noting that the Census will redound to the benefit of everyone.
A Census gathers information about the general population to present a full and reliable picture of the population in the country – its housing conditions and demographic, social and economic characteristics. The information collected includes data on age, gender, and country of origin, year of immigration, marital status, housing conditions, marriage, and the number of children, education, employment, and travel habits.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 29, 2020 (SKNIS): Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis are strongly encouraged to be cooperative and truthful with enumerators working on behalf of the Department of Statistics whenever surveys are being conducted. Cooperation and confidentiality are key messages being communicated as preparations continue for the conduct of the Population and Housing Census in 2021.
A team from the department appeared on the radio and television programme Working for You on Wednesday (October 28, 2020) to raise public awareness about the work of the government department and next year’s census.
Director of Statistics, Carlton Phipps, said that all information collected is kept strictly confidential. This is a mandate of the Statistics Act of 2002, which outlines legal penalties and fines for any breach of information.
Section 17 (2) (a) of the Act states that “Any person, being in possession of any information which to his or her knowledge has been disclosed in contravention of this Act, who publishes or communicates such information to any person shall be guilty of an offense against this Act and shall on conviction on indictment, be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding six thousand dollars or to both such imprisonment and fine.”
Director Phipps added that it is virtually impossible to single out any one individual as all of the information is grouped.
“We collect data from households [and] that data is only consolidated and published in an aggregated format so that the manner in which we publish such data it would not be possible to identify any particular person or any particular group within that data set,” he stated.
Additionally, each enumerator must take an oath of confidentiality before he/she is allowed to carry out their duties.
Also appearing on Working for You were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Elretha Simpson-Brown, Senior Statistician with responsibility for Data Dissemination and Advocacy, Samantha Huggins, and Social Statistician/Demographer, Corneil Williams.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 29, 2020 (SKNIS): Social Statistician/Demographer in the Department of Statistics within the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Mr. Corneil Williams, said that information taken from persons during a census is taken very seriously and that they take every precaution to ensure that the data is answered truthfully.
“We ask the respondents to be forthright and honest with their responses to the questions,” he said while appearing on the October 28 edition of “Working for You.” “Part of that is that they understand that this is for no purpose except for the good of the country and for your own good. There is no negative effect that can come back at you for providing this information.”
Mr. Williams stated that the persons collecting the information, the enumerator, their information is then fact-checked.
“The supervisor has the responsibility to go back to a portion of those households and verify that the person actually came to that household and conducted interviews and that these were the responses given and that these responses are actually truthful and factual to the best of their knowledge and ability,” he said.
He said that this is then followed up with a Post Enumeration Survey where a percentage of the full information collected is again surveyed.
“We go back to a percentage of the population and we ask ‘Good day, we received this information from you and we are seeking to verify that it came from you and that this is, in fact, the truth as it is known to you’,” said Mr. Williams. “So, there is a multistage process to ensure that the truthfulness and the factuality of the data provided.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 29, 2020 (SKNIS): Officials from the Department of Statistics in St. Kitts and Nevis are encouraging households to give their full support to field enumerators and actively participate in the Pre-Census Listing and Mapping Exercise, which will run until December 2020.
“We are making the appeal that we are doing our part at the Department of Statistics, and we are looking for the support of the public,” said Elreter Simpson- Browne, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development during the October 28 edition of ‘Working for You.’ “We are appealing to the persons out there to know that the Housing and Population Census involves everybody, the information collected will benefit everybody so when we come to your home please support us and give us the information that we are asking for.”
Mrs. Simpson-Browne said because the data collected is so important the Department of Statistics proceeded to launch an awareness campaign aimed at educating the general public.
“We decided that we are not going to leave any group or class of people out of this awareness programme. We are taking it down to the primary schools, secondary and tertiary. We are going to the NGOs, government ministries and the private sector,” said Permanent Secretary Simpson-Browne, while noting that enumerators encounter problems where parents would command the children to lie about their presence at home. “My experience going out into the field tells me that you must educate and let the children know what a Housing and Population Census is. If we make the children aware… when we go back to the house, and the child comes out, I believe that we would get a different reaction.”
She said it is important for the people to know that if the Census is not conducted properly and if the data is incorrect then the entire country fails.
Social Statistician/Demographer in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Corneil Williams supported the permanent secretary and appealed to the general public to assist the enumerators as much as possible. He said that the data collected will be used for various reasons and by various entities. For example, the data on age give a general idea of persons who are still in school, those of working age, as well as those who are retired. The data will also be utilized by Social Security for dependency purposes and pension planning.
“I am hoping that persons can see that it is of value to them and are willing to give the information when requested, and hopefully we can provide back to them in short order the outputs, the tables and the information,” said Mr. Williams.
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