Following the recent occurrence of its 15th homicide on Friday night, the island nation of St Vincent has prompted police in Kingstown to express concerns regarding the escalating crime situation, which is placing considerable strain on the Major Crimes Unit of the RSVGPF.
Gun violence has claimed the lives of two business proprietors on the island within the span of a week: Leslyn Davis and Stephen King. Alongside Davis, two additional individuals lost their lives. A third individual succumbed to injuries sustained in a chopping incident that occurred earlier in the week.
In recent years, St Vincent has experienced a troubling increase in gun-related offences prompting the Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves to state, “We do not possess a magic bullet to stop criminal activities.”
The Caribbean nation recorded a total of 54 homicides for the year 2024. Data reveals that this places the island in the second position within the western hemisphere regarding homicides per 100,000 individuals.
In 2023, SVG occupied the third position, whereas in 2022, it held the second rank in the region concerning murders per 100,000 individuals.
At a press conference on Saturday, ACP Trevor Bailey said,
“The investigations are being spearheaded by a few members of the major crimes unit , and I say a few members in that we are not strong in numbers. The unit is not that great in terms of numbers. So the offences are spreading us a little thin.”
On Saturday, Bailey urged individuals possessing information that could facilitate the apprehension of those responsible for the murder of Layou resident Oranson Garraway to step forward.
On Saturday, 19 April, Garraway, while proceeding to his father’s funeral, became victim of gunfire.
“We know that there are persons out there with information that can aid us with that specific matter. For whatever reason, information has not been forthcoming thus far. We are saying that we know that there are persons out there with information in respect to that specific crime that can assist us, and we appeal to them to give us the information so that we can lawfully use that information in a court of law and bring the perpetrators to justice. And I emphasise the perpetrators to justice.”
The year 2024 was marked by widespread gun violence perpetrated by criminal factions, alongside contentious debates between governmental bodies and law enforcement concerning the existence and operations of gangs within the island.
Nevertheless, as inhabitants grew increasingly familiar with the nuances of language and formal definitions, the grim reality of murder endured, leading the populace to call for more efficacious strategies to alleviate the violence.
In a 2024 interview on BOOM FM 106.9, ACP Trevor Bailey conveyed that, based on evaluations from external agencies, there exist roughly 5 to 6 gangs operating on the island.
