St Vincent PM Vows to Stem Tide of Illegal Firearms
Addressing a recent surge in violent crime, St Vincent Prime Minister Godwin Friday has acknowledged a critical security challenge: the “unacceptable” number of illegal firearms flowing into St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In a press conference following a series of shootings that occurred between Friday and Monday, the Prime Minister emphasized that the country does not manufacture its own weapons, meaning every illegal firearm currently on the streets has been brought in from abroad.
“Part of the problem is that there’s just simply too many guns coming into St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” the Prime Minister stated. “We don’t manufacture them… yet everybody seems to be able to get one who wants one”.
Perhaps most significantly, the Prime Minister revealed that the government is not in the dark regarding how these weapons are arriving. He noted that it was “disturbing” to learn there is existing intelligence pinpointing exactly where these guns are “coming through” as they enter the country.
Vowing that the government would not “simply know something and do nothing about it,” the Prime Minister confirmed that a strategic plan is being implemented to intercept these shipments at their points of entry.
The Prime Minister’s remarks followed a high-level security meeting held in Bequia approximately two weeks ago. This meeting included the Deputy Prime Minister, the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Coast Guard, and other top-ranking officials.
The Prime Minister said the gun influx as a “challenging situation” that requires a shift in policing and a firm commitment to “stick with it until the problem is solved”. He also indicated that the government is seeking specific assistance and equipment from international partners like Taiwan to bolster their strategic plan, rather than accepting general aid that may not fit their immediate needs.
“The first thing that a government owes its citizen is security,” the Prime Minister concluded, taking responsibility for creating an environment where perpetrators are apprehended and held accountable.
