Faced with rising youth violence and gang activity, law enforcement officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are advocating for a “soft power” approach over purely punitive measures.
During a recent press conference, Commissioner of Police Enville Williams expressed deep concern over youth violence, particularly incidents involving students bringing weapons like scissors into schools.
While acknowledging that police had to intervene and confiscate weapons at institutions like the West St. George Secondary School, Williams emphasized that placing police officers in schools permanently is not the preferred strategy.
Instead, the police force plans to expand mentorship programs, deploy police and military bands to communities, and work alongside youth groups and churches to engage young people before they turn to crime.
Commissioner Williams also issued a strong appeal to parents and the media.
He urged parents to actively check their children’s bags for weapons and to stop encouraging retaliatory violence.
Furthermore, he called on local media to stop broadcasting graphic lyrics and music videos that glorify gang lifestyles—specifically citing the “six and seven” gangs—which subconsciously influence the youth.
The Commissioner also sternly warned the public against sharing gruesome videos of violence on social media, noting that it not only glorifies criminality and breeds copycats, but is also a punishable offense under the country’s cybercrime laws.