More Resources To Be Made Available To Fight Crime

( Cabinet Notes) The Cabinet invited 17 officials to its meeting, including the top brass of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, the Organization of National Drug Control and Money Laundering Policy (ONDCP), the Fire Department, and an IT Specialist within the government service who collaborates with law enforcement; they discussed the evident increase of robberies by young males and other crimes involving the use of firearms. The Prime Minister explained that the Cabinet stands full-square with law enforcement, and resources of the Treasury are to be made available in order to stem the tide of these violent crimes. The Police Commissioner noted that there can be no statistics for crimes prevented; however, patrols and ‘Stop-and-Search’ by the Police and Military are a deterrent. The Police noted that new perpetrators of a younger age are choosing to become criminals, and to seek out victims that are easier to rob. It was agreed that all the data collected required analysis in order to determine the best strategy. Collaboration between the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board and the Police to provide the names of owners of plate numbers is assured. The security that has been organized for the SIDS4 conference, ICC T20 World Cup, and even Carnival 2024, is in place and will deter criminal activity.  The IT Specialist provided assurance that the public cameras are working and that the monitors will show images of events that are taking place on the ground.