ST. LUCIA – According to Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony, the National Symposium on Crime “is aimed at developing a comprehensive strategic response to the prevention and abatement of crime and it will bring together various institutions and agencies involved in the national crime fight.”
The Prime Minister, who announced the Government’s initiative in this regard just recently, says the symposium will take place on October 21 at the NIC Conference Centre on the Waterfront in Castries and will seek to involve a wide cross-section of participation.
According to Dr Anthony, “It will not only address the concerns of the citizenry about crime, but the symposium will also seek to engage stakeholders in discussion and review of strategies and their implementation at all levels of the community.”
To this end, government officials like the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security and the Heads of the various Security Services will be invited to participate in the symposium, but significant inputs will also be made to reflect the perspectives of the General Public and the Private Sector.
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Senator Calixte George says special background papers for the symposium are being prepared by the Executive Director of the National Crime Commission, Mr. Linwall James, as well as by Sharon Trezelle, a sociologist at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.
Perspectives on the Crime Situation in Saint Lucia will be provided by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), while Perspectives of the Citizenry will also be provided by an ordinary citizen.
The need for Developing a Tourism Security Strategy for the industry will be addressed by Lt. Col. Bruce Barclay, Chairman of the Port Security Corporation of Jamaica, while Saint Lucian consultant, Cletus Springer, will lead participants in identifying, outlining and recommending future policies on crime prevention and abatement.
Preparations for the symposium are being coordinated by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security.
