Caricom states called to tackle crime collectively to avoid financial challenges

Barbados’ Minister of Home Affairs and Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite speaking at the opening session of CARICOM’s Seventeenth Meeting of the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONCLE) of which he chairs, says unless the region is able to control crime individually and collectively, it will continue to face financial challenges.

Brathwaite raised concerns about the increase in the number of guns and ammunition trafficking through the region, reminding that the international community does not view the individual states but the region as a whole.

The caliber of illegal weapons was also pointed out by the Chairman, who questioned the underlining factors for this development.

CARICOM’s Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque in his remarks urged representatives to deepen their resolve in strengthening the security policy through individual and collective efforts. He alluded to other legal prerequisites that are needed in an effort to improve the region’s security architecture.

Meantime, Guyana’s Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan in his welcoming remarks highlighted the need for people’s perception of the security sector need to be improved; making reference to citizens’ lack of confidence in the security forces is like a glass ceiling that needs to be broken.

Ramjattan noted too that crime and corruption are bad choices and not part of the regional culture, as they are being perceived.