Twenty four hours after Wednesday’s shooting incident at Back Way Sandy Point, gunshots were heard again, this time in the area of Sandy Point known as Cart Part.
Reports are that a young man known as Bobo was about to enter the entrance gate to his home when several shots were fired in his direction. He managed to escape without injury.
In an unrelated incident, another man was stabbed on Mount Idle Thursday night. Information about that incident is sketchy at best, but multiple sources have identified the victim as “Wappa.”
While there’s an obvious escalation in violent crimes in the federation, the police in its press release on Thursday sought to convince a skeptical and terrified population that major crimes are down almost 15% for the first 11 months of the year when compared to the same period last year.
“I am happy to report that as a result of your efforts, your vigilance and your dedication our nation has seen an overall reduction in major crimes of 14.3% during the period of January to November 2015, when compared to the same period last year,” stated the Commissioner of Police (COP) of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), Mr. Stafford Liburd.
COP Liburd made this statement while giving brief remarks to officers of the RSCNPF at his Commissioners Lecture held yesterday, December 17th 2015 at the Police Training Complex, Newtown, Basseterre.
To date, for this year St. Kitts and Nevis has recorded 32 homicides, surpassing the 24 murders that were committed in all of 2014. All but two of the killings are gun related. Almost all have been classified mysteries and as cold cases, with no leads, no witnesses and no suspects.
The commissioner added that even though homicides and shootings continue to be of great concern for the nation, “Our officers have taken 20 illegal firearms from the streets to date in 2015.” He continued by saying, “Our counter narcotics efforts have resulted in much success with the removal of over 830lbs of marijuana and almost 4lbs of cocaine from the streets.”
Commissioner Liburd commended the officers and encouraged them to continue working hard to ensure that the Federation is safe for visitors and residents to enjoy.
“You, the men and women are the cementing factor of this force. 2016 will be a year of continued challenges, and our work will be guided by a three(3) year Strategic Plan , a Service Delivery Improvement Plan and the ‘Six Point Plan’. In 2016, I ask that each of you as a member of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force endeavor to strengthen your relationship with the communities in which you serve. Find a way or ways to reach and establish those solid relationships that can build partnerships between the community and the police. Your embrace and full support of these initiatives will contribute to making St. Kitts and Nevis a safer to live, work, visit and do business.”
Meanwhile reports are that the FND office at Bladen, next to the Valu Mart complex, was held up early Friday morning(December 18) by an armed mask gunman who demanded that the FND vault be opened. A terrified FND employee indicated that the vault code was unknown. It is further reported that the gunman then ransacked the office and left, much to the relief of the traumatized employee.