Blanchette calls for teamwork to reduce crime

(ZIZ)– “Crime is bigger than any political party.”

This is the view of the National Integrity Party’s leader, Glenroy Blanchette, who recently added his voice to the debate on crime in St. Kitts-Nevis.

Blanchette, who was speaking on a local radio programme, called on the nation’s youth to refrain from engaging in criminal activity.

“The National Integrity Party urges all our young men to put down their guns as guns do not make you a man,” he said. “Guns help to destroy the fabric of our society and so, the shooting incident is a stark reminder of the enduring need to remove guns from the streets of our federation and so, the increased gun violence can potentially wipe out the social and economic gains of our nation and further jeopardize the sustainability of our development as a nation.”

Blanchette, whose party is one of three opposition parties on St. Kitts, then said it was important for the government and members of the opposition to collaborate where crime prevention is concerned.

“Yes we have seen an increase in gun violence, an increase in armed robberies and so on and so, what this says to us is that opposition parties must be careful in what they say while in opposition. When it comes to crime and fighting crime, we need all hands on board, both government and opposition. We need the communities to come together to get rid of this scourge and so, opposition must be responsible again, must be responsible when we are dealing with these national issues such as crime,” he said.