Increase in Crime? True or False

“Young man shot and killed.” “Gang leader stabs teacher in school.” “Contractor robbed at gun point.” These are all headlines which we hear from time to time. I submit that at the root of the problem resides the problem of drug trafficking and drug abuse. When the news hits the airwaves it creates great alarm, and the message becomes inflated at times by many with peculiar objectives, but the reality remains that there are only a few who have resorted to living in the fast lane and will most likely sooner more than later be caught between the gun and the dark.

Is there then really a rise in crime?{{more}} The sad state of affairs is that when the smoke is cleared from the cross fire, the reflection is that, there is an apparent and not a real increase in crime. The reality is that those who adopt a lifestyle founded on the drug culture have an uncertain life expectancy owing to levels of distrust which develop as a natural consequence of shady business transactions. For all that we know our general society may be very well becoming far more peaceful over the years. Today I attend larger and larger crusades held by the Adventist Churches and more and more people are accepting Christ as their Lord and Saviour, our young people are partaking in gospel drama and dance activities on an unprecedented scale, and more of our young people are attaining higher levels of education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, and are expected to act more sensibly. Sporting competitions are engaging our time and the vibe is good. However, the few who support the illicit drug trade and associated activities are living far shorter lives and are heading the front pages of our newspapers. The gun shots are ringing out in their corners.

Across the globe, there is a new phenomenon of very antisocial behaviours being displayed predominantly by youth in all spheres from the home to the school. These behaviours certainly give way to an increase in crime, and subsequently the need for an increase in personal security and safety in our society. It is evident from the rising numbers of young people who are serving time for crimes related to drug abuse and trafficking, that we should be worried about the current state of affairs as there certainly is a correlation between the drug abuse and trafficking and the rise in criminal related activities.

One of the primary objectives of any nation is to have a healthy population living in environmentally sound communities, which are empowered with a holistic knowledge of health and wealth. With regards to wealth, continued special attention must be paid to our youth population as they are living in a world that has many great opportunities and challenges alike. The youth population of our nation is the life blood in the veins of our society. Without them, the future development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines would be crippled. It is then in the best interest of the development of this our country for every citizen to forcefully attack issues that lead to the demise of our national youth product.

When the subject of youth and drugs in our local communities comes to mind, one does not quite often think of the man-made synthetic drugs such as LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) and ecstasy. However, the absence of such drugs in our local communities does not translate that our society should be relaxed and unconcerned, as there are other drugs that have a potential to affect our communities and national development in the long term.

As it relates to our youth, there exists a vibrant and growing population in St. Vincent and the Grenadines who are dependent on drug trafficking as a means of livelihood with no distinction between males and females. Also there are many youth who engage in the use and abuse of hard and soft drugs. We must therefore forge the necessary alliances to avoid a social collapse.

Our youth who are caught in the drug trafficking business and abuse must to be fathered by all stakeholders of the society. Areas such as tourism, construction, administration, finance and information technology services, not excluding agriculture and manufacturing can be used as a means of identifying their niche in life in order to become contributing citizens to the development of our nation. Our focus should never be allowed to wane as we look to the future with our youth in mind. Our fight against crime continues.