CISPS: Tackle crime and its causes

While 2016 brought mixed reports of crimes in different districts said Ramdhanie, overall murders and violent crimes continued at worrisome levels.

He urged the Government and the arms of the criminal justice system (the Police and Prison Services and the judicial system), academia, community groups, the private sector and individuals to work together to reduce crime in 2017 and beyond. “They need to create the enabling environment for crime reduction,” said Ramdhanie.

“With a strategic, targeted approach with concrete steps, and with an increased use of technology, crimes can be reduced and the crime detection rate for many types of crimes and their subsequent conviction rate can also be increased.” Ramdhanie urged that the criminal justice system be revamped to be more effective and that the causes of crime be tackled.

“Crime is not a criminal justice system problem only. It is much wider and deeper than that.

Everything that is done here ties back into crime — the education system, the social services system, the religious and value system, the economic system, the political system, the health system, regional and international affairs,” Ramdhanie explained.

“They all are intrinsically related to one another and they impact on human behaviour — criminal and non-criminal.

We cannot blame one part of the system only.” Ramdhanie was confident that if all persons take responsibility, the crime situation can be remedied in this relatively small twin-island State.