NRP Senator Carlyle Powell says the rampant gun related murders and shootings in the federation are traumatizing residents and visitors to the federation. Speaking on Freedom Fm’s Issues on Tuesday, Powell lamented the ineffective fight to combat crime by the Team Unity Government which includes, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in Nevis led by Premier Vance Amory.
“Last night is the first night in seven nights that I haven’t heard reports of shooting other than that for the past seven days, everyday without a let up we have had reports of shootings in the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and we have had the loss of some 6 lives in the month of July. Those six include the friendly fire shooting of the officer Brian. So its not looking good.
I want to give condolences to the family members of all those persons who have lost their lives in particular the family of Gary Claxton who I knew very well and who was an enterprising business man. I think he learnt his trade in those seafood and seafood products from his dad.
Yesterday I went to town for a meeting at 1 o’clock and you know I was going to the meeting and before I heard the news there was a boat to the pier in Charlestown all the way from Guadeloupe that had come to Nevis to do business with Gary and that boat was parked waiting for Gary to deliver whether it was conch, lobster, fish whatever while Gary’s lifeless body was on the Beach at Jessup Bay.”
NRP was in office from 2006-2013 and some 25 murders were committed. Powell said “to stem the murder rate, police barracks were built and transportation was provided to improve the mobility of the force. On the other hand Mark Brantley came up with an 8 point plan and advocated a state of emergency in which he urged PM Douglas to stop travelling and to come home. Powell pointed out that the current PM Harris is always travelling and took a BA flight to Antigua, first class recently. But no one is telling him to stay home.”
Powell also referred to the double salary received by Premier Amory and Deputy Premier Mark Brantley. “ Yet still there are 22 people on SKN who have suffered violent deaths.”