Barbados Private Sector Association Urges Comprehensive Solution to Address Rising Crime Rates

The Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) has issued an urgent call for a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach to tackle rising crime rates.

At a news conference, BPSA Chairman Tricia Tannis stressed a need for coordinated action involving all sectors of society to address the root causes of criminal behaviour.

“There’s a denigration of respect for human life in preference for gold or any other tradable asset that can be converted and liquidated very quickly on the streets,” Tannis told reporters.

She recounted a troubling scenario where a young, ambitious employee left a legitimate job to engage in illicit activities for higher financial gain. “We have a serious problem when we have that sort of a system at play.”

The private sector spokeswoman stressed that addressing the crime issue requires a multifaceted approach.

“This is clearly an issue that is going to take essentially all of us — the press, the private sector, all stakeholders. It’s certainly not an issue that can be politicised,” she said.

Tannis expressed deep concern over the impact of crime on daily life and the fear it instils in the community.

“We cannot live in fear in our homes because there are relatively few elements being highly incentivised to do whatever it is that they do and not care about the innocent fallout,” she said.

She firmly rejected the notion of ignoring the problem and allowing criminals to “kill themselves”, pointing out the indiscriminate danger of weapons like AK-47s.

Calling for a structured and focused approach, Tannis elaborated: “It makes no sense all of us as disjointed stakeholders going out there and doing the same thing, tackling the same part of the issue. It would make more sense, even within the confines of the Social Partnership or similar partnerships, that maybe we have the criminologists basically say, ‘Look, this is the A to Z of this issue based on the expertise. This is how we want to address A to Z.'”

She proposed a coordinated strategy: “This group can take A to C, this group can take D to F, this group can take F to L, and so on. And therefore, we have a whole-of-society approach, but with very focused sub-foci, so that we’re probably tackling everything at the same time.”

The BPSA chairman highlighted the critical role of education in combating crime.

“Our schools play a critical role in shaping the values and future of our youth. We need to ensure that our educational institutions are not only places of learning but also safe havens where students can develop into responsible and law-abiding citizens,” she said.