Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has announced the establishment of a National Advisory Council on Citizen Security as another branch of government’s crime fighting strategies.
The body comprises a blend of skills drawn from the trade union movement, religious organisations, communications, the private sector, the legal fraternity, and other interested groups.
The National Advisory Council will be immediately tasked with providing a comprehensive approach to combatting crime and restoring stability, following recent shooting incidents in some districts across the island.
Speaking to reporters during a wide-ranging press conference on crime at Ilaro Court yesterday, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said the new entity will be chaired by former Senator Professor Velma Newton, while President of the Senate, Senator The Most Honourable Reginald Farley, will be the Deputy Chairman.
The Prime Minister stated that the Council on Citizen Security would “have the widest of the things that we must consider and do in order to be able to ensure that Barbados does not fall down the rabbit hole that, regrettably, other countries have fallen down into, as a result of the access, in particular, to assault and automatic weapons”.
She continued: “We believe that the time has come for us, therefore, to have that council not only respond to matters that we will send to it, either from the Office of the Attorney General or the Ministry of National Security, but equally, they are then empowered, because they will have their own secretariat to be able to send stuff to us, or to … engage with groups or subgroups within the public to be able to determine what else they believe is of merit that should come to us….
“This will range from programmes and policies to draft legislation to things that will not only be the domain of Government, but hopefully, will also be able to spark interest and participation on the part of all Barbadians.”
Acknowledging that no single party or institution is solely responsible for the country’s social challenges, the Prime Minister noted that the new council will complement ongoing efforts by various institutions, including the Law Reform Commission.
Other member of the Council are:
- Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association, Trisha Tannis
- President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce, James Clarke
- Chief Executive Officer of Goddard Enterprises Limited, Anthony Ali
- Leader of the Opposition or his representative
- Former Chief Information Officer at the Barbados Government Information Service, Sharon Lynch
- Representative of the Barbados Workers’ Union, Kamisha Benjamin
- Representative of the Barbados Bar Association, Michael Lashley
- The National Council of Parent-Teachers Association
- Director of PAREDOS, Cecily Clarke-Richmond
- Barbados Evangelical Association representative, Reverend Winston Clarke
- The Barbados Christian Council
- President of the The Barbados Muslim Association, Anwar Nana
- President of the Barbados Union of Teachers, Rudy Lovell
- President of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union, Mary Redman or her representative
- The Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools
- The Association of Public Primary School Principals
- Former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Oral Reid
- A representative of the Barbados Youth Parliament
- Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice and Security at The UWI, Professor Corin Bailey
The Prime Minister declared: “This council is a serious council, and its membership are serious credible people in this nation from diverse backgrounds. It is intended, in addition to the legislature, in addition to the executive, to be the bridge to civil society to be able to allow us to have a nationally owned programme to take our country back to the place where it is not at risk of panic, or it is not on a pathway to poverty, as a result of the kinds of things that are happening.”