St Vincent's government will not shy away from imposing localized curfews or bringing in soldiers from neighbouring Caribbean nations if gang violence and shooting incidents persist, Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock announced on Monday.
Speaking on New Times radio in the wake of a mass shooting in Green Hill over the weekend, Leacock laid out the range of tools available to the state. He confirmed the administration stands ready to tap the Regional Security System for military reinforcement, with potential troops coming from the Barbados Defence Force or Guyana Defence Force to bolster local operations.
Yet Leacock acknowledged the tension inherent in such drastic action. Emergency responses of this scale risk generating unfavourable international coverage that could spook investors and weaken tourism, he cautioned. "It's a balancing act," he said, describing the challenge of crushing violence without projecting an image of instability.
Still, Leacock made clear that protecting citizens takes precedence over such concerns. International opinion, he insisted, will not prevent the government from doing what is necessary. He also rejected any suggestion that criminal organisations could outmatch state power, saying no gang "can be bigger and badder than the state".
On the operational front, police are pursuing an aggressive intelligence-based approach involving increased armed patrols, drone surveillance, and raids in violence-prone neighbourhoods, Leacock confirmed. He also urged residents, community groups, and religious organisations to work alongside law enforcement, arguing that lasting peace depends on both forceful government intervention and grassroots participation.
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