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Articles and/or Speeches

Plight of the Trouble TCI Youth
Graduation Address
The Impact of Crime in the TCI
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Children's Care & Adoption Bill 2010
The Effects of Crime in the TCI
Summary of Offences Amendment Bill 2010
A Family Court
Introduction of Ms Delancy
Mother's Day Speech
The Role Of NGOs
Seventh Day Church
Turks and Caicos Employment Bill
Woman's Day

The Effects of Crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands
February 9, 2010

Presented by Ms. Karen L. Delancy
N.J.S Francis Building
Government Square, Grand Turk

Mr. Chairman, Colleagues, visitors in the gallery, good morning. The Turks and Caicos Islands, our Beautiful by Nature Country is a tourism based economy. In this friendly, tranquil, God fearing country, Crime has reared its ugly head. Incidents of crime directed at tourists that visit and those living in these islands are; Murder, robberies, rapes, and assault are now the news headlines of the day.

Mr. Chairman we are beginning to look like our neighbors to the North West of us!

Mr. Chairman, Crimes will negatively affect our tourism industry. Tourists have choices. They choose to visit these islands because of our low crime rate. If tourists decide to stop visiting our shores because of the increase in crimes, our taxi drivers will be further affected, our hotels will be affected, our government revenue will be affected our airlines will be affected and our pocketbooks will be empty.

Mr. Chairman, The Turks and Caicos Islands are regarded as a “High End” destination, a tax haven and a wealth management center. With such a promotion, a significant number of highly influential persons visit these islands, fall in love with them, purchase property here and make the TCI a second home.

Over the years the Turks and Caicos Islands have treasured a reputation of which boasted the lowest crime rates in the Caribbean. Today that very image is on the brink of extinction.

The increase in criminal activity across the TCI has become a detrimental source for the average business. When businesses are burglarized, merchants are then forced to increase their cost to replace stolen goods, hiring of security personnel and implement, additional security mechanisms. This extra expense could have been additional salaries or could have been a reduction in expense making items more affordable for residents since they are being encouraged to shop locally.

Mr. Chairman, The persistence of crime on the country is therefore threatening the very existence of the physical business in the TCI. If we do not take a zero tolerance attitude on crime, businesses will eventually have to cease operation because being an entrepreneur in the Turks and Caicos Islands would become a security hazard and as a result of unsolved crime.

The affects of crime will eventually take a toll on the society. People will now begin to feel threatened. The ability to live without fear is a right! We should not be living in fear nor becoming hostages in our own homes. In order to feel safe or to simply protect themselves, some people may take matters in their own hands, or they maybe forced to purchase firearms. This in itself will increase the number of weapons in the country and may result in more crimes as people try to protect themselves. Zero tolerance to crime must not be a phrase, it must be an act.

There is a rising trend of violence against women. Women and children are often seen as primary targets of criminals they are easily beaten, raped and even murdered. Sexual molestation of children must stop. There must be a registered list of sexual offenders, irrespective of status, family background or position. The established Domestic Violence Desk must become a Task Force within the police department. It must be strengthened with additional staff that is trained in Domestic Issues. Victims of domestic violence must have a developed system in which they can tap into.

Violence is illegal and a violation of basic human rights. We must protect our spouses and children, because men are sometimes victims of Domestic Violence.

There has been a breakdown in discipline in the school system. Violence in schools, the possession of knives, assault on teachers and children bringing alcohol to school are clear indications of a breakdown in the values of our society and can be viewed as a rise of lawlessness amongst our youths.

Drug trafficking, gangs and crime in schools are other factors in our society that have become criminal turmoil. More and more youths are handling guns, knives and other weapons. It is important to note that defiant behavior does not start when a person reaches adulthood, it can be seen in schools and teachers have a responsibility to protect their students and with the co-operation of parents put programs in place to correct negative behavior. Parents and teachers must work together for the benefit of our children. We must ensure that when we recruit teachers, they possess the right ethics, quality and morals that we want to see being taught to our students.

Mr. Chairman, these are the consequences of the relaxation of the rules within the school system. Some of it by developing a culture of permissiveness that has been embedded from other cultures through television and music and some of it are the result of unemployment and poverty. Some persons who pass through the education system without success largely because of a lack of stable families and low self esteem find security in gangs and criminal company. Violent crimes in the society cannot be tackled effectively unless it is addressed with in the school system. We must crackdown on anti social behavior.

Many crimes are sometimes committed by young impressionable and unemployed people. Some of whom are addicted to drugs, and thus they commit crimes to support their habit. Addiction severs friendships, ambitions, moral convictions and reduces all the riches of life to a single destructive desire. We have to tackle crime, and to do this the responsibility must be shared between the parents, the collective society and the government.

Our youths need direction. We have not invested enough in our youth or youth recreational activities such as parks, basketball courts, summer programs cultural programs and more which help to positively shape their futures.

The society has a responsibility to help the authorities and each other. We should not be silent when we know that a family member or a neighbor or a friend is involved with a crime. Persons with status should not be inviting incarcerated family members and friends to come and have a fresh start in this country, after they would have been released.

Mr. Chairman, It is a frightening fact to know, that within the past five years there has been an increase in criminal deportees from the USA with little or no connection here, but of whom are Turks and Caicos Islanders, because they fall under the British Nationality Act of 1981 and some are citizens of other countries migrating to the TCI. These deportees with no assurance of successful rehabilitation find it difficult to adapt to this society and some therefore return to their former habits. The structure of our social services is not geared towards rehabilitative assimilation.

We must take action to regularize the situation of undocumented individuals in this country. We must be alert and sensitive about issues concerning illegal migrants whose circumstances leave them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The Turks and Caicos Islands are not equipped to offer asylum. However our close proximity to countries where such persons migrate from does not afford us the opportunity to be excused from such a task. Persons in search of a better life will always attempt to enter these islands and this is a fact that we must be prepared to appropriately address.

Mr. Chairman, The Turks and Caicos Islands have been most accommodating to citizens of other countries. However, amidst our welcoming spirit we must emphasize the restriction of negative behavior and practices being introduced to these islands.

The Labour Department, the Immigration Department, and the Police Department must be strengthened to effectively investigate and check the background on foreign persons seeking employment and permanent status here. We must not be seen as importing criminals. Furthermore these departments should have diplomatic relations with other foreign countries making criminal activities transparent, because our country should not be made to pay for the negligence of those who are our gatekeepers.

Mr. Chairman, A country builds a reputation based on the quality and character of its people. In order to successfully survive we must remember that we are one people. Unity has always been the foundation of this country with all of us having a shared portion of the same history, the same heritage, the same culture, and the same destiny. One murder in this country is therefore one murder too many.

Our culture has become very much diversified as we have become a “melting pot” of peoples. Therefore when a crime is committed within our society it becomes very easy for fingers to be pointed at persons who are from outside. Popular belief is that the majority of crimes committed here are committed by persons originating from one particular nation or non- Belongers and this is not necessarily true. We must put an end to this myth.

Mr. Chairman, if we continue to look in only one direction we will fail to see the principle sources of our problem. This is not to mean that foreigners do not commit crimes; they do. But if we accept the belief that the majority of the crimes are committed by foreigners we then become blind sighted to the fact that such a trend is developing even amongst our own. The best defense against crime is the promotion of stronger families and a sense of personal responsibility.

In presenting this paper Mr. Chairman, on the effects of crime in the TCI, it is important to note that the level of criminal activity we are now facing are those appropriated by skilled criminals. We need to seriously address crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The office of the governor is responsible for National Security. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Department and all its units is the responsibility of HMG. This office must do more to eradicate crime in the TCI. There must be a successive and an aggressive training program to assist persons to effectively do their jobs.

We must stop the practice of recruiting persons with little or no knowledge of the job they are hired for. These persons are trained locally and internationally and at the end of the day, they leave with their gratuity and their training and the Belonger is still no where.

Scholarships must be given to persons wanting to qualify themselves in the various fields of policing. New officers should be sent on attachment to the UK or the Caribbean so that they can get hands on experience. Persons should be sent for advanced training in DNA Testing, Physiology, and Finger Printing and even in the field of Criminology.

There is a need to establish a Forensic Department within the police force. Without proper forensics, evidence collected at the scene of a crime can not be properly linked to criminals.

Imagine a perpetrator being set free of a horrific crime simply because the DNA evidence that was needed to assist the prosecutors was not sent abroad or the results did not come back in sufficient time due to non payment or improper identification?

Mr. Chairman this is an area of security and protection that must be the focus of HMG. Mr. Chairman we must make quality investments for quality performance. You cannot put a price on crime.

Mr. Chairman, if we do not seriously address crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the future of these islands as a tourism based economy, will only be a passing memory. The Turks and Caicos Islands must meet the challenge of creating a safe and secure society, to do the latter Mr. Chairman will render the Turks and Caicos a failed state.

Mr. Chairman, I ask therefore that this Consultative Forum recommend to His Excellency, the Governor the following:

1. That there be an aggressive succession plan for the phasing out of foreign workers and replacing them with Belongers..

2. That there be a registered list of Sexual Offender

3. That there be a Domestic Violence Task Force with a system that victims can tap into

4. That the Labour Department, Immigration Department and the Police Department be strengthened to effectively check and investigate the background of personnel seeking employment and Permanent Status in the TCI

5. That Scholarships be given to persons wanting to qualify themselves in the area of law enforcement.

6. New officers should be sent on secondment to the UK or the Caribbean, so that they can have hands on experience.

7. That persons be sent for advance training in Forensic science

8. That Retired Police Officers or Volunteers serve as reserve Police Officers, to assist with Community Policing.