Antigua and Barbuda experiences an alarming rise in criminal cases

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has its hands full with an ever-escalating crime rate that has left citizens distraught. In the current year alone, authorities in Antigua and Barbuda have recorded 30,080 criminal cases, an astounding number considering the size of the nation and the population.

If the numbers are crunched and a figure for daily crimes is considered, Antigua and Barbuda is seeing seven to eight crimes per day. The authorities are aware of the issue but have been overcome by numbers, as the sheer volume of cases has them overwhelmed.

Superintendent Lisborn Michael, the second in command at the Criminal Investigation Department, spoke on the issue, recognizing the rising numbers of crimes that are plaguing the Caribbean nation. He has made an attempt to address the issue with the support of his department and other governmental authorities.

If the numbers are broken down on the basis of the nature of the crimes, one can get a more comprehensive understanding of what the nation is facing. There have been 1019 break-ins, 1017 larceny cases, 70 woundings, 383 cases of malicious damage, 19 instances of unlawful sexual intercourse, 22 shooting incidents, and 113 reported robberies.

As is obvious, these are very serious crimes and can’t be ignored as the safety and security of the general population is at stake. At a societal level, civilians are quite concerned with the rapidly rising rate and there is a general sense of tension among people.

It is up to the government and law enforcement authorities to bring the situation to normality, allowing citizens to feel confident in the authorities of the nation. Failing to do so would result in an escalation of the already alarming rate of criminal activities in the country, putting innocent people at risk.

The rising crime rate is also an issue on the international front as visitors and tourists from other nations will be vary of the situation in Antigua and Barbuda. If not handled appropriately with immediate effect, the problem could have far reaching ramifications for the international image of the Caribbean nation.