June 15, 2012
Hon. Hubert B. Hughes
Chief Minister,
Chief Minister’s Office,
The Secretariat,
The Valley
Dear Chief Minister,
Please refer to our letter to you dated June 12, 2012 in which we assured you of our full support for your Government in the campaign to address the violence and violent crime in Anguilla and its effects on the overall society.
It is our understanding that the Government has been doing its part in dealing with the immediate and short-term responses to the recent incidents, which have been the cause of public cries of outrage and condemnation as well as much grief and pain to the families and friends who have been affected. We urge you to continue in a sustained manner in that enterprise and reaffirm our commitment to support the several programmes and other initiatives as we move forward.
We also promised in that letter that we would be submitting a strategic plan that we have been developing to respond to these issues for consideration by the Government. A copy of that comprehensive proposal is now enclosed herein as a draft document to be used in whatever manner Government wishes. We hope that it will also be widely disseminated for public consultation and discussion in the wider community. We are presenting our proposal, not as a prescription but as tool to start the conversation and thereby lead to effective programs and actions. To facilitate the circulation of the proposal we will be posting it on our website and facebook pages.
We are fully aware of the fact that there is much talk on this subject throughout the length and breadth of our island. There are also many theories and solutions being advanced from every quarter. We have therefore attempted to put the many aspects of this issue in one place from the background and situational issues which have been observed to the immediate, short term and longer term solutions that may be implemented. As in every case the challenge will always be funding and resources. This calls for creativity and collective responsibility. We stand ready to participate in these critical tasks.
Again we look forward to your positive response to our genuine offer to work with your Government to put an end to this cycle of violence in our country.
With best wishes.
Your Sincerely,
Victor F. Banks
Party Leader
cc. The Media
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
