Anguilla has seen significant infrastructural development since 2018. Improved school buildings, medical facilities, port facilities and roads are very evident to residents and visitors alike and the improved aesthetics and convenience are appreciated. It is obvious that significant resources have been secured and utilised in infrastructural development.
What about social development? Much pride has been expressed in relation to the Senior Shield Programme which allows persons 70 years and older to access medical services free at public health facilities. The expanded school feeding programme is another social programme which is presented as a significant achievement by the APM administration. There is also the much-touted green space at the Agricultural Department which is a work in progress.
Despite the infrastructural developments and the social programmes which are a source of pride for many, Anguilla is plagued with what, to many, is an unprecedented increase in crime, particularly gun-related crime. Where is the response to this growing culture of crime?
The response to our damaged and destroyed infrastructure after the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 was to secure resources and to build back stronger. We expect that our schools, health, and port facilities will all fare better if Anguilla should be struck by hurricane force winds like those experienced during Hurricane Irma.
Families complained of not being able to afford medication and having to sacrifice medical attention and medicine for food and rent because their finances could not meet all their needs. The Senior Shield Programme is expected to address this concern. Children were reported to have been attending school without having had breakfast or lunch because their families did not have the means to provide them with the necessary meals. The response has been to expand the school feeding programme. While the sustainability of the Senior Shield Programme and the expanded school feeding programme has been questioned, a need was observed, and a response was crafted and delivered.
We await a substantive response to the increased crime Anguilla is currently experiencing. It is obvious that significant firearms and ammunition are present on this island. The police have had some success in seizing illegal firearms and ammunition, but the reports of gun violence suggest that their level of success may not be as impactful as desired. What is being done to prevent the importation of illegal firearms and ammunition into Anguilla? What resources have been earmarked to assist in this area?
There is a constant call for persons to cooperate with the police. It must be accepted that successful investigations and prosecutions can usually only be achieved with the information provided by civilians. It is equally obvious that civilians are reluctant, through fear or mistrust, to share information with the police. What is being done in the face of this reluctance? There has been a constant call for CCTV to be installed at strategic places throughout Anguilla, to capture footage which might prove useful in solving crimes and prosecuting criminals. Is this a feasible measure that would assist the police in solving and prosecuting crimes?
Resources have been secured to advance infrastructural developments, to secure health services for the elderly and to provide meals for school children. Ensuring the security of citizens, residents and visitors is part of the mandate of government. It is no secret that government revenue is performing extremely well. Will resources be ring-fenced and expended to increase the safety and security of citizens, residents, and visitors? We deserve no less.
