The main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) on Monday said it was “alarmed and saddened” by last Saturday’s robbery of Reisha Twana Browne-Caesar, wife of Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar outside their home in Cedars.
Police say that two masked men, armed with a knife and a gun, robbed Browne-Caesar, a doctor, around 9 p.m.
The NDP noted that Browne-Caesar had her young child in her arms at the time of the crime.
“We are grateful for reports that they suffered no physical injury in the incident and trust that she and her family will recover fully from this ordeal,” the party said.
“We are also pleased to hear of the prompt response by the police,” the NDP further said, adding that it has made many calls on the police to step up their investigation of crimes and to implement measures to prevent crime.
“Crime is a serious matter in SVG, and it affects all of us and crosses all divide. The NDP once again calls on the Minister of National Security, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, to acknowledge the worsening crime situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines and formally address the nation on his government’s plans to deal with it.
“The NDP remains willing to work with government and other organizations to address the problem. The collaborative efforts of united, caring communities will enable us to succeed in combating the national crisis of crime and violence in SVG.
“We again implore anyone with information that might assist the police in their investigations to provide it to the police and we call on the police to redouble their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, and to resolve other unsolved violent crimes in our country.”
The NDP was offering to work with the government to fight crime on a day that Gonsalves, who is also Minister of National Security, said he would not take such a step.
Gonsalves said he does not trust Leader of the Opposition, Godwin Friday, saying that the former holder of that post, Arnhim Eustace, had betrayed his trust on a national security matter.
He also accused Friday of being opportunistic on the issue of crime.
The crime against the minister’s wife took place on a day when Friday led supporters of his NDP on a walk from Georgetown to Kingstown to highlight high crime and unemployment in the country.
He did a similar walk from Fitz Hughes to Kingstown the previous week.
Quite amazing how the police can instantly find this phone yet the 800 phones stolen in SVG every year not one is recovered.
The lazy police are only prompted into action when it is a politicians wife, ULP of course, never would of happened if an NDP MP’s woman.
Who should we hold responsible for this, Dr Ralph E Gonsalves the man at the very top of the police hierarchy, the minister in charge.
After all they are his police, no longer the peoples police.