Deputy PM to ask Taiwan for vehicles amidst crime prevention drive

Deputy Prime Minister St. Clair Leacock says he will ask Taiwan to donate a fleet of vehicles to support the nation’s crime-prevention efforts, including the reintroduction of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) programme in schools.

He said that the New Democratic Party government, which came to office in November 2025, will equip the constabulary, after which it will accept no excuses for poor performance.

Leacock said he will travel to the Asian ally this weekend and seek Taipei’s assistance by requesting the donation of vehicles.

Speaking at the National Consultation on School Violence in Kingstown on Tuesday, Leacock, who is also minister of national security, said that he had a visit by the commandant and ranks of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cadet Force.

The Ministry of National Security, Disaster Management and Immigration held the consultation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Information and the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF).

Leacock, who attained the rank of major and rose to be commandant of the force, said the 90-year-old institution has 300 members and the government gives it EC$186,000 per year.

He said the subvention is not enough, adding, “It would have been easier for me to say that when I was in opposition, but you have left that now for me to deal with now that I’m in government.”

The national security minister pointed out that the subvention translates to about EC$620 per cadet this year, even as he noted that the government spend EC$20,000 to keep someone in prison for the same period.

“… prevention clearly is better than cure. Because if is 600 to keep them from going there and 20,000 to keep them inside there, then it makes good sense to front-load the exercise and to prevent them from getting there,” he said.  

He also pointed out that the New Democratic Party (NDP) of which he is a vice president, had been speaking for years, before coming to office in November 2005 after 25 years in office, about its Social, Spiritual and Redemption Charter, which it tried to have debated in Parliament.

“And in that exercise, we felt that we needed to see more faith-based organisations involved in holding our society by the scruff of its neck and shaping it and directing it,” Lecock said.

“We need to see more … cubs, scouts, Pathfinders, Girl Guides, cadets, Christian fellowship organisations. We need to see them flourish,” he said, adding that some government ministries begin their day with a short worship session.

“I know some commercial banks do it as well, constantly inviting God’s presence,” Leacock said.

“But I want to say to you, to the extent that that represents policy of this administration, I’ve actually asked one of our agencies, the NCCP, National Commission Of Crime Prevention, a very important agency for us, it works with the police, to include that charter in its deliverables, along with, of course, what they’re already doing, the formation of police youth clubs,” Leacock said and noted the leadership of Sergeant of Police Billy and other officers in different police stations.

He said that he wants, through the NCCP, to reintroduce in schools the D.A.R.E. programme, which used to be managed by the police force before it was discontinued.

“And as I said, because you also have to walk the talk,” Leacock said, and announced that he is travelling to Taiwan on the weekend.

He said that in opposition, he used to say that anything listed under “local loans” in the budget would not happen, adding that now that he is in government, he says it must happen.

“So, to make abundantly sure that this thing will happen, when I go to Taiwan, I would expressly ask the government and people of Taiwan to give us three vehicles for the NCCP, one for the leeward side, one for the country, one for headquarters to execute their D.A.R.E. programme,” Leacock said.

“And because the cadets’ vehicles are also under local loans, I’ll also ask them for three: one for leeward, one for country, and one for town,” he said, adding that the vehicle that the force uses now is 21 years old.

“We deal with prevention, but we’re front-loading you. So if NCCP gets three and Cadets get three, you know, the police can’t get less than 12,” Leacock said.  

“So, Mr Commissioners, I’m asking for a minimum of 12 vehicles for the police force,” Leacock said.

The national security minister said a woman recently called him, complaining that she had called the police from Richland Park, but they said they could not respond because they did not have a vehicle.

“I say, ‘Miss is the truth. He’s telling the truth,’” Leacock said, noting that police in Calliaqua, Stubbs and Mesopotamia were using the same vehicle.

“I want at least 12 vehicles for the police force itself to go about their duties in the prevention aspect, because those exercises in which you are involving yourself, your weekend patrols, are going a long way for the peace and tranquillity in our nation state and the ability to respond quickly to the challenges that comes before us,” Leacock said.

He said that he signed on to the job as national security minister “ with my eyes wide open, and I don’t intend to leave my office with St. Vincent worse off than if I hadn’t come to that office.

“And the assets and the resources that are required to maintain law and order and to transform our St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be provided by this administration,” Leacock said.

“So, I say directly to those who feel that they will have it the other way, not on my watch, not on my watch, and we’ll provide you with the assets, the resources, the systems, motivations,” he told the senior police officer at the consultation, adding that the deputy police chief had asked him to ask Taiwan for some laptop computers also.

“I think you told me that, so I asking for a dozen,” Leacock said to some laughter.

“I’m serious, you know,” he continued. “Because once I have provided you with what you need, don’t come and tell me why X, Y and Z still happening,” Leacock said.

“I will hold you to a very high standard, because that’s what our people expect of us. They expect us to be moulding and producing the right minds — and I’m borrowing the words of those who spoke to me — for building character — these are the outputs — and having high values,” Leacock said.