Gonsalves: Poverty as excuse for crime a 'narrow' argument

PRIME Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves has said solely blaming poverty for crime in the Caribbean is a "narrow, economistic argument."

He was speaking on the final day of the regional symposium on crime at the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday morning.

Gonsalves urged the public not to believe that society is responsible for criminals, as they are responsible for themselves.

He added that some commentators often say, "Oh, the reason why this killing was done is because this fella come from a poor family (or) come from a poor community..."

But he asked if 20 per cent of a country lives in poverty, how is it that 20 per cent of the same population are not criminals "if poverty is the sole or principal causation...

"But you don't have that, so clearly, something is missing.

"And what is missing is that this person, very often by choice, decide that they're going to pull the trigger and kill somebody else."

He reiterated that he does not believe criminals devalue life, because if this were the case, they themselves would die by suicide rather than committing homicides.

He said in many Caribbean communities, there is "a sense of social solidarity," even when members of the same communities are involved in violent crimes outside their hometown.

"The question is, how do we scale up that solidarity at a national level."

This sense of solidarity is often undermined, he said, because of a political model based on "dog-eat-dog capitalism."

He believes there is a misconception that crime is a one-dimensional issue, when in reality, it is a "multi-faceted (one) requiring a total societal approach."

On day one of the symposium – Monday – Gonsalves said for most criminals, a life of crime was a choice.

“They chose to be murderers and kill, and they do so, by and large, because they want to make some easy money dealing drugs and running crime...Some of them, in order to maintain rank in the community, they get a fascination with guns.

“Everybody here knows what I am talking here is the absolute truth. What I am talking here, people in the taverns across Trinidad and Tobago are talking about. Well, it’s time we spoke about it here.”

Last week, Arima businessman and former head of the Arima Business Association Reval Chattergoon said there are too many opportunities for both young people and adults in this country for them to need to turn to a life of crime.

He said crime seems to be more about vice than anything else.

"Crime is not about a lack of opportunities – it is about vice. Sorry to say. It is about doing 'something I can get away with.'

"Thousands of programmes are put in place for youths and adults who want to build themselves," he said, adding that some programmes facilitate people up to age 35.