The federation's ability to continue promoting itself as a paradise for tourism can and may be seriously affected with the recent murder of a taxi driver. This is the view of former senior defense force officer, Shawn Wigley. Wigley said that while the federation has a very high murder rate owing to gang crime and violence seems to have taken a new twist. He said that while the Government through the Ministry of Tourism can and will justify the increased crime rate being laid at the feet of gangs, the killing of a taxi operator indicates that the economic situation is rapidly worsening.
He however stressed that this latest incident can affect the government's ability to earn while placing undue challenges at the Ministry of Tourism. "It means that the Ministry of tourism will have a bigger challenge as now tourists will want to know how safe they are taking into consideration that a taxi operator has been killed," he said.
Wigley warned that crime has to be addressed by all including political parties as if there is need for serious security concerns, the federation's ability to host major events would be greatly affected. "The last thing that we can afford now is to have St Kitts and Nevis being looked at as a place where there are security worries as organizers of major regional and international events may begin having second thoughts which will certainly affect all including the government and private sector," he said.
Wigley pointed out that Government has fought to ensure that a number of major regional and international sporting events be staged in the federation. As such, he warned that any security situation that warrants attention can and may prompt the postponement of these events. "nobody will come to a country where people seems not to be safe and the killing of a taxi operators makes it very difficult for anyone to comprehend as to the reason/s as visitors and tourist may feel timid and reluctant to come," he noted.
This, Wigley said means that every citizen and visitors has to be more vigilant and cognizant of what he said is the 'bigger' picture in that people has to become each others keepers'. If we are going to save St Kitts and Nevis waiting on the government and police alone will not work as they should not be the only ones helping to change things but each one of us," he declared.
The former SKN Defense force officer noted that security concerns have affected a number of countries in the past which ultimately resulted in increased hardships for its people. "We have seen in countries like India and Pakistan where events have had to be cancelled we have also seen in certain Caribbean countries where people are warned not to go because of security concerns so we need to be very careful before St Kitts and Nevis gets into that as currently we are still seen as a paradise," Wigley said.
Wigley added that while there is pressure building from the public on the federation's security forces its time that everyone begin to understand that protecting and harboring criminals helps in the ultimate destruction of the country and their economic future.
