News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. May 13, 2025: As the region continues to grapple with alarming increases in criminality, I was hopeful that the current session of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, (ACCP) Annual General Meeting and Conference – being held in Guyana – would have provided a platform for in-depth, multi-dimensional discussions that go beyond policing strategies. While the commitment of our law enforcement leaders is commendable, I am deeply concerned about the absence of a robust dialogue on the socio-economic roots of crime and the urgent need for material diversification of our economies.
Too often, crime prevention efforts in the Caribbean center almost exclusively on enforcement and reactive measures, rather than the underlying social and economic conditions that contribute to lawlessness – poverty, youth unemployment, inequality, limited access to education, and systemic marginalization. Many communities across our region remain trapped in cycles of economic despair, yet these realities receive insufficient attention at forums like the ACCP Conference.
Moreover, the Caribbean’s overreliance on a few economic sectors – particularly tourism and resource extraction – leaves countries vulnerable to shocks and creates uneven development. A serious, sustained discussion on reducing crime must also focus on building diversified, inclusive economies through targeted investments in digital innovation, green energy, agriculture, cultural industries, and small business development.
It is therefore disappointing that this year’s conference in Guyana has not visibly prioritized these critical discussions. If we are to make lasting progress in public safety, we must involve not just police commissioners but also economists, educators, social scientists, community leaders, and especially the youth – those most affected by both crime and economic exclusion.
Our region’s security is inseparable from its development. I urge the ACCP and our policymakers to ensure that future conferences adopt a more holistic, preventative lens. Crime is not only a policing problem – it is a developmental challenge that demands a comprehensive, regional response.
