LETTER: We Need to Address the Culture That Breeds Crime

Antigua is still a relatively safe place—but the escalation in break-ins should alarm us all. Once someone is willing to cross the threshold of another person’s home or business—spaces where people are most vulnerable—anything becomes possible.

Not long ago, items were stolen from a loved one’s home. The police were called. They never showed up.

More recently, that same home was broken into while my loved one slept inside. Thankfully, they survived unharmed—but this could have ended very differently.

Police eventually came and assessed the scene. However, as family members arrived to help reinforce security, additional evidence was discovered. These were things the police missed. The officers were called again. They did not return.

Had police responded properly to the first incident, there may have been an opportunity to determine whether the same perpetrators were responsible and build a stronger case. This mirrors the recent break-in at Kess Imports, where the business owner—not law enforcement—identified critical evidence that was overlooked.

This kind of laissez-faire approach to crime fighting creates the perfect environment for criminal networks to thrive. It sends a dangerous message: stealing is a viable means of survival. That is unacceptable.

What Needs to Change—Now

1. Law-abiding citizens must be empowered to defend themselves.

We must allow responsible citizens the dignity of being their own first responder. The process for legal gun ownership needs to be streamlined and made far more accessible. As a single woman living alone, what is my reasonable defense if three men break into my home? These situations are already volatile—but being armed gives victims a fighting chance.

2. Professionalize and properly resource the police force.

We need better training, competitive compensation, and officers selected for competence—not convenience. Antigua must also establish its own forensic lab so cases can actually be solved and dangerous individuals removed from our streets. When criminals see no consequences, crime becomes a career path. This destroys social cohesion and deepens the divide between communities.

3. Emergency services must work—without excuses.

Accessing police assistance should be quick, modern, and reliable. Victims should be able to send their location and information via WhatsApp or other means—especially during home invasions or for those who are hearing-impaired AND if a call is placed, your location should be traceable. Who has time to say, “Turn left or right” when an intruder is in their home? Issues with police headquarters’ main phone line (which I know they’ve been experiencing) are not minor inconveniences; they are life-threatening failures.

4. Parents must be held accountable.

Where are your sons going in the early hours of the morning? Where are unemployed young men suddenly acquiring items to sell? If your son has little education and no job, how is he financing resale businesses? How is he selling half-filled gas tanks? I’ve seen posts for these on gas tanks on social media. These are not coincidences. Ask questions. Demand answers. Silence enables crime.

5. Visible, routine community policing is non-negotiable.

Antigua is too small for consistent patrols to be unrealistic. A regular police presence deters crime and reassures communities.

6. Crack down on the resale of stolen goods.

The buying and selling of furniture, appliances, jewelry, and other valuables without proof of original purchase should be illegal. Receipts should be verifiable and challengeable. Without a market for stolen goods, break-ins lose their incentive. What remains for victims is trauma—and that cost is too often ignored.

Crime does not exist in a vacuum. It grows where negligence, complacency, and weak systems allow it to. If we want safer communities, we must confront uncomfortable truths and demand real reform.

Smith & Wesson

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