It is the view of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados that the escalating level of crime and violence in Barbados needs to be arrested as a matter of urgency.

The revelation made by the Barbados Police Service that thirty-five murders have been recorded so far for the year, is worrisome. Worse yet, it is disturbing to learn that twenty-six of these murders involved the use of firearms.

While the Barbados Police Service is to be complimented on its work in resolving ten of the twenty-six murders involving the use of the gun, the fact that sixteen cases remain unsolved, does little to offer comfort to the public at large.

As reported by Attorney General, Dale Marshall, there are 292-gun related cases which are yet to be heard by the law courts of Barbados.

This is an alarming statistic that only serves to heighten the growing fear among the populace. It is therefore an urgent need to make an assessment of the impact this could have on the safety and security of members of the public, workplaces and the economy of the island.

While the recent amendment to the Firearms Act of Barbados makes provision for the imposition of jail sentences ranging from ten years to life in prison for a gunrelated offence is intended to be a deterrent, the core of the problem yet remains that of stemming the flow of illegal guns into the country.

CTUSAB therefore offers its full support for the development of an action plan which is directed at curbing the illegal entry of firearms into the country. Apart from the surveillance mounted at the ports of entry, it is required that additional strategies are identified and implemented to detect and intercept those who attempt to smuggle illegal firearms into the country.

The Congress also calls for a multiple sectorial cooperation approach to be adopted in an effort to combat this scourge of crime. This collaboration should take place with those Government agencies responsible for crime and security, civil society organizations and the private sector.