–President Ali says, urges united regional action against crime as threat to development, democracy and family life

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has warned that crime is not just a threat to safety, but a crippling barrier to national development, social services and democratic stability across the Caribbean.
The Head of State made this call on Monday while addressing the opening of the 39th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

There he declared that crime and violence are “tearing at the fabric of our societies” and are no longer localised issues, but region-wide threats demanding urgent, coordinated response.
“Every dollar lost to crime is a dollar stolen from education, healthcare, and social protection services,” President Ali told a room of top security officials, commissioners of police and international partners, adding that, “Crime in control means democracy on its knees. When crime thrives, progress dies.”

Referencing regional crime statistics and socio-economic consequences, the President noted that in 2022, the direct cost of crime in Latin America and the Caribbean was estimated at 3.44 per cent of the region’s GDP.
This, he stressed, represented a significant blow to the potential of Caribbean states to invest in basic services and human development.
“Violence disrupts our education systems, weakens our healthcare delivery and deters critical investment. It can even destroy the family structure, the basic cell of our society,” Ali warned.
The President explained that the fight against crime must be holistic and must encompass far more than just the work of police forces.

“This is not just a challenge for our commissioners or our security personnel. This is a challenge for our region’s policymakers, the private sector, artists, the religious community, every one of us,” he asserted.
Tourism, which forms a major part of the economic engine in many Caribbean countriies is also under siege from the growing perception of insecurity.
President Ali warned that “safety concerns deter visitors,” which in turn affects livelihoods, foreign exchange earnings and job creation.

“Youth involvement in gang and drug-related violence is rising. Our schools are struggling. Our communities are under strain,” President Ali said, highlighting how unchecked criminality compromises national development goals and social cohesion.
Ali said that no country in the Caribbean can solve this problem alone. He argued for the creation of a “Caribbean Security Architecture” that is integrated, intelligence-driven and rooted in legislative, technological and human capital reforms.

“We must act together and act now…Transnational criminal networks move across borders with ease.
“If we fail to deepen our co-operation, if we remain siloed in our responses, we will be overrun—not just by the criminals within our borders, but by those who know no borders at all,” he said.
Ali also noted the hypocrisy and harm of “politicising crime and criminality” and condemned the glorification of criminals in the region.

“When political actors and architecture see crime as an opportunity for political profiteering, it becomes dangerous. It becomes dangerous.
“We must see crime for what crime is, and every stakeholder, whether in government or in opposition, must have the same approach to crime and criminality…There is no freedom fighter in crime,” he said.
He warned that gangs and organised crime pose a “direct threat to democratic systems of government,” as they undermine rule of law, erode public trust, and infiltrate state institutions.
“Crime replaces order with chaos and justice with impunity,” he said.

With misinformation and disinformation on the rise, especially on social media, President Ali also called for a regional communication strategy to counter false narratives and maintain public confidence in law enforcement.
“Misinformation is not just an inconvenience, it is a threat…It can undermine police investigations, provoke panic and even put lives at risk. We must hold accountable those who deliberately sow confusion for personal or political gain,” he said.

Calling the conference a “workshop of action,” President Ali urged security leaders to leave not just with “decorations,” but with “timelines, targets, and tangible next steps.
“We must build not just protocols and policies, but trust and partnership. Let us not fail the Caribbean people, they are counting on us.”