By S.Browne. Updated 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday says St Vincent and the Grenadines has “simply too many guns” entering the country as his Government moves to tackle a recent series of shootings.
The issue was raised by Robertson S. Henry of Searchlight Newspaper during a press conference on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, following Friday’s official visit to Taiwan.
Henry asked the Prime Minister about shootings that occurred while he was away, referring specifically to a shooting on Friday evening and another on Saturday morning.
Friday said the Government is aware of the seriousness of the situation and has committed to tackling the problem.
“We have given the commitment that we are going to tackle this problem head on,” he said.
The Prime Minister said he had held a meeting in Bequia about two weeks earlier with senior security officials, including the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Coast Guard representatives and other senior police officers, to discuss the country’s security challenges.
According to Friday, the meeting highlighted the flow of firearms into SVG as a major concern.
“Part of the problem is that there’s just simply too many guns coming into St Vincent and Grenadines,” he said.
Friday said authorities also appear to have intelligence about how the firearms are entering the country.
“What was disturbing is that there seems to be some intelligence as to where they are coming through and coming into the country,” he said.
He said having such information without acting on it was not acceptable.
“You can’t just simply know something and do nothing about it,” Friday said.
The Prime Minister said the Government has begun putting a plan in place to address that aspect of the problem, alongside changes within the policing system.
Henry also asked whether Taiwan could assist SVG with crime fighting, noting previous efforts to acquire surplus vehicles from Taiwan.
Friday said Taiwan has indicated a willingness to assist and has provided some equipment more recently.
He also revealed that SVG has sent two police officers to Taiwan for close-protection training.
However, the Prime Minister said the Government wants any international assistance to form part of a clear strategy rather than simply accepting equipment that may not address the country’s most pressing needs.
“We have to be specific with them as to say what we want,” Friday said.
He said the Government must be able to outline its plan for addressing crime and then identify where Taiwan can provide useful support.
“We can’t just say, okay, they say, okay, we can give you some bulletproof vests, we can give you this and so forth. Those might be useful, but it might not be the most important thing that we want now,” he said.
Friday said Taiwan’s assistance must therefore be aligned with SVG’s broader strategy for tackling the problem.
The Prime Minister was also questioned about the role political leaders play in influencing public attitudes towards crime, particularly given statements made by the New Democratic Party while it was in opposition.
Friday said political blame would not resolve the issue.
“The blame game don’t solve the problem,” he said.
He acknowledged that the Government has a fundamental responsibility for the safety of citizens.
“The first thing that a government owes its citizen is security,” Friday said.
He explained that while Government does not commit crimes, it is responsible for creating an environment in which crime is prevented where possible and perpetrators are apprehended, prosecuted and punished when offences occur.
“That is how a system works,” Friday said.
He expressed concern about situations in which crimes are committed without anyone being held accountable.
“We have a situation now where people commit crimes and nobody’s held accountable,” he said. “That is like, it’s a laissez-faire situation. We have to change that.”
Friday said addressing the problem will take time but maintained that his Government must take responsibility for improving public safety.
“My responsibility as a prime minister is to demonstrate to people that I understand the insecurity that they feel about it,” he said. “And I take the responsibility to make that situation better.”
He also agreed that tackling crime requires a broad national effort involving political leaders, civil society and the wider population.
As SVG grapples with renewed concerns over gun violence, Friday’s comments place the movement of firearms into the country at the centre of the Government’s response, with the Prime Minister saying authorities have intelligence on possible entry points and are developing a plan to address the flow.
END
