Leacock to Seek Taiwan’s Help with Crime-Fighting Vehicles, Revival of D.A.R.E. in Schools 

By Val Matthias. Updated 10:47 a.m., Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister Major St. Clair Leacock says he will travel to Taiwan this weekend to request a fleet of vehicles to strengthen St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ crime-prevention efforts. 

Leacock made the announcement during Tuesday’s National Consultation on School Violence in Kingstown, where he revealed plans to reintroduce the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) programme in schools through the National Commission on Crime Prevention (NCCP). 

He said the government intends to “front-load” resources into prevention, noting that it costs the state about EC$620 annually to support a cadet compared to EC$20,000 to keep someone in prison. “Prevention clearly is better than cure,” Leacock said. 

The minister outlined his request to Taipei: three vehicles for the NCCP, three for the Cadet Force, and at least 12 for the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, whose officers often struggle to respond to calls due to a lack of transport. He added that the police would also benefit from laptops, which he intends to ask Taiwan to provide. 

Leacock stressed that once the constabulary is equipped, the government will accept no excuses for poor performance. “We will provide you with the assets, the resources, the systems, motivations. And I will hold you to a very high standard,” he said. 

The consultation was hosted by the Ministry of National Security in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the RSVGPF, and included participation from the Cadet Force. 

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