St Kitts and Nevis gets lauded for crime tackling approach by UNDP 

United Nations Development Programme has lauded St Kitts and Nevis for their approach to crime management. The government has been taking an approach of looking at crime from a public health perspective for the last four years. 

The approach was advocated for by the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew who took inspiration from his career as a practicing doctor. As the Minister of National security, he steered St Kitts and Nevis towards the path of seeing crime as a public health concern. 

Under this guidance and the work of the other organs of the national security structures, St Kitts and Nevis has emerged as a regional leader for guiding crime management strategies. The United Nations Development Programme has seen the approach bearing fruit for the nation.

Violent crime in the nation has visibly gone down with homicides and gub related crimes seeing historic markdowns.

The Citizen Security Task Force met for the first time for the year 2026 under the leadership of Dr Drew. The officers had the opportunity to speak to the members of the UNDP during this meeting. It was at this engagement that officers from the UNDP lauded St Kitts and Nevis for their success in sustainable crime prevention in the country. 

The Citizen Security Taskforce was established in 2024 and has since been instrumental to the success of the nation’s crime prevention strategies. The taskforce has adopted an all-of-society approach bringing together stakeholders working with law enforcement officers, educators, lawyers, youngsters and more.

All the organs of the society work together to bring the people the relief that they see with safer communities. The Prime Minister gave the people of the island and their collective effort to crime low credit for the international recognition for their efforts.

The nation has recorded single-digit homicide figures for the first time in over two decades. The officials have shared that they are delighted to see international interest in the efforts of the country. Prime Minister Drew said that the members of the community have seen success in working together in dissuading crime.

Anthony Morris

Reporter at SKN News | [email protected] |  + postsBio ⮌

Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.