Health Minister labels gun-fueled crime an Emergency and “Unacceptable”, says not to respond to PUBLIC is cause to RESIGN

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, October 12, 2022 – The frustration of the public is understandable and the government must pull out special measures to fight this crime wave as it has reached ‘crisis level’, said Health Minister Jamell Robinson in a bold two-minute statement in the House of Assembly on October 3rd.

“Resources and help are on the way but we have some time in between. Maybe in the interim we need a different tactic until we get the resources. I believe it’s time for us to set up a command centre, we did it with the NEOC when Fiona was coming. It’s reached the crisis level where this has become something that needs to be done each and every day,” he said

Maintaining that the Members of the House of Assembly shared in the public’s anxiety he said while he thought the government was ‘doing what is required and providing all of the resources as asked for’  Robinson went on to say he would be “foolhardy” not to acknowledge the frustration of the public.

“While last month may have been the bursting of the boil this is something that has been building over time.”

He said that ‘everybody in the chamber’ and ‘throughout the length and breadth of the Turks and Caicos’ was desperate for results and the government would ‘have to do better.”

Robinson explained that the special measures were important because even when those resources arrived as they now have the fight would be just beginning.

“It hasn’t ended, we are literally at the beginning of this. We have to get to the bottom and dig this out— so it doesn’t grow roots and become the order of the day in our Turks and Caicos Islands. That is unacceptable.” He stressed.

He urged the public  not to think ministers were unconcerned as it ‘could be any of us’ who were injured in any of the violent acts being carried out and then doubled down on the government’s responsibility.

“We care. That’s why we’re here, anybody who has anything to do with it must be held accountable, including us and we will be, even if not now when we go to the polls.”

He maintained that if someone had all the resources to perform and still did not do so, they should be fired or resign, to loud applause from the other members.

The minister acknowledged that if they did not perform, residents would give them their ‘walking papers’ as well ending with a call to action.

“This is time for a man and woman not just in this House but across the country to step up.”