Senator Lamin Newton is encouraging communities across Antigua and Barbuda to establish more neighbourhood watch groups as part of a broader national response to crime and violence.

Speaking on the Beneath the Surface radio programme, Newton said residents must work more closely with the police and alert authorities whenever they observe suspicious activity.

“What I’m calling on communities to do is to get more neighbourhood watches going,” Newton said. “That is a part of crime-fighting as well.”

He said residents are often best positioned to recognise unusual behaviour within their communities and should not hesitate to share information with law enforcement or warn their neighbours.

“If you see something and you observe something that seems unusual, you alert the police, alert your neighbours and so on,” Newton said. “Those are things that will deter criminals.”

Newton stressed that addressing crime is not solely the responsibility of Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the Cabinet, police or other law-enforcement agencies.

“The issue of crime and violence is a national issue,” he said. “It’s an issue that requires the collaboration of the entire country so that we can address the situation.”

Newton urged citizens not to politicise the crime debate, arguing that public safety is too important to be divided along party lines.

He said cooperation between residents and the police could strengthen community surveillance, improve the sharing of information and make it more difficult for criminals to operate undetected.

His comments formed part of a wider discussion about gun violence, sentencing and the need for government institutions, law enforcement and the public to work together to protect communities.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Senator Newton Calls for More Neighbourhood Watch Groups Across Antigua and Barbuda.