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As crime in Dominica increases, the government is placing a sharp focus on the security of the general public. Finance Minister, Dr. Irving McIntyre made the disclosure while presenting the 2023-2024 National Budget on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Speaker, we are placing sharp focus on the security of the people of this country,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile Dominica continues to be a safe place, there has been a notable increase in crime in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, this government is implementing several measures to ensure Dominica remains a safe place for our citizens and visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have increased the number of officers in the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force to enhance the security of our communities; Police officers are continuously being trained locally, regionally, and internationally,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Dr. McIntyre continued, \u201cWe are strengthening community policing and have engaged a Community Police Consultant to spearhead that effort. Also, to facilitate easier communication with residents, particularly during and after disasters, every police station in Dominica is now equipped with high-frequency radio capability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he stated that surveillance at the country\u2019s borders has been strengthened with additional scanners at the ports to detect and deter illegal imports.<\/p>\n
He said the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force and the Customs and Excise Division will continue to collaborate with external law enforcement agencies which has proven to be very beneficial in fighting crime in the country. The minister added that we commend the Customs and Police officers for their vigilance.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, he said the justice system will also be strengthened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Speaker, as we increase our efforts to deter crime, we must correspondingly strengthen our justice system,\u201d Dr. McIntyre said. \u201cTherefore, during this Fiscal Year, we will focus on strengthening the Magistrate\u2019s Court to improve its administration and overall functioning to facilitate more timely, effective, and just disposal of matters before the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moreover, he stated that as its starting point, during this Fiscal Year the government will initiate a thorough review of the administration and functioning of the Magistrate\u2019s Court.<\/p>\n
He explained that the objective of this review will be to ensure that appropriate processes and procedures are put in place to enable all court users to have matters in which they are involved processed, tried, and disposed of in a timely, efficient, and just manner.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cThe government will also take necessary steps to ensure the availability of sufficient and appropriate administrative staffing; enhancement of recording, video, and other electronic equipment; improvements in case scheduling and case management; and, last but by no means least, redoubled efforts to attract additional legally qualified magistrates,\u201d Dr. McIntyre stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As crime in Dominica increases, the government is placing a sharp focus on the security of the general public. Finance Minister, Dr. Irving McIntyre made the disclosure while presenting the 2023-2024 National Budget on Tuesday. \u201cMr. Speaker, we are…","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":302389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,286,77,235,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-305803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-court-law","category-governance","category-homepage","category-homepage-carousel","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n