Should the BVI Leverage CARICOM’s Resources to Fight Crime?
This question was recently posed to Premier Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley during a press conference. It highlighted the contrast between relying on the UK versus countries within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for crime-fighting assistance, given the stark differences between life and crime in the BVI compared to the UK.
Wheatley offered his perspective, stating:
![video](https://d16c23m5op9a19.cloudfront.net/530eacdc-80a3-4c1b-96c2-1ad1f75b4472/thumbnails/caricom-1_tumb.0000011.jpg?Key-Pair-Id=APKAJ35XGXICKHRP5TSQ&Signature=ZIyQEDv71KmS5dlhRGThZXAx1ony0L5jaeUEd7laRuJzgGskzooJxNbCnGS8Co9Urs72rEqeLDYvmHMff2lHmJvJVAGftr2J78OjfaQFSkiu33YuULmr~0hj6NlGkepbZXcUsxA9ful8g01mzV0lmcvcy2p~yU1Pvp0xSiA1wvS64Xh1eSzwFQCk3raktiRboSkOHxBEnGTDBmvYSwud5zHQLnt8EI8TF7XVH0BREDQfbv70fl7~g4T3L7boi192Eu9OYM9KmLc9JHehEupa5zi8~Wyx4NwBpIw90HbNSJllT1WmepN7q7g-JSgJmguPQPsZC4csSKK9cXtxEKDn~g__&Expires=1725932886)
He also reflected on some key areas of crime where regional cooperation would be particularly valuable. Such as drug trafficking and the illegal firearms trade.
![video](https://d16c23m5op9a19.cloudfront.net/0f4e2a16-da9b-4b49-897f-9ef080c3b26f/thumbnails/caricom-2_tumb.0000007.jpg?Key-Pair-Id=APKAJ35XGXICKHRP5TSQ&Signature=fmZiricU08SXSMTKMsX4teDxZZc6q~A2-Zg7BTh8~BwsDUpMAx0VSTW4rV0Qa2XYpeEAuTz3OCB~Rt6dEtb8~FTAvAHXrFQRq7gSSv3lQvHV2q3r~Mn8AXIlroX6synV1LFkG3wpV-jJodEUilpEK0QDikSchAHi6NtfoaCaRTcinzW-E4xcmHmCnyavlss~ymvMFaIXLvCrijwyH6Wneho~NNeVScXw9NOxUiAmnwfOOA3hdqc1AMce-Z-P50BIA2BpIZCU8FqdDJmVmy5RzNR7EF2urvTnmXRtSLLystFnPDLdbhDk3Mw8PwKHyh7BvjYN6~8xkr830~a1GdnV8Q__&Expires=1725932886)
Wheatley further noted the value of seeking CARICOM’s assistance beyond just crime, explaining that increased integration is part of the BVI’s growth.
![video](https://d16c23m5op9a19.cloudfront.net/86725290-6a18-4855-9401-8724c30dfb3c/thumbnails/caricom-3_tumb.0000003.jpg?Key-Pair-Id=APKAJ35XGXICKHRP5TSQ&Signature=EsIyXoghfhYrWEEHDeP3PpTr5NIIVXrARBJQ1Bo6ATGAb3HtCZk99VZ4xGzwp2plIr3Ec~8cUFqrmX2emUV90HyEcUaC6l5e1h0RkTJw6tZtypdI~AlxD3LLgGPWoEKYLFxRdE6Ey0abHegRNYsQPDzXYDk42mqqgD2Vnlyr0QASsQy1h35QtCfq-ynBh9MQI7-5LjvX7m7e6iz7C4pp10zjZoC5XVETgKuFW6sv6t~AvMBYcM4tQOzkeNS-zGvJ-OVZiBtGcFINA51RucynQXcb2187S6C0oGy7njngTgbzlueileYDjFPgEWVYxnboZNoN2tHi5c91-76HWi5jsw__&Expires=1725932886)