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NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CRIME - COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA

National Development Corporation - Tourism

Director of Tourism, Mrs. Sharon Pascal, informed the meeting on three major crime-related challenges facing the Tourism Industry and the best practices to the challenges currently being faced.

Mrs. Pascal described Dominica's tourism industry as a fragile one, a fact that was emphasized since the advent of 9/11. She commented on the four major ways in which tourism benefited the destination, those being:

  1. creation of employment,
  2. generation of foreign exchange,
  3. entrepreneurship development and
  4. expansion of the economic base.

She was of the view that various acts of terrorism in other countries and the petty criminal acts such as harassment and theft which occurred in Dominica, had a similar impact of reducing visitor arrival to the destination and subsequently, the economic benefits mentioned. Mrs. Pascal told the meeting that the new model was that tourism security was a part of good marketing plan.

Mrs. Pascal stated that the three major crime activities in Dominica facing the tourism industry were that of visitor harassment, robbery and theft and threats of acts of terrorism.

Visitor Harassment
/Mrs. Pascal was of the view that visitor harassment was prevalent in Dominica and those included troubling, threatening, accosting, persistently begging or following about any person in a public area. Those were evident whenever a cruise ship was in port or at visitors' sites including beaches. Robbery and theft were increasingly being reported and evening walks in the city were on the threat of becoming a not-to-do activity. Open spaces like the Botanical Gardens, the Woodbridge Bay and Roseau were becoming unsafe and the fact that the crime of robbery and theft were being committed in broad daylight in populated areas, indicated that the perpetrators had no qualms of destroying a potentially billion dollar industry for a few dollars.

The meeting was informed that Tour Operators in the major markets of Europe and the US were now threatening to exclude Dominica and cruise lines were continually expressing their concerns about the reports of incidents of crime. Mrs. Pascal informed the meeting that in Europe in particular, the Tour Operators through legislation were liable for any unfortunate incidents at the destination and they were mandated to refund up to 60% of the visitors expense to that destination. Hence, if the Tour Operators were unsure about the destination they would not be prepared to face that liability.

Mrs. Pascal made reference to the recent bomb threats and that of water contamination and their impact on the tourism industry. Dominica, she pointed out, was promoted as a tranquil destination and therefore, bomb threats did not match tranquility. She recalled that at the time of the threat of water contamination, a cruise ship was in port and it was a fact that Dominica supplied water to the cruise ships, hence, the resulting negative impact.

The best practices to Dominica's challenges outlined were:

  1. Legislation: The NDC through its Nature Island of Standard Excellence (NISE) Programme was instrumental in having the Small Charges Act amended to include harassment as an arrestable offence. However, it was observed that the police faced challenges in implementing that Act especially when it dealt with cruise or other short-stay visitors, and a further challenge to the police when dealing with vagrants or mentally ill persons who walked Dominica's streets.
  2. Education: Tourism awareness campaigns have been launched highlighting the importance of the tourism industry and emphasizing that "tourism is everybody's business" due to its impact on everyone, one way or another.
    As part of the NISE Programme, a series of one-day workshops on tourism awareness and customer service targeting all persons working in the sector.
    All the programmes undertaken included an element of safety and security and they involved the police. Experiences and best practices were continually being shared worldwide and in the region.
  3. Development of a Tourism Task Force: That body was established for combating crimes against visitors. It was a private/public sector committee to specifically look at issues affecting visitors' safety and security and included representatives of the police, the DHTA, Tour Operators, Vendors, Tour Guides, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, and the Division of Forestry. Some of activities implemented included a tourism awareness workshop for media practitioners. That workshop was organised in view of media and press coverage of crime activities on the island, and to sensitize the media on the impact of their work on the industry. A tourism security-training workshop was implemented to target security guards at hotels, at the ports and security personnel at various companies. Currently, there was heightened patrol in strategic areas and the presence of uniformed security was a welcomed sign for tourism security.

Challenges to the best practices were finance, security guaranties profits. There was still a need to increase patrols in all areas, however, it was recognised that the Police Service was constrained by both human and financial resources.

The Department of Tourism anticipated continued collaboration between the public and private sector to develop the methods and strategies that could be undertaken to combat the challenges.

Discussion
In answer to a question as to the Tourism Department's role towards the setting up of a night court, Mrs. Pascal informed that the Ministry of Legal Affairs' representative on the Tourism Task Force had begun to address that matter and had advised that the Dominica Bar Association would discuss the matter. It was suggested that the Lawyers would need to postpone cases involving clients and others who were permanently on island in order that the cases involving short and cruise ship visitors could be heard in the daytime before those visitors moved on.

In view of the magnanimity of the crime-related problems expressed by the various presenters, concern was expressed about the absence from the Symposium of political leaders, the various heads of departments and other stakeholders who were in a position to take immediate action.

Continuation of Discussion
The Commissioner of Police referred to the crime of human trafficking in Dominica by nationals from Santo Domingo and Haiti who arranged for persons from those islands to move on to the French islands. He also stated that those nationals flagrantly breached Dominica's immigration laws. He lamented the fact that those nationals were allowed to come freely into Dominica on the basis that they were from CARICOM countries. Mr. Lestrade also expressed fears that Dominica could be embarrassed at an international forum if it failed to address the problem.

In response, Mr. Blackmoore informed the meeting that presently, an amendment to the Immigration Act was being drafted to specifically deal with the commitment or attempts to commit those crimes. He went on to suggest that Dominica's Immigration Officers should be allowed to use their discretion to ask persons whom they determined were not bona fide visitors, to pay a large deposit upon entry which would be refunded to them upon departure.

Mr. Irwin LaRocque pointed out that there was a distinction between human smuggling and human trafficking. In the case of human trafficking, persons entered and left the island legally but it was used as a stepping-stone to move on to another destination, where they entered illegally. As it pertained to human smuggling, the immigration laws were violated when persons came in and departed illegally. He pointed out that while Dominica's present immigration laws could deal with the immigration part of human smuggling, it was absent on human trafficking.

Mr. LaRocque also made the point that nationals other than those from Haiti or Santo Domingo could easily become involved in such acts and others as very little travel documentation was required from those persons. He emphasized that as long as the law was present, it should be used against persons who broke the law.

On behalf of Dominica Media Association

Messrs. Thalia Remy of the Government Information Service and Marrietta Warrington of DBS Radio touched on some aspects of media reporting on crime. With reference to best practices, Ms. Remy made reference to the participation of media personnel to the many workshops held by different agencies which dealt with the issue of crime reporting in those various sectors and on sensitive issues and its effect.

Ms. Warrington endorsed the call for the establishment of a night court where crimes against tourists could be dealt with and concluded. She was of the view that it would facilitate the media in presenting a balanced story on reporting crimes against visitors. Presently, in view of the fact that the perpetrator was not dealt with by the courts expeditiously, only the commitment of the crime was reported at the time it happened which obviously had a negative impact.

Ms. Remy referred to a point made at a recent workshop for media personnel that if it were possible to restrict the local media from reporting on a crime committed against a tourist, somehow, the news would be picked up by the foreign media or press and in such cases, the story would be told in a worse fashion. She suggested that tourism officials should first tell the story of any crime against tourists to the media in the manner they wanted it to be told in addition to what steps had been taken as the agency responsible to prevent a recurrence.

Another challenge was the absence of training of media reporters and further, funding was not readily available to facilitate the necessary training.

Discussion on Challenges and Responses
The meeting determined that some of the most severe challenges as it pertained to the Police Department were specific legislation, e.g. human trafficking and the immediate response being first, a draft amendment to the Immigration Act which was currently being drafted; and secondly, Parliamentary approval.

The Diaspora submitted that the challenge was the requirement of further legislation and the immediate response was for the manning of the tourist areas that were known to require attention.

The Media submitted its challenges as the need for training and equipment resources and the need for a National Broadcasting Act.

The Tourism department challenges included the implementation of night courts; increase police patrols.

Determination on an appropriate mechanism to address needs outlined.

Mr. Lance Selman, Chairman of CARICOM Task Force on Crime, explained there could be two bodies established for dealing with the issues of crime at different levels in the country. These were

The National Commission, Mr. Selman suggested, would comprise Government representatives, the private sector, civil society representatives. Those persons would work towards a plan of action and the Commission would facilitate in the implementation of the national plan of action for combating crime. Mr. Selman added that a National Commission could act as a mediating structure to help with security measures and could also help in building confidence between the police and public.

It was determined that Government Ministers were the ones who made decisions and also the ones who decided on policy. However, it was felt that the policy makers might not want to have private sector people on the council performing that function. Therefore, another element was needed to provide advice or to inform that policy. However, while Government may not be prepared to readily accept the advice given, that advisory body was required for providing advice and for the public to feel that they had a say in whatever policy resulted.

Master Action Plan on Crime

That section of the meeting was facilitated by Dr. St. Jean.

Mr. Selman advised the meeting on the importance of formulating an action plan as it related to crime in the country, and observed that treaties signed with international communities made the formulation of such a plan a condition for assistance.

The meeting, therefore, determined that the requirements were

  1. to establish a Crime Commission and
  2. to formulate a master plan.

The meeting further agreed on the selection of a steering committee to discuss the way forward. The following agencies were nominated to the Steering Committee:

Mr. Rayburn Blackmoore was named Chairperson and Ms. Marriette Warrington, Deputy Chairperson of the Steering Committee. It was agreed that the first meeting of the Committee would be held before the end of September 2003.

Adjournment - Dr. Peter K. B. St. Jean thanked everyone for their presence and participation and closed the meeting 6:00 p.m.

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