GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) — The Guyana Government says new legislation will be introduced this year to address the growing issue of crime in the Caribbean.

It said that the effort is being spearheaded by several bodies, including the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat, the Caricom Legal Affairs Committee, and the Caricom Solicitor General Committee.

Attorney general and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said that crime has been identified as a critical priority by Caricom leaders and the regional integration movement has officially declared crime a public health issue, recognising its profound economic and social impact across member states.

“We have about three or four that we will be passing very shortly; one is a Caricom Arrest Warrant Bill. Another one deals with Caricom advanced passenger information,” Nandlall told reporters.

The Caricom Arrest Warrant Bill was introduced last year at the Second Regional Symposium on Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue.

The legislation aims to address cross-border crimes through standardised extradition processes across member states. This involves streamlining the procedures for handing over individuals accused or convicted of crimes to the jurisdiction where the offence occurred.

The symposium also highlighted that the Caribbean spends an average of 31 per cent of its budget on crime prevention and fighting, losing significant investments in the development of human capital.

Between 2019 and 2024, regional security budgets increased by 154 per cent, diverting much-needed resources from health care and public services to dealing with crime, and Nandlall said, “It is, therefore, crucial that targeted efforts be employed to tackle rising crime rates in order to ensure the safety and security of all citizens.”

He said other key legislative interventions aimed at tackling regional crime rates include the Caribbean Gang Database and the Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network.

Nandlall also said that the Barbados-based Regional Security System was a collective response to security threats which were impacting the stability of the region in the early 1970s and 1980s.

“All the countries will sign on to the Regional Security System and we’ll have a regional police force,” added Nandlall.