Julian Willock renews call for National Security Advisor
Mr Willock was at the time, Saturday April 28, 2018, speaking at a forum on Stop the Violence organised by the Dream Big Group.
The keynote speaker at the rally was Billionaire P. A., who is an author and motivational speaker from the United States of America.
Mr Willock, in his short but comprehensive presentation, said stopping violence is like a four legged chair. If any of the legs are pull out, it will not remain standing, and suggested four solutions and requirements in fighting crime.
What it takes to stop the violence- Willock
The former Permanent Secretary told the mixed audience of young people and adults: 1. You need the police and they have to be trained, they have to be given the tools, the funds, and you have to take care of the human resources issues that are plaguing the Force;
2. You need the churches, social groups, schools, teachers, the community, mentors, parents, pathfinders, boys and girls scouts, even the Big Dream group that has organised this event;
3. You need fair laws and a good judiciary system and transparency, since the poor is often locked up disproportionately in many developed countries; and
4. Leadership: that Implements reforms that are comprehensive and promotes transparency. We require leadership that talks about coordinating; how we bring all the crime fighting agencies in the VI together, namely, the Police, Customs, Immigration and Her Majesty’s Prison. It is for this reason, “I called for the appointment of a National Security Advisor.”
Mr Willock told our newsroom after the event that he has now “renewed my call for an appointment of a NSA to bring about coordination of all the security agencies to ensure that everyone is on the same page.”
He told the forum “We will not rise, as a country, if we leave hundreds behind and write off whole communities.”
In his presentation, he noted that “The debate over crime not only in this Territory, but many of our neighbouring countries, is: “Lock ‘em up” or “Let ‘em out”, “Blame the criminal” or “blame society”, “Be tough” or “give them a break”.
New approach
However, “it is my position, that we need a new way forward: and I call it; tough, but intelligent. It is punishment – proportionate, meaningful punishment. Just being tough is not a successful strategy in itself” Mr Willock added.
In most prisons, you will meet robbers, burglars, and rapest he stated, “But you will also meet young people who cannot read, teenagers addicted to drugs, and people who have never worked a day in their whole lives.”
These people need help, so they can become “part of the solution and not remain part of the problem. This approach is not soft nor liberal. It is common sense,” according to Willock.
The former Director of the Water and Sewerage Department, who announced last month that he will be an At Large candidate in the next general elections due by 2019, also stated “Prevention is the cheapest and most effective way to deal with crime - everything else is simply picking up the pieces of failure that has gone before. That is part of what I mean by being intelligent, as well as tough.”
He has solutions
Over the past year Mr Willock has brought forward many solutions from revenue initiatives, the call for a Town Council starting first with Virgin Gorda, and a relook at how the sister islands, which he said are “treated as the forgotten people by the Tortola centric Government,” are represented.
Mr Willock has given wide and compressive platform positions on crime, good governance, finance, education, the courts, social issues, law and order and ways to bring people together.
Other speakers at the Stop the Violence event organised by the Dream Big Group were Leader of the Opposition Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1), Hon Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) and Deputy Governor David D. Archer Jr.
The motivational event was hosted by educator, Former Miss BVI and Recovery Board Agency Member Sharie B.Y. deCastro.
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13 Responses to “Julian Willock renews call for National Security Advisor”
Top Ranking National Security Expertise in our Governor and Commissioner of Police. If I understand clearly the Governor's former position was equivalent to that of Director of CIA....wise up.... BVI's biggest problem is BVI people.... sorry to say but its time for a reality check. Pastors and Politicians need to stop playing those silly games.... there's too much at stake right now.