| YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME
Lobbying 1)
They should lobby for the implementation of Access to Information Acts/Freedom of Information acts to legislate better availability of and access to data from government. In the information age it is unacceptable that basic data of national importance is not available to the press. There is precedent in the region for such legislation in Belize, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.
2) Media houses should join forces across borders with each other and lobby strongly through the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) to help ensure the viability of the media industry which faces many challenges. The ACM can also seek support from other associations such as Chambers of Commerce, Media Association Jamaica (MAJ), Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), International Press Institute (IPI). It seems that in Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines it is hard to get data because it is not compiled or not compiled regularly. In Barbados it is difficult to get the data from government sources even though it exists as there is no Access To Information Act (ATI)/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and as such there is nothing compelling government and quasi government agencies to release information. 3) Security forces should provide basic top line statistics and information. In lieu of an Access to Information Act, data from security sources concerning youth crime should be available as a matter of course, policy, transparency, and good governance. History has proven in all countries studied that the information CAN be made available and that it is a matter of political will. In the public interest, such information should not be subject to changes in political or management regimes. As part of this lobby, it should be insisted that security forces must have consistent, regularly scheduled briefings (monthly, quarterly etc.) and have timely briefings and releases to address specific events and occurrences. 4) Authorities present crime statistics categorized for age groups: under 12, 12-15, 15-18, 18-20, 20-25 and 25-30. This would allow for easier and more meaningful analysis and projections differentiating children/juveniles from teenagers and young adults. This will allow for better statistical tracking of cohorts over time. These lobbying efforts should be backed up with a public advertising and editorial campaign by the ACM explaining why media access to information is important in modern democracies and the public interest with the aim of generating public support.
48 A Media Analysis of the Coverage of Youth Involvement in Crime and Violence and Trafficking in Persons (June 2021 to June 2023) in the Eastern Caribbean
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