In a bid to sharpen its response to violence, the Government of Anguilla hosted a three-day workshop focused on coordination, data and prevention strategies.
Technical officers, practitioners and community stakeholders from across key sectors engaged in interactive sessions to review current efforts.
A key objective of the workshop, held from 20 to 22 January, was to strengthen coordination by mapping current efforts, identifying gaps and aligning priorities.
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The Violence Prevention in Anguilla Workshop was delivered in partnership with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which provided expertise and funded the sessions.
Programme lead Lara Snowdon and programme deputy head Sunita Sturup-Toft from the UKHSA facilitated the workshop.
They used the internationally recognised INSPIRE Framework – a public health approach that addresses the root causes of violence through prevention and early intervention.
Although focused on violence against children, the framework’s strategies are proven to reduce a wide range of violence, a government press release said.
It added that the workshop promoted cross-sector collaboration, knowledge exchange and alignment with global best practices, while ensuring relevance to Anguilla’s local context.
The workshop, held at the Anguilla Football Association conference facility, comes following a spike in violent crime in Anguilla in which two men lost their lives.
The body of Carby, aged 35 from South Hill, was discovered in a yard near a burnt-out car just after 6am on Wednesday, 7 January.
Krishna Baijnauth appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on 12 January facing charges of murder and arson and has been remanded to prison.
Gumbs, 19, of Blowing Point died after being shot multiple times on Rendezvous Drive in Blowing Point sometime before 9.46am on Saturday, 10 January.
The Royal Anguilla Police Force is offering a reward of up to US$10,000 for information leading to a conviction.
Anyone with information can call police on 911, (264) 497-2333 or 497-5333, or leave an anonymous message, video or photo at secureaxa.com
Information from the website is stored in a secure location in California where access to it is tightly controlled.
