Former Assistant Commissioner of Police Nuffield Burnette is alleging that official crime statistics in Antigua and Barbuda significantly understate the true level of criminal activity in the country, claiming that many offences go unreported while others are deliberately suppressed.
According to Antigua News Room, Burnette made the remarks during a United Progressive Party town hall meeting focused on the government's proposed third-country deportee arrangement with the United States. He told attendees he had deliberately chosen not to reference official crime figures, citing his belief that they fail to capture the real extent of crime on the ground.
"I deliberately did not come here tonight with any stats," Burnette said. "The stats are not accurate."
Burnette, who spent decades in law enforcement before retiring as assistant commissioner of police, said a significant portion of crimes are never brought to the attention of authorities. He attributed part of that underreporting to public dissatisfaction with how police handle criminal complaints.
"Persons do not report everything," he said.
He argued that the annual crime statistics released by law enforcement present a misleading picture of public safety. "What we see as stats, or what is presented to us whether at the end of the year or the beginning of the year by law enforcement… those are not accurate," Burnette said.
The former senior officer went further, alleging that some incident reports have been deliberately minimised. "I can even speak to situations where I know for a fact that persons try to suppress certain reports so as to make it look as though it's not that serious," he said, claiming such actions were intended "to appease persons" and "make government of the day look good."
Burnette also argued that the public cannot be misled on the issue, since residents themselves decide whether to report incidents to police. "You cannot fool the public as it relates to the stats where crime is concerned in this country because they are the ones who report the matters," he said.
Burnette framed his comments within the broader debate over Antigua and Barbuda's capacity to absorb additional public safety pressures. He urged policymakers to honestly confront the country's existing crime realities before proceeding with any agreement to accept third-country deportees from the United States.
