An attorney-at-law has suggested that Antigua and Barbuda tap into international expertise in criminology as a means to assist with crime fighting initiatives.
Harold Lovell, who was a visiting professor at the University of Toronto for several months earlier this year, says he had the opportunity to meet with a number of individuals who are versed in this field of study and whose knowledge could be utilized.
“I had a chance to speak with some of the others who engage in criminology and, for example, regular contributors to TV programs, regular op-ed writers to the Toronto Globe and Mail and other newspapers, and these are people who have really studied criminology and I was thinking that it would be very good if we could find a way to tap into some of the expertise.
In Antigua and the Caribbean generally, we’re having issues with crime but, you know, the study of criminology and how you tackle it, these are things that we have to understand that there are people out there who are studying this thing on a daily basis, writing about it, and we can learn from them so we don’t need to be shooting in the dark and trying things that may not even work. We can tap into the existing expertise that is out there and certainly that was a very good experience also.”
Reflecting on his stint at the University, Lovell says it was a fantastic experience which he thoroughly enjoyed.
“I had a very good relationship with faculty, admin staff, and the students. It worked out very well. And the exposure is something that you really can’t measure. For example, the professor in the office next to where I was, he was a Russian, a Russian scholar. And so it allowed me to speak with him and to learn firsthand about some of the issues taking place in Russia, history, the experiences that he had himself. He worked within the system. So he had a very insightful view of the things that were taking place there.”
He went on to say that his students made him feel welcomed at the institution.
“In fact, I have a card here that was given to me. And if you can have a look, each one of them inscribed words which I will never, ever forget. It was truly a remarkable experience. And they actually wrote to the admin asking that I be invited back so that one semester will not just be one semester, but that I will have to do something in the future as well.
Lovell took the time to extend his appreciation to some members of the Antiguan community in Canada, who he said were there for him from the beginning during his stint there. He also thanked the staff at the High Commission and the Department of Tourism which was always very helpful when he reached out to them for assistance.
