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Rising incidents of goat theft have pushed a local senator to launch a public appeal targeting food sellers and consumers, urging them to cut off the illegal market that sustains rampant livestock theft across the region.

Senator Lamin Newton made this targeted call to action during a recent taping of the popular public affairs radio show *Beneath the Surface*, where he shared insights from a recent conversation with a local livestock farmer that underscored the severity of the ongoing crisis. According to Newton, the farmer described goat theft as an increasingly unmanageable problem that has devastated the livelihoods of small-scale agricultural producers.

In his appeal, Newton laid out clear guidance for restaurants, mobile weekend food vendors, and retail shop owners: any time an unfamiliar seller offering goat meat cannot prove they own a farm or raise livestock themselves, buyers should refuse the transaction. “Do not encourage the thieves by buying any sort of goat meat from people who you know have no farm and don’t raise goats,” he emphasized during the interview.

Newton explained that continued demand for this cheap, potentially stolen goat meat creates a profitable cycle that keeps thieves returning to target vulnerable farming operations. Thieves rely on a steady, willing market to offload their stolen animals, so every purchase of unconfirmed goat meat sends a signal that this criminal activity will be rewarded. “When you do that, you are encouraging them because they can come back again and keep coming back,” he added.

The senator also pushed for greater public empathy for the hardships farmers face after falling victim to livestock theft. Raising goats requires months of consistent labor, significant upfront investment in feed, shelter, and care, and a long-term commitment to growing a sustainable product. When thieves steal an entire herd or flock of goats, they do not just steal property — they wipe out months of work and leave families that depend on agricultural income facing severe financial strain. Newton urged businesses and consumers to practice perspective-taking before purchasing cheap goat meat from unknown sellers: “Put yourself in the place of the farmers who work hard and raise their animals just to have somebody come in, steal it and come and sell it to you at a reduced price.”

According to Newton, widespread refusal to buy suspected stolen goat meat is one of the most accessible and effective forms of collective action to combat livestock theft. Rather than leaving enforcement entirely to law enforcement, everyday people and local business owners can directly undermine the financial incentive for this crime by closing off the illegal market. “Protest against it by not buying it,” he stated. He went on to argue that by publicly making it clear they will not purchase meat or animals obtained through theft, buyers can eliminate the profit motive that drives repeated theft incidents, ultimately reducing the frequency of this harmful crime against small-scale farmers.

As Antigua and Barbuda grapples with persistent challenges of violent crime, senior legislator Senator Lamin Newton is pushing for widespread community action, calling on residential groups across the twin-island nation to launch and expand neighborhood watch initiatives as a core pillar of the country’s anti-crime strategy.

Speaking during an interview on the popular local current affairs radio show *Beneath the Surface*, Newton outlined that collective public participation is just as critical to crime reduction as official law enforcement operations. He emphasized that local residents hold a unique advantage in spotting out-of-the-ordinary activity in their own neighborhoods, a vantage point that no external police patrol can fully replicate.

“What I’m calling on communities to do is to get more neighborhood watches going,” Newton told listeners. “That is a part of crime-fighting as well.”

Newton laid out a clear action plan for residents: any time an individual observes behavior that feels suspicious or out of place, they must not stay silent. Instead, they should immediately reach out to local police to share details and alert nearby neighbors to the potential risk. These simple, proactive steps, he argued, act as a powerful deterrent to criminal groups that rely on community inaction and silence to operate undetected.

A core point of Newton’s message pushed back against the common narrative that crime mitigation falls exclusively to the country’s top leadership and law enforcement bodies. He stressed that crime and violence are not problems that can be solved by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the national Cabinet, police departments, or other law enforcement agencies working alone.

“The issue of crime and violence is a national issue,” he said. “It’s an issue that requires the collaboration of the entire country so that we can address the situation.”

In addition to calling for cross-sector collaboration, Newton urged political leaders and citizens alike to set aside partisan divisions when discussing public safety. He argued that the security of communities is far too critical a priority to be turned into a political football, and that meaningful progress can only be achieved when people work together across party lines.

When fully implemented, Newton explained, coordinated neighborhood watch partnerships between residents and police will strengthen layered community surveillance, streamline the flow of intelligence between the public and law enforcement, and create an environment where criminal actors can no longer operate in the shadows. Newton’s remarks came during a broader on-air discussion covering multiple pressing public safety topics, including rising gun violence, sentencing reform, and the ongoing need for aligned action between government institutions, law enforcement, and everyday citizens to protect residential communities across the country.