safety steps

St. John’s, Antigua, February 14, 2024 – The Statistics Division is distancing itself from recent reports being circulated on social media, of individuals posing as home affairs officers, working along with the upcoming census.

The social media post alleges that these individuals are using this opportunity to carry out unlawful acts on vulnerable residents and as such, the Statistics Division has unequivocally distanced its officers from any such incidents.    

In late January, the Statistics Division embarked on a Mapping and Listing Exercise which forms part of the pre-enumeration activities for the 2024 Population and Housing Census.

However, as a result of this recent development where alleged imposters are posing as census workers, the mapping officers are now facing difficulty while carrying out their duties in the field. It has been reported that some residents now are apprehensive about dealing with the officers.

The Statistics Division assures the public that at no time would the mapping officers need entry to your property nor interview members of your household requesting personal information at this stage of the exercise.

There are three stages to executing a census, the first, is the pre-enumeration stage which is what the Census Office is currently embarking on and is key.

Second, is the enumeration which is the data collection stage and is the critical component of the Census.

Third, is the post-enumeration stage, where the data collected is verified, analyzed, and statistics, reports, and other outputs are produced and disseminated.

This pre-enumeration exercise helps census workers locate dwellings, businesses, and other buildings quickly and efficiently. Additionally, it determines the extent to which the maps correctly reflect the geographic and housing characteristics of the enumeration districts. These maps will be used for the actual census enumeration later this year.

The Census Office, which is responsible for implementing the Census, further adds that Mapping Officers are appropriately attired in T-shirts bearing the Division’s logo on the front and “Census Mapping Exercise” on the back along with official picture IDs. The Statistics Division continues to solicit the full cooperation of the public when the mapping officers visit your area.