Putting people pictures under the carpet?!?!?!? LOL!!!

Seriously though, there are some interesting questions posed here. Unfortunately we will probably never get any of them answered.

Does anyone know when Commissioner Dottin is due to retire?

In memory of my dear, dear friend Jeanette Layne-Clarke who wrote so much about Barbados…writings that are as fresh today as they ever were!

This poem although published in 2003, must have been written long before. In 1981 we spoke of rising crime and drugs…and at that time Jeanette could not believe her ears when I told her that I had just chased a man out of my bedroom – he was rummaging in my drawer and pulling out the best of my jewelry placing same into a bag. In those days we had no fear of petty thieves ’cause they were petty….had no guns or armed themselves with anything…so I chased him outta de bedroom screaming and then outta de yard. Today…one would be mad to even think of doing such a thing unless you are heavily armed. And as much as I have great respect for the police, this business that every time you call them for a ‘breaking & entry’ or even because you heard a noise…you have to sit for hours whilst the officiating officer painfully writes out a long-winded statement, seems archaic and is probably the reason that many do not even bother to call them when such a thing has happened. There must be a better way!

A few weeks ago, a man (maybe two) dug out my back door systematically at every bolt and dead bolt (some four) until the door was free to be opened. Then with a crow bar they forced the lock on the inside wrought-iron gate. Entry was the next step. Perhaps they were frightened by my lights that shone down the side of the house as I came home. God forbid I had been home asleep, or even had come in once they had gained entry and were upstairs…I might not be alive today!!

Since then I am unable to sleep comfortably in my home even though now two more dead bolts have been placed on the front door, and a wrought iron gate at the top of the stairs to the bedroom with lock, then another door with bolts, then my bedroom door with a lock. I am in a jail on a nightly basis, and still sleep with one eye open and my ears pinned to the night. Over the last two years nearly every house in this street has been hit…and continues to be hit…the house across the road again just a few nights ago. Stress is now my middle name. ‘Cause I know that if thieves can come over and over again to one’s house with impunity, they know that the law must be on their side. I heard of a man the other day with 79 convictions who robbed a person and was caught. 79 convictions? What is he doing on the streets again. What??? Years ago my handbag was stolen off of me with all my papers inside…this man had only been out of prison for one week!!! It took me two years to get back all the IDs he stole…and during that time I was treated like the criminal, not the victim!!

There is a great need for change on this little beautiful island. It was paradise. But it is no more. When you fear going to sleep at night, and also fear doing business with white-collared criminals in the day…what is left for us who love this country? What? And yes! these are two areas that one expects that our powers that be will be there to protect us from. Let it not be that citizens have to bare arms in order to make things right! Please Lord ensure that our force that is supposed to keep us people safe, are not corrupted and understand the oath they took before being put in that position of trust! I want to believe this so bad!

I pray for this little simply gorgeous paradise that was…’cause if we cannot make an area so small safe…what then is left???

Whether this topic is for this particular blog or not, I just had to vent.

CRIME IN DECLINE
More Bajan Badinage written by the late Jeanette Layne-Clark in 2003

“De guv’ment TV station say
De statistics fuh crime gone down….
…So how come criminal activity
Increasing all over town?

When we hear crime ‘pon de decline,
Bajans know dah far from de troot;
We could tek dah to mean t’iefin’ rampant
an’ more people dan ever gettin’ shoot.

When duh say dat de law mekking “inroads”
In de drug war, um en mekking’ a dent
In drug-traffickin’, brekkin’-an-enterin’
Nor woundin’ wif intent.

We got to blame dat ‘pon tourism –
We cyahn afford to leh de visitors know
Dat Buhbayduss exactly like de res’ o’ de worl’
Whey crime continuin’ to grow.

We prefer to leh dem t’ink dis is Paradise,
Den from onder duh foot, pull out de rug…
While enjoyin’ duh time, duh’s fin’ out ’bout crime
From experience – when duh get mug!

But ef Officialdom foolin’ de tourisses ’bout crime,
Dah only come naturally
‘Cause ‘pon dah subjeck, looka how long
Officialdom been foolin’ we!

Don’ fuhget how de Attonery General
In de Sandiford administration
Say dat gangs did only groups o’ young fellas
Involve in urban integration!

All dah time, all kin’s o’ street-gangs
Did roamin’ wile an’ free…
Doh crime was ‘pon de up an’ up,
Politicians did tryin’ to fool we!

An’ remember when it was a known fack
Dat drugs was in mos’ o’ we schools?
Sandi insis’ dat wasn’t true…
He mussee t’ought Bajans was fools!

Lawlessness was increasin’ all like den
But statistics did gettin’ downsize;
Crime did suppose to be gine down
But criminal activity was ‘pon de rise!

So when powers-dat-be mekkin’ mocksport at we,
Sayin’ duh got crime onder control,
Duh real boleface ’cause all ’bout de place,
A drama does be gettin’ onfol’!

Shootouts en uncommon in broad daylight;
At night, um is burglary;
Vagabon’s muggin’ an’ raping’ at gunpoint,
Committin’ ‘nough assault an’ battery.

Duh attackin’ wid knife an’ collins,
T’reatenin’ to chop off yuh head,
Ef yuh miss an’ find yohself at duh mercy
An’ you barely blink, duh kill yuh dead!

An’ don’ talk ’bout de drug situation
Or de subjeck o’ white-collar crime!
Whenever yuh hear dem figures gine down,
Um is jes’ when duh startin’ to climb.

Dis official double-talk is a dangerous t’ing –
Yuh cyahn trus’ wuh yuh hear in de news
‘Cause de figures ‘pon crime tek a six fuh a nine
An’ got onsuspectin’ people confuse.

We got to try an’ cope ’cause we could only hope
Dat de statistics increase officially;
Dah would be a sign we experiencin’ a decline
In criminal activity!

David wrote “national resources are being used to locate who is behind BU.”

And International resources will be used on anyone who tries to “interfere” with FREEDOM of expression in Barbados.

Bajans in the Diaspora will be mobilised.

David do whatever you can to protect yourself and your family.

Thieving Lawyers and Crooked politicians are probably getting worried that bloggers will use BU to expose previously hidden transgressions.

@Rosemary,

Theives usually do not like noise or light.

You and your neighbours should get 2 dogs at each house. 1 big mixed breed Alsation/Lab or Rottweiler/ridgeback for the yard and a little poodle type for inside the house.

Install motion activated security lights at the front and back door.
Install security cameras.A Wireless 4 Camera Night Vision Security systems cost about $250US.

If you are barricading yourself in your house make sure you install smoke detectors to give you early warning in case of fire.

From the 60s and 70s middle class Bajans were installing wrought iron and keeping dogs in the yard.
Some also had licensed guns.
Hants was not middle class so he could only afford the gun.lol

@Rosemary

Sorry to hear that you are a prisoner in your own home, but what did you and your neighbours do after the first few breakins? I know of a few “Neighbourhood Watch” groups in Barbados perhaps the neighbours need to join forces to deal with the B & E artists.

These guys are cunning they case the place and get to know your habits that’s why they thought they had enough time to take your door off and break through the wrought iron gate. If the neighbours know that you are not home perhaps they can alert the Police to any unusual activity :-).

The only other suggestion is to get a dog, dogs are a good deterrent and the bark will scare away many of the criminals.

@islandgal246,

You are a very wise woman.

Thieves will move from house to house till they find one that is dark and quiet.

Lights and dogs are good deterrents.

@Rosemary “why would I now want to have sirens going off every five minutes when cats that belong to the people behind me roam the yard freely? Or smoke detectors that go off every time I light an incense stick or a candle.

1. Cats do not trigger motion detector lights unless they are 4 feet to 9 feet tall.The one I bought have adjustments.

2. Smoke detectors are NOT set off by candles or incense.At least not the ones in my house.

3. Most criminals will not be deterred by harsh penalties but yes revenge is sweet if you are alive to enjoy it.

4. It is our human right to be protected and to use the brain god gave us to figure out how to protect ourselves.

Islandgal246 is using her brain and sleeping at night.

Don’t understand why we keep consoling ourselves with the stats which says crime is going down when on the ground people feel terrorised.

At the end of the day the stats conclusion is based on reported crime anyway.

The police needs to get back to neighbourhood policing.

Get back close to the people and get out of the damn vehicles parked in side streets drinking rum and beer.

I aint noh weh wunna live but I duz sleep wid my winda open eva night. Sometimes I duz even lef de front door unlocked. I aint got nuh dog, nor nuh security lights nor neider prison bars round my house and de criminals doh bodder me.
I still lives down in de tenant weh muh grandfather and grandmother nuse to live. Village life still sweet fuh days.

@ Islandgirl246

The Collins and Baygon will only work if the people intent on doing you harm are in your arms and by then it will be too late.

The bad guys have dogs that bark over there and you feel the bite over here (otherwise known as Glocks) so save the Collins for those pesky bushes around your house and the Baygon for the mosquitoes.

You gotta fight fire with fire