Barbados Murders Continue to Climb, Civil Society Clueless

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BU’s projection is that the number of murders for 2022 will exceed 2021 – See BU Murder Tracker. Have we done enough to identify and address the underlying factors driving gun violence in Barbados? Obviously there is need to improve enforcement measures but what about the pressing need to also address social behavioural factors? We must do better.

YearMurders
201730
201828
201948
202041
202132
202230
BU Murder Tracker

See caribbeansignal.com for the latest update to the Barbados Murder Database (2022) and Barbados Murder Statistics January to September 2022.

There have been at least 29 murders between January and September 2022 (up from 26 last month). The steps involved in the following analysis are similar to my 2020 analysis.

NOTE: For up to date numbers, please visit murders.opendatabarbados.org

Barbados Murder Map Jan to Sep 2022

Read the sordid numbers @caribbeansignal.com.

38 thoughts on “Barbados Murders Continue to Climb, Civil Society Clueless”


  1. Saw this in the am and am surprised that no one has commented, perhaps the subject doesn’t rile the folks that contribute to the blog or they are, as I’ve heard from a few folks not one of the targets as the “bad” guys know who they are after. Never let it be said that the phrase “whistling past the graveyard” doesn’t have currency.

    In the meanwhile, the Honorable AG said the Police are being outgunned by the criminals.

    Reply ↓

    • @Sargeant

      The blogmaster is not surprise once you understand what motivates some in this forum to ‘feel’ outraged.


  2. The Revolution (Trendroid’s Rebel Forces Remix)

    The Revolution (Leadhead Dub)

    General consensus and Police opinion is
    Youth killing each other is related to crime and gang activity
    Groups are fighting for control of territory escalating to War
    Cessation of fighting will occur when one group wins
    There will be relative peace until the next group challenges them

    Children are the future taxpayers and are identified early so everyone is known in the system
    Unemployment will be higher for the next generation which leads to more crime and less tax income

    Reply ↓

  3. Could be we are all tired or burnt out. I know I am.

    I do not know how a 2×3 island has let this thing get so out of hand.

    These young men weren’t born like this. I doubt this is how most of them want to live AND DIE.

    And they aren’t so bad that they even kill witnesses as they do in some countries. How bad are these boys that we have abandoned them?

    Money, money, money is all most people care about. Money for me and none for you.

    Truly, I am fed up. I cannot even raise enough energy for an exclamation point.

    Reply ↓

  4. A senior judicial officer says Barbados’ magistracy is not only short of personnel but is being treated with utter disregard and disrespect

    “I call it institutionalised disrespect,” Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes declared on Thursday as he explained that the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Courts were only able to hear urgent matters and new charges as staff were “scotching” at the Supreme Court.
    +++++++++

    Over to you Mr. Smiley

    https://bit.ly/3CKlJEA

    Reply ↓

    • @Sargeant

      Are we serious? If we do not take the time to ensure there is an adequate infrastructure to deliver justice what is the point?


    • Social media is ablaze Neil Rowe has been accused of rape and will have to answer the charge in short order.


  11. @Sargeant

    The blogmaster is not surprise once you understand what motivates some in this forum to ‘feel’ outraged.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    SUCH A PETTY COMMENT.

    GET YOUR WONDERFUL WHISKY DRINKING ATTORNEY GENERAL DALE MARSHALL WHO HAD ALL THE ANSWERS TO FIX CRIME WHILST IN OPPOSITION LYING TO HIS OWN BLACK GULLIBLE PEOPLE ON THE 2 X 3 ISLAND.

    5 YEARS ONWARD AND …………………………….

    Reply ↓

  14. Great job Amit.
    You have presented some nice slices of the data.
    Thought provoking.
    Superb work.

    As St Michael is the most populous parish we would expect a higher number of murders would occur there.
    But is the number of murders per 1,000 much greater than the other parishes (with murders)?

    (I tend to hit and run, but I monitor the site)

    Reply ↓

  15. @David
    Social media is ablaze Neil Rowe has been accused of rape and will have to answer the charge in short order
    ++++++++
    I’ve read what’s on social media but won’t comment at this time, it could be a case of “she said he said”

    Let’s see if charges are laid

    Reply ↓

  16. A 36-year-old male was found hanging at a residence in Charles Rowe Bridge, St. George.

    Police said the body was discovered about 7 a.m.

    Reply ↓

  18. re “it could be a case of “she said he said” … aren’t so many all about that!

    What’s now about on social media is unfortunate for the MP … he may indeed be ‘legally’ not guilty of anything in a court of law…. but the facts as presented thus far would make him quite GUILTY of extremely POOR judgement in the court of public opinion!

    Not a good look for an MP and a beleaguered BLP.

    He could have been a gentleman to the lady – assuming she was as drunk as alleged – and next day taken her home and the next weekend likely had all the buffet freely presented which he supposedly took without her consent.

    Very poor judgement if true!.

    Reply ↓

  20. More Supreme Courts coming
    Government has made another push to help solve the country’s serious crime issues, with Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley revealing yesterday that three more Supreme Courts are on the way, specifically to deal with cases involving guns, gangs or other serious crimes.
    This brings the total number of Supreme courts to eight.
    The Government leader made the announcement at the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) first annual general conference in two years since the COVID-19 pandemic, saying she still believed Barbados’ moral and social fabric could be changed if Bajans did the right thing.
    Trials
    She said Attorney General, Dale Marshall and Chief Justice, Sir Patterson Cheltenham would be working assiduously to make sure the new courts get cases through the criminal justice system quickly and efficiently, with trials hopefully completed with nine months of people being arraigned, and 12 months if an appeal process was started.
    The Prime Minister said Barbados was in a very precarious position as it related to crime due
    to its very small size. She noted more than 80 per cent of the country’s murder cases had pre-dated 2018.
    “We have reached a point in time in Barbados where we will have to work together or face serious consequences,” the Prime Minister told attendees at Queen’s Park. “This country has what it takes to wrestle gun crime to the ground,” she suggested.
    Mottley said, however, that it would take a concerted effort from citizens to help solve the current issues with illegal firearms, and that mothers, grandmothers, brothers, sisters, even children, playing their part of helping authorities if they know about the whereabouts of the guns.
    “Each household needs to resolve that when they see foolishness going on, call on their children and say no, not in here. Put down your foot,” she advised parents. “Tough love is necessary to save lives. The only people benefitting from these crimes are the lawyers and undertakers,” Mottley, an attorney herself, also warned.
    Mottley said there was no way the battle against illegal guns and gun crimes could be solved by law enforcement officials or the Supreme Court system. “This has to be a whole of nation battle,” she added.
    She noted plans were still
    in train for the Barbados Police Service to get more boots on the ground with 250 more people into training. She added that community policing would continue to be an important component in keeping young people away from crime.
    “Enough is enough, is enough,” she concluded.
    (BA)


    Source: Nation

    Reply ↓

  21. AG DILEMMA

    DLP: No suitable replacement for Marshall
    There seems to be no one in the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration capable enough to arrest the crime wave in Barbados, says Democratic Labour Party (DLP) president Dr Ronnie Yearwood.
    He made the charge in light of three more murders occurring on Friday, bringing the total up to 34. There were 32 murders recorded last year and 41 in 2020.
    Yearwood, speaking during a tour of the Trade and Innovation Summit Expo at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday, said while there were calls for Attorney General Dale Marshall to resign, he could not see a suitable replacement within the BLP.
    “My thing about saying the AG must go is this: I don’t want to engage in the politics he engaged in when he was once saying the former AG had to go and now the shoe is on the other foot, where he is now recognising it is not just about talking and he has to actually do work.
    “Lots of folk want to see him go . . . but the reality is, when he goes, who’s going to take over for him? There’s a competence issue; the Government doesn’t seem able to do the job. The AG goes, who’s going to line up to take the job?” he asked.
    “The Deputy Prime Minister [Santia Bradshaw]? Let’s be realistic, she couldn’t run the education ministry, can’t run the infrastructure network, you’re going to put her in charge of crime? Then there’s Kerrie [Symmonds]
    who can’t run the energy industry . . . ,” he said.
    The DLP leader said the root cause of crime was embedded in the social fabric of society and treating social wounds was the only way to truly begin to make a dent. He said Government continued to ignore good advice about how to treat crime and things in Barbados were continuing to worsen.
    “I have called on the AG to address the social causes of crime. Yes, he could address policing and increase police numbers and improve the security aspects, but that does not really get to the heart of why our young men, that vulnerable group, are going into crime.
    “If you do not, you are just going to have the policy where you are going to lock up people or shoot them – that doesn’t work, that is a stopgap measure. You have to look at what you are going to do long term to get people not to turn to crime in the first place.”
    Yearwood added: “It is sad when these things (the killings) happen and I want to offer condolences to the families. This goes back to what we’ve been saying for months but I don’t think Government is listening. Crime is a social problem and has to be attacked with social relief. The reality is we have to look at the causes of crime.”
    He said these causes could include poverty, a lack of jobs and opportunities, broken homes and more, but it was not a case of people deciding to get into crime just because they could.
    “No one wakes up one morning and says, ‘I’m going to get into crime’. You have to look at what is pushing people and pulling people into committing crime and address that.
    We have to make sure the social aspects of Barbados work; if that means fixing schools or assisting communities.
    “We are seeing crime occurring due to [these problems], which is telling you there is also a breakdown in the other systems in Barbados, whether it is the educational system, the family unit. All of these things need support and we are not seeing enough of that. We’ve said over and over what Government should do; they obviously are not paying attention, and we are seeing the results over and over again,” he said. (CA)


    Source: Nation

    Reply ↓

  22. Oh, for chrissake! More police and courts are not going to arrest crime.

    The PM wrongly stated that only lawyers and undertakers profit from the gang crime.

    WHO SHE TINK SHE FOOLIN’?

    For some HIDDEN FIGURES crime does pay!

    Not for the stupid little CHEAP LABOUR BLACK BOYS though. They get paid chicken feed and live only slightly longer than chickens.

    When one egg is broken, there is another one hatching.

    Our youngsters need HOPE! Proper education fit for their purpose and opportunity.

    And intervention for any who are slipping through the cracks.

    That is how you prevent SOME of them from falling into crime. The police and the courts can then deal with the reduced numbers of DETERMINED criminals.

    We can never eliminate crime. Some people CHOOSE to engage in it.

    Others do so out of hardship. Our task is to eliminate that group.

    Reply ↓

    • Agree Donna but that hope is must be partly driven by a performing economy to create opportunities for people to support themselves and families. High employment in the youth segment will foment criminal activity.


  23. It’s nuggets like dese dat duz mek me proud tuh be a Bajan.

    The Prime Minister said Barbados was in a very precarious position as it related to crime due
    to its very small size. She noted more than 80 per cent of the country’s murder cases had pre-dated 2018.

    2022 – 2018 = 4
    2018 – 1966 = 52
    Well duh!

    Nevertheless, thanks for that statistic.
    We shall all sleep better tonight.

    Reply ↓

  26. Great job Amit.
    You have presented some nice slices of the data.
    Thought provoking.
    Superb work.

    As St Michael is the most populous parish we would expect a higher number of murders would occur there.
    But is the number of murders per 1,000 much greater than the other parishes (with murders)?

    (I tend to hit and run, but I monitor the site)

    @TheOGazerts,

    Thanks for the feedback. Re: your question, the last time I did a per capita by parish, it turned out that St. Philip was highest (per capita). Will add it in the next analysis.

    Kind regards,
    Amit Uttamchandani.

    https://www.caribbeansignal.com
    https://murders.opendatabarbados.org

    Reply ↓

  27. Three men, two in critical condition, had to seek medical attention on Monday night after a shooting incident at Pioneer Road, Bush Hall, St Michael.

    Reply ↓

  28. I’ve heard an interesting theory regarding the killings in Barbados.

    The theory is that some of the male inmates are having sexual relations with others and some who can’t object in Dodds are vowing to get even outside.

    The result is when the two are released, one kills the other.

    That might explain why it is mostly men killing men and why it is mostly limited to one parish.

    Reply ↓

  29. Crackdown on lawlessness
    By Tre Greaves tregreaves@nationnews.com
    While lawmakers were passing possible life sentences for gun-related offences yesterday, police were at the same time insisting on a zero-tolerance approach to crime as they head into the Christmas season.
    While introducing changes to the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which was passed in the House of Assembly yesterday, Attorney General Dale Marshall said people convicted of gun crimes will soon face life in prison or at the lower end of the scale, ten years.
    A stone’s throw away, Acting Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce in a media conference said that although many of this year’s 35 murders – 26 by the gun – were solved, lawmen would be increasing their efforts to reduce lawlessness.
    He was speaking at the Barbados Police Service (BPS) headquarters where several members of the top brass joined him on the agency’s Yuletide Season strategies beginning on Tuesday.
    “One of the areas of serious crimes that concern us is gun violence . . . and we will adopt a zerotolerance approach to such matters … Therefore we are going to be asking our police officers to give more and go up another notch, but equally so we are asking members of the public to understand that they have a responsibility for their own safety and the safety of ours.
    “You can expect professional policing, expect that the policing may at times inconvenience the average person, but sometimes we have to inconvenience in order to make you safe,” Boyce said.
    From next week officers will be patrolling more in certain communities and other public spaces, including shopping areas.
    “The Barbados Police Service has repurposed its crime strategy and disorder agenda and is focusing on making sure Barbados is the safest
    country in the region. Therefore, communities that are before our attention will continue to get that attention and there are some other communities that we will be assessing so that we can apply strategies to mitigate or eliminate lawless behaviours.
    He urged pedestrians and motorists to abide by the law or face the court.
    Police presence
    “A police presence in shopping areas is necessary in order to create a measure of comfort for people. That is a part of our approach to ensuring safety and security. In the interim we will be involved in a series of crackdown activities. If you are a ZR [driver] or driver of a private vehicle . . . we expect you to abide by the law. If you break the law then you face the court,” Boyce said.
    Boyce was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Ian Branch, Assistant Commissioner Sylvester Louis, Assistant Commissioner Jefferson Clarke, Senior Superintendent John Boyce and Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Crime David Griffith.
    Griffith in his murder update said 24 persons were arrested in relation to the murders with one person facing two murder charges. Ten of the 26 firearm cases were solved and that resulted in 13 persons being charged.
    “When we look at our firearm-related cases, including murder, possession and ammunition, endangering lives and aggravated burglaries by the use of firearms, 156 persons were charged and placed before the courts… We are extremely committed to what we are doing and there is no let up on the part of our investigators,” Griffith added.
    Meanwhile in the House, Marshall said the additional measures were not just about enforcing punishment, but they wanted to send a message to people who felt they get away with breaking the law as the law was also changed to accommodate consecutive sentences.
    “A person who’s been found guilty of a firearm offence shall on conviction on indictment in the case of a first offence be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than ten years and not more than 20. In the case of a second or subsequent offence, be sentenced to imprisonment for life or a lesser term not being 20 years.
    “But there’s an exception …[which] says this essentially, that while we set out what we consider to be a fairly strict regime, we do give the judge a particular discretion in certain instances,” he said before listing the areas such as age or previous conviction among others.

    Source: Nation

    Reply ↓

    • Firearm offenders to face tougher penalties
      Government yesterday toughened its stance in the wake of increasing use of illegal firearms, changing laws so that some gun-related offences can carry life imprisonment.
      Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Dale Marshall said yesterday while introducing the proposed changes in the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the House of Assembly, the new measures were “not just about punishment but about sending a message to people who feel they can do this and get away with it”.
      In addition to the terms of imprisonment that range from ten years to life, the legislation will see individuals guilty of committing other charges stemming from the same event serving consecutive sentences.
      Imprisonment
      “A person who’s been found guilty of a firearm offence shall on conviction on indictment in the case of a first offence be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than ten years and not more than 20. In the case of a second or subsequent offence, be sentenced to imprisonment for life or a lesser term not being 20 years.
      “But there’s an exception …[which] says this essentially, that while we set out what we consider to be a fairly strict regime, we do give the judge a particular discretion in certain instances. These instances are as follows:
      • The judge can impose imprisonment of a lesser term if the person who committed the offence was under the age of 18 at the time of the commission of the offence.
      • If the person who committed
      the offence has not been previously convicted of an indictable offence of a violent nature.
      • If public safety and public order will not be prejudiced, or if the court is of the opinion that there are other exceptional circumstances relating to the offence or to the person convicted of the offence was justified in not doing so,” the attorney geenral said said.
      Noting Government was taking a “hybrid approach” he said a mandatory minimum penalty would not stand in law as it had been “struck down in Barbados already”. However, he added a mandatory minimum penalty could work if judges were “given the opportunity in certain circumstances to deviate from it, which had stood the test of lawfulness in other jurisdictions at the highest courts”.
      Tolerence level
      “I want the criminals to reflect on this. People are saying ‘y’all soft’. No sir, we’re not soft anymore. We never were soft, but the point is we’re saying now that our level of tolerance for the criminal and his foolishness has now vanished to the point where we’re preparing to say that you can be subjected to a sentence of life imprisonment on a second firearm offence.
      “So an individual who, for some reason may find himself getting off on a murder charge with a firearm offence – he may find himself getting off a murder charge – we can’t predict how a jury will rule – so he might get off of murder but he could find himself if this is a second offence staring a life sentence in the face because he could be convicted of a firearm offence,” said Marshall.
      He told the House he did not know “how much
      harsher a law could be established” than what they were seeking to do and repeated the court still had discretionary powers in special circumstances.
      Last night Parliament passed The Firearms Amendment Act 2022.
      “We hope that this will send a signal to the criminal element, those fellas who want to walk around with guns and so on, we hope they understand they cannot defeat the state. There may be one or two hundred of them but they’re 300 000 of us and we will do whatever is necessary to protect the 300 000 of us against the 100, 150 or 200 of you and this is one of those steps”.
      Regarding the provision for consecutive sentencing in the legislation, the member of Parliament for St Joseph said an individual who is “convicted of more than one offence under this Act” arising out of the same event or a series of events, will serve two terms of imprisonment one after the next, instead of concurrent sentences. ( GBM)


      Source: Nation


  30. Yet another knee-Jerk piece of idiocy that will become meaningless in its execution.
    Only a third form (or below) level school student can be expected not to see the obvious flaws in this childish law

    First, it is probably no less fun to be murdered by chopping, stoning or bludgeoning than by shooting. The problem is CLEARLY much more fundamental than passing some shiite law about possession

    Secondly, it creates a situation where a policeman can guarantee the sentence of 10 years to ANYONE that he/she wishes to ‘disappear’ – by simply “finding them with a gun or bullet”. Fortunately, all of our police officers are pristine, so this is not a problem for us.

    Without WISDOM, there is no hope. Only digging ourselves deeper and deeper into the pit of misery.
    …and there is but ONE source of true wisdom.

    Reply ↓

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