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Barbados crime analysis – Jan to mid-July 2024

2024 Murder Rate

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Amit at caribbeansignal.com has done a public service to provide some analysis of the number of murders committed for the year to date to give deep reflection.

A lot has been written and commented about the escalating crime situation, however, the blogmaster remains unconvinced leaders in government and non government are confident the tepid, knee jerk approaches being introduced will be effective.

The blogmaster repeats a call for Barbados to declare a state of emergency to fight crime. In a case of extreme circumstance, extreme measures must be taken. A state of emergency can have defined powers to give the Barbados Police Service (BPS) unrestricted right to frisk, search and inquire of citizens. Our small society is hurtling towards a precipice and the ‘business as usual approach‘ to addressing the problem will fail.

The fact that crime in the region is also on the increase does not bode well to stave off the contagion effect.

It was agreed that a joint CARICOM/UK consultation would focus on a framework for coordinated action for crime prevention and security, the challenges of the drug trade, improving interdiction, tackling the proliferation of illegal weapons and enhancing the Region’s capacity to tackle crime.

Caricom website

As far back as March 2004 the CARICOM Ministerial Sub-Committee for Resource Mobilisation for Crime and Security met with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss implementing a framework to tackle crime in the region. It is 2024, two decades later, we are hearing calls to declare crime a ‘public health issue’ and a ‘national disaster’. The evidence to date confirms we are failing to effectively arrest rising crime in Barbados and the region.

Barbados Homicide Statistics January to mid-July 2024

What is scary is that enforcement represents one component in a strategy to fight crime. Barbados has joined the world to define development of the country mainly in economic terms. In the nineties our leaders discussed development in the context of Human Development Index (HDI) which sought to capture richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy – UN HDI. Barbados was 38th in 2013 compared to 60th in the most recent global HDI ranking. There are few if any measures available to show that Barbados has significantly advanced as a society although politicians will disagree.

We are at a time in our history we have to dissolve partitions that polarize us and come together to make light work of our problems. If we do not, Barbados will become a failed society.

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70 responses to “Barbados crime analysis – Jan to mid-July 2024”

  1. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    There is too much focus on the overall numbers instead of categories the numbers based on the suspected reason behind the homicide.

    Homicides are all committed for one of the following reasons which I call.
    1. Domestic Manslaughter – Domestic fights between family or friends escalating and ending in death. .
    2. Domestic Murder – Domestic disputes between family or friends resulting in a planned deliberate killing.
    3. Self-defense – Homicides against an unknown perpetrator committing a crime, e.g. house break-in or robbery attempt.
    4. Criminal Manslaughter – Unintentional Homicide by a perpetrator committing a crime.
    5. Criminal Murder – Targeted killing/assassination of specific individuals usually related to criminal activities.

    Homicide statistics need to be reported along those lines to better inform the methods selected to have the best chance to understand and reduce the numbers.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    CTUSAB’s call in crime fight

    Congress wants holistic approach

    POLICING ALONE will not solve the gun violence issue, so more must be done to eradicate gangs, conduct more thorough cargo searches, review laws and address children who might be at risk of getting involved in crime.

    That is the call from the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) while urging the Government to conduct more research to get to the root causes of crime, and to label the prevalence of gun violence as a national public health epidemic.

    During a virtual press briefing yesterday, CTUSAB’s general secretary Dennis De Peiza and president Dr Abdon DaSilva shared their views on what they believed was necessary to reduce crime.

    While citing the truce brokered by Government between the gangs last year, De Peiza said he believed “block culture” and gangs were factors in the crime wave.

    “With the emergence of the block culture, speculation is rife that this is the potential breeding ground for the emergence of gangs. Barbadians are reminded of the statement that was also attributed to the Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce, which was made in February 2023, when he spoke to the Reduction of Crime Committee for that year.

    “He compared it at that time in the year 2022, and he stated, and I quote, ‘A pivotal turning point in crime reduction is attributed to a truce brokered between prominent gangs’.

    “Based on this statement, it begs the question as to why law enforcement is not using the intelligence available to it to vigorously execute a plan that aims at eradicating these gangs,” De Peiza said.

    So far for the year, there have been 27 murders, with a significant number of them committed last month.

    While citing this year’s statistics and figures for the past six years, De Peiza expressed concern that many young lives were impacted.

    “As it stands, Barbadians cannot be comfortable with the fact that there are 27 homicides recorded so far for this year, the vast majority of which have been by the use of the gun. It cannot be healthy for a country that depends heavily on tourism to maintain a high annual record of homicides.

    “The data for the period 2018-2024 tells a sad tale. In 2018, there were 28 homicides recorded. There were 49 in 2019, 42 in 2020, 32 in 2021, 42 in 2022 and 21 in 2023. CTUSAB is deeply concerned with the loss of many lives and the fact that, more must be done at ports of entry, say CTUSAB leaders for the most part, many of them are young males,” the general secretary said.

    “Reflecting on the statistics for 2022, 46 per cent of the homicides recorded were persons in the 25-34 years age category. From our reports, young males are predominantly the victims of recorded homicides. This we are addressing because this is creating a serious problem for our workforce, which is already declining. The loss of these young, productive males, and females for that matter, cannot be in the best interest of a developing nation where the people are its best resource.”

    Both De Peiza and DaSilva suggested more must be done at the ports of entry.

    “To address the problem of gun violence, CTUSAB believes that a more vigorous and concerted effort must be directed at identifying the sources of the importation of guns into the area.

    “This must be the first step in a plan of action which is aimed at getting to the root of the problem. It requires that the police and border patrol agents, namely customs personnel, must be intensifying their searches beyond the mere routine exercises of all ports of entry and landing bays on the island . . . .

    “The Barbados Coast Guard is also required to up its ante in the search of vessels and their cargo right in the territorial waters of Barbados.

    “As it relates to the unstuffing of containers outside the Bridgetown Port, it requires a heightened engagement on the part of customs officials. Additionally, more monitoring and close scrutiny have to be paid to the barrel trade and those packages which come into our island through the use of the courier services,” De Peiza said.

    In terms of Government’s recent announcement that it will be introducing a Serious Organised Crime Unit within the Barbados Police Service, he queried how it would be operationalised.

    “The announcement . . . is understandable in the circumstances, but given the manpower shortage which the Barbados Police Service is experiencing, this would present a challenge in its implementation.

    “Though this measure may be well intended, careful consideration should be given to the scope and powers to be invested in such a unit, to ensure that there are no concerns to be raised against safeguarding the constitutional rights and freedoms of the people,” he said.

    DaSilva said while policing would be utilised, it was not the only way.

    “We need to try to identify the things that contribute to gun violence, such as income equality, poverty, under-performance in schools, lack of opportunity, perceptions of hopelessness among our youth and easy access to firearms by high-risk people.

    “Without identifying these root causes, we cannot put a plaster over this sore after it has occurred and think that it will heal the nation,” the doctor said.

    DaSilva said success stories and failures on ways to minimise gang violence could be analysed.

    “In Jamaica, there has been some success with the Greater August Town programme. I think there is enough evidence out of that programme that we can draw on as a nation rather than reinvent our own wheel,” he added. (TG)

    Source: Nation

  3. David Avatar
    David

    Tackle critical causes of crime

    THE QUESTION on many people’s lips is “Why so much crime and homicide?” and, for some, it’s followed by “What can be done?”

    The second question is being answered simplistically with recommendations for increased and more effective policing, a crime unit and exhortations to those criminally inclined. This was eloquently and passionately done by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on Monday. While this may or may not help to get the horses back into the stable, of greater importance in the long term, for the future of the nation, is the first question and the implications.

    The causes of our now endemic high levels of crime are obviously multifactorial, and fall under four main heads: 1. Failure of primary education, leading inevitably to failure of secondary education; 2. Failure of the churches to relate to those in the younger decades, and hence abandonment of the desired values; 3. The collapse of family life for many; 4. The relentless degeneration of our culture, actively promoted at some levels, with materialism and selfishness as the new standards of behaviour.

    The failure of between 30 and 50 per cent of 11-year-olds in the Common Entrance exam for decades has been ignored by successive ministries of education, and little, if anything, done to remedy it. Instead these statistics have not been published for some years until they were reputedly leaked this year, and acknowledged.

    Education reform

    The consequence of large numbers of semi-literate and semi-numerate children progressing to secondary school is for large numbers to leave with no certification or skills and to end up on the block, in gangs, and in illegal employment. This is by far the top priority for education reform, not the irrelevant proposal for middle and senior schools, as every teacher knows. We need to understand the reasons for this enormous, unacceptable failure rate. Urgent evaluations must be done. We saw it and did nothing.

    The failure of the churches to attract young people is not new. The absence of young adults, teenagers and children in the traditional churches – often of anyone under middle age – is not new. It happened gradually over several decades. The ritual and theology does not appeal to younger people. At the other end of the spectrum, the evangelical/Pentecostal churches with often seemingly threatening messages of fire and brimstone, hell and damnation, do not resonate either. Lengthy Sunday sermons, whether intellectual and dull or fiery shouting don’t do the job intended. The churches must get out into the community, connect, communicate, counsel and succour, if ethical values are to be restored. We saw it coming and did nothing. There are a few churches and community leaders whose approaches should be followed and multiplied.

    The third huge, underpinning problem is the collapse of family life for so many. The promotion, even exaltation of casual sex, with the result of “children having children”, to borrow a phrase of the late Professor George Nicholson 30 years or more ago, has created a crisis of parenting, or the lack of healthy parenting.

    The absence of a father in a home has been shown unequivocally to have devastating effects on the children, especially boys, damaging their mental, academic and social development. PAREDOS (Parent Education for Development in Barbados) has done its best but far greater and multi-faceted efforts must be made to re-educate and support society in returning to healthy families as the norm. We saw it and did nothing.

    Finally, there has been a progressive degeneration in the values, the mores and the behaviour of many people in our country – many would say the majority, but I am more positive. We have become possibly the biggest party country in the Caribbean, outdoing our Trini neighbours, with “a beriffle of festivals” and constant fetes.

    Our much vaunted Bajan “culture” often amounts to nothing more than calypso, rude songs and “wukkin up” – at Kadooment, elsewhere and even in primary schools, so that the recent video scandal is likely but the tip of the iceberg. Anything goes. We’ve seen it coming and done nothing.

    While the police and others in the community continue to do their very best, it is time to tackle these four critical areas seriously.

    – PROFESSOR EMERITUS SIR HENRY FRASER

    Source: Nation

  4. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    I going to take a stab in the dark and shoot from the hip and say
    that the red and pink areas on the map are poorer than the white areas
    Point is the wide wealth / class inequality gap is a ticking time bomb

  5. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    We are not amazed at what Sir Henry Fraser has said in his solutions at # 1 Failure of Primary School Education in relation to the crime and other negatives within the society. He is merely repeating what was said since the mid-seventies by those who were aware of the fallacy of 97% literacy and the nonsense about some “ model” education system.
    The Eleven Plus Exam has contributed to the deterioration of our country as much as the increase in availability of guns and drugs.
    For decades hundreds of children entered that exam room without any chance of “ passing” that exam.
    They were ruthlessly included in statistics as having successfully written the exam and at graduation , they were sent to one of the Comprehensive schools to be further humiliated.
    These are now the parents and grandparents of some of those who are involved in crime and deviant behavior.
    As the good doctor implies : we turned a blind eye and did nothing. When we recently posited that there is blood on all of our hands; we simply meant that we as a society were more interested in accusing people of being communists and blamed the teachers.
    Hopefully , now that the eminent Dr. Fraser, has validated the position of those who spoke the truth fifty years ago , we will accept that the education system can at once produce doctors, attorneys and island scholars. But if the same system chooses to ignore the majority of its students it could just as easily produce people with guns and other deviant behavior.

  6. David Avatar
    David

    NEW DEAL
    By Sheria Brathwaite

    Barbados is on the brink of a public health crisis from rising levels of violent crime, according to a criminologist who is calling for stronger partnerships between police and citizens to address the problem.
    In a report entitled Organised Crime and Its Implications for Barbados, Kirk Alleyne who is also criminal psychologist emphasised the crucial role that civilians play in crime-solving.
    He urged The Barbados Police Service to prioritise strengthening its relationship with the public as it establishes a new Serious Organised Crime Unit.
    “It is imperative that citizens be made aware that the country is on the precipice of a public health crisis and the need for their cooperation,” Alleyne wrote in the report. “All efforts should be made to improve the trust and confidence that citizens have in the police.”
    Alleyne outlined a multi-pronged approach for tackling crime and violence, with police-citizen cooperation at its core.
    “The citizen-police relation is one of the most important measures to stemming the rate of violent crimes and ensuring that persons do not operate with impunity,” he said.
    The report recommended several initiatives to enhance trust and collaboration, including community outreach programmes, public awareness campaigns about organised crime dangers, and support for witnesses to improve public confidence. Alleyne also called for partnerships with schools, community centres and religious institutions to provide alternative pathways for at-risk youth.
    While commending the government’s plans for the anti-gang unit, Alleyne suggested additional strategies such as intelligenceled policing, multi-agency cooperation, disrupting criminal financial networks and implementing monitoring systems.
    He stressed the importance of international collaboration, saying: “Strengthened partnerships with international agencies and neighbouring countries to combat cross-border organised criminal activities” were crucial.
    The report also highlighted the need for legislative reforms and policy measures to address socioeconomic factors contributing to youth involvement in organised crime, such as unemployment and lack of educational opportunities.
    Alleyne urged the police to “embark upon trust building activities, whereby they operate with transparency, professionalism and accountability”. He added: “The collaborative relationship between citizens and police is crucial to ensuring a safe and stable community.”
    The criminologist emphasised that all strategies should be continually evaluated and adapted based on data-driven insights to ensure their effectiveness in reducing firearm violence and dismantling organised crime networks.
    Alleyne’s proposal for enhanced intelligence-led policing involves “gathering actionable intelligence on organised crime networks operating within Barbados” and “utilising advanced technology and data analytics to monitor and track criminal activities”. This would encompass efforts to combat firearms trafficking, money laundering and drug trafficking.
    The criminologist also emphasised the importance of financial regulations in combating organised crime. He called for the enforcement of “stringent regulations on money laundering and ensure compliance with international standards to cut off funding sources for criminal organisations”.
    In addition to these measures, Alleyne suggested that The Barbados Police Service should launch public awareness campaigns to “educate the public about the dangers of organised crime and firearm violence and promote a culture of nonviolence, discouraging the youth from joining gangs”.
    The report underscores the vital role of community participation in crime prevention and detection. Alleyne noted that “citizens serve as eyes and ears for the police and the police operate as agents of protection and service for citizens”. He encouraged citizens to report suspicious activities, highlighting the importance of public cooperation in maintaining community safety.
    Alleyne’s recommendations extend beyond policing strategies to address underlying social issues. He advised the police service to advocate for policy reforms that tackle socioeconomic factors contributing to youth involvement in crime, such as unemployment and limited educational opportunities.
    As Barbados grapples with rising crime, Alleyne’s report provides a roadmap for potential solutions. The effectiveness of these strategies, he notes, will depend on continuous monitoring, evaluation and adaptation based on real-world outcomes. sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
    Police-citizen partnerships ‘key’ to tackling crime crisis

    Source:BT

  7. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    @Critical
    Brilliant. Simply brilliant.
    Attach labels to each murder and instead of 30 murders we have
    3 Domestic Manslaughter, 4 Domestic Murder, 12 Self-defense , 6 Criminal Manslaughter and 5 Criminal Murder
    Move to the head of the class.
    Forgive me if I piggyback on your idea.. If we add more categories we may even get that 12 down to a smaller number.
    Flipping brilliant.
    🙂

  8. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    Divide and mislead
    There is a small element of logic in what CA said, but the fact remains that we need to reduce the number of murders no matter how we categorize them. This categorization them may lead us to a false sense of security as we may believe that we have solved the problem in one or more of the areas.

    The number zero does not mean that we have eliminated a problem area. It would be an interesting exercise if we could apply the CA scale to murders already committed and see if all of the categories are filled.

    If as some suggested, we are seeing the result of gang warfare then the CA scale is worse than a placebo pill.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    The majority of murders in Barbados are gang related, if the number is 7 or 12 it does not change the perilous situation we find ourselves in. The problem is about gang on gang violence as well as the socioeconomic environment that adds to a society becoming more lawless and indisciplined.

  10. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    Long live Amit.
    It was like having all my prayers were answered.
    A few things I did not pray for were even provided.
    The man is a mind reader.
    Wishing you (Amit) the very best.

  11. An Apology if Necessary Avatar
    An Apology if Necessary

    My last – a random thought

    In this period of anonymous comments – What if 000 (my hero and best friend) and Amit was the same person .. Of course, I would apologize to Amit but not to 000

  12. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    When I was much younger; still por, we had our own “block culture” but our blocks were; the YMCA, The Boy Scouts, The Rangers, the Cadets, and we had our own Marches; like Thinking Day Services, Scouts Parades, etc. In those organizations we learned to do useful things, we learned discipline, we had no time or need for guns and gangs and gang wars, and truces between rival gangs. Where did we go wrong then? Outside influences and drugs spoiled that.

  13. Critical Analyzer Avatar
    Critical Analyzer

    @The OC @David
    Categorizing homicide statistics in the way I propose to reflect the true reason for the deaths allows us and government to select the most effective measures based on our limited resources and see how efficiently they are at reducing the the various numbers down.

    Each category has specific measures that work better than others at reducing their instances.
    For example, Conflict Resolution Ads and Programs will have a bigger impact on Domestic Manslaughter/Murder than Criminal Manslaughter/Murder while extremely speedy convictions will work better for Criminal Manslaughter/Murders and have almost zero effect on Domestic Murders.

    Gang related violence rises periodically and usually falls when the gang violence escalates so much that they themselves or some third party broker a truce or the police steps up the raids until things cool back down.

  14. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    @dub
    At first glance it resembles an electoral map, the deviation being St.James and St.Philip each with 3 seats. The more heavily populated parishes Ch Ch and St.M have the brunt of the deaths.
    Some may otherwise conclude an urban issue, or as you did an economic inequality issue.
    I wonder with the shrinking population if the number of electoral seats will also decrease?

  15. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    A little less talk, a lot more action
    Bajans are good at making plans on paper and then speaking to newspapers.
    Let’s see how it pans out in the streets in reality.

  16. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Ralph Thorne talking shiiite again bout praying. Mottley talk ‘sum’ tooooo!

    Maybe preying as well

    Yuh know these church ‘men’ wid big deckies are the most rasssoul wicked around

    Well, even though Mottley appears to be losing some ground, odds on favorites she is next time ‘round………….. to beat dem Dems like a step child.

    Wid de big ‘deckey’ in deh pokertz!

  17. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Cultural lyrics 🎶
    Bajans are conservatives more than liberals
    but, legalising weed is the way to go.

  18. David Avatar
    David

    The DLP has formed a committee on crime.

  19. Adrian Hinds Avatar
    Adrian Hinds

    @David – Do you have a copy of the 1985 Commission on Crime and Violence report?

  20. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “The DLP has formed a committee on crime.”

    when political parties use reducing crime in their platform / manifesto
    you know it is just talking bollocks

  21. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    St. Michael and Christ Church have the largest populations. More people. More opportunities for conflict. There are many people who have moved to St. Philip in the past few decades, the cute children, have grown to be young adults without a sense of community. We talk about “developments” by which we mean houses, water, electricity etc. But is that really development.? Tens of thousands of new neighbors who don’t know each other, no positive community groups, the churches haven’t followed and ministered to the people to the new “developments” so what do we expect.

    More community development needed, more playgrounds for the little ones, more playing fields for cricket, football, basketball etc. for the teens and the older ones who are not working yet. More second chance places for the teens who have left school without CXC’s. More community or church halls where people can meet to think, to talk, to debate, to read, to play table tennis etc. All kinds of community programming needed to keep people engaged.

    And while we are at it. MUCH BETTER control of our lawful and unlawful ports . Better control at post offices and branded places which receive packages. Guns aren’t manufactured in Barbados. Coca trees don’t grow in Barbados. So where the guns and cocaine coming from?

  22. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    Are you how many of the 27 homicides the police have been able to solve?

    I am a bit wary of these so called crime management units.

    Sometime during 2000, former Jamaican PM, P.J. Patterson established a paramilitary anti-crime squad within the Jamaica Constabulary Force, called the ‘Crime Management Unit (CMU),’ to combat that island’s escalating crime rates and inner-city warring drug gangs at the time.

    The CMU consisted of eight (8) police officers who dressed similarly to commandos and was under the command of Senior Superintendent of Police, Reneto Adams.
    Although the Unit reaped some success in addressing crime, unfortunately, according to Amnesty International, the squad was responsible for a number of human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings and executions.

    In 2001, the squad was internationally criticised for the murder of seven young men, known as the ‘Braeton Seven,’ during a raid in Braeton, St. Catherine…… and the fatal shooting of four persons, (two men and two women), in Kraal district, Clarendon, in May 2003.

    The CMU was subsequently disbanded on June 9, 2003.

    The point I’m trying to make is, we have to be very careful of what methods we use to combat crime.

    Remember, ‘power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ (Lord John Acton).

  23. Frank Avatar
    Frank

    So where the guns and cocaine coming from?

    The same places which make cars, tvs, cell phones, appliances, furniture, packaged food goods etc, causin’ we en mekking many ah dem either 😁😁

  24. David Avatar
    David

    @Adrian Hinds

    Negative on your ask.

  25. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    Should be:

    Are you AWARE how many of the 27 homicides the police gave been able to solve?

  26. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Will have to see if Amit has done any analysis to your question. As you know there isn’t an official source to be able to access basic information in Barbados. Some will say this is why FOI is urgently needed.

  27. Too Too Sweet Avatar
    Too Too Sweet

    Help much wid dis
    Alexander confirmed that BARVEN opposes highway vending, except for coconut water and jelly sales. He said: “BARVEN has a stance that highway vending is dangerous, we have never supported highway vending. We support coconut vending but not highway vending.

    Pretty as shite. I feel all the vendors should add cokenuts to their product offering, and call themselves cokenut vendors.

  28. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    We were well aware of what you meant by having blood on our hands.

  29. John Avatar
    John

    How many missing persons are there?

    Add these to the deads!!!

    In 2011 a group of 7 hikers, myself included, came across human remains beside a well.

    Some members of the group went to the Nation Library and looked for missing persons.

    Up to that time, there reports in the press of 35 missing persons, most of them males.

    A few were fishermen lost at sea but the majority were people who had simply disappeared.

    Add these to the deads. 

  30. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “if the number is 7 or 12 it does not change the perilous situation we find ourselves in.”

    disregarding the killings…
    these people are still involved in criminal activities
    the murders are symptoms of an underlying sickness
    which needs to be treated at it’s root causes

  31. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    I ask again where the guns and cocaine coming from?

  32. Amit Uttamchandani Avatar
    Amit Uttamchandani

    @David @Artax,

    By solve, do you mean if the police have found and charged someone? If so, then no, I haven’t done any work on the “charged” side for 2024 as yet. However, back in 2017, I did look at who was charged:

    https://www.caribbeansignal.com/2019/09/22/barbados-2017-murders-revisited-who-was-charged/

    It is my intention to periodically revisit all of the homicides that I have documented, see if persons were charged, and to make a blog post about it (and to add it to the homicide database). In particular, I want to see the ages of those charged, and where they live (from parish level down to street level address and then to display it on a map similar to the homicide map that I currently publish). Similar to tracking the homicides, I am entirely dependent on media reports.

    Alas, this work takes time. Now that my blog is “current” so to speak on 2024 homicides, I am trying to get the homicide database current. The Database is interactive meaning visitors can select various search criteria (year, gender, how, parish, et cetera) and generate their own report. For example, searching for homicides in 2017 in St. Michael:

    https://data.caribbeansignal.com/dynamic_reports.php?year=2017&gender=&parish=St.+Michael&month=&how=

    Kind regards,
    Amit Uttamchandani
    http://www.caribbeansignal.com
    data.caribbeansignal.com

  33. Terence M Blackett Avatar
    Terence M Blackett

    WHILE MOST BAJANS ARE HOGTIED TO THE ECO-CHAMBER OF THEIR OWN IDENTIFIABLY ETHNIC PROBLEMS – CRITICAL MASS IS GAINING PACE THAT WILL OVERTAKE ALL MICROSOPIC NATIONS LIKE THE 2004 INDIAN OCEAN EARTHQUAKE TSUNAMI THAT OVER-RAN THE IDONESIAN ISLANDS REACHING AS FAR AS SRI LANKA & INDIA

    Introspection is a good thing when it involves more than just “TALKING-HEADS” who engage in meaningless “CHATTER” & “WHITE/BLACK NOISE” when nothing really changes, but on the other hand, meaning-FULL* “CHANGE” can only come when “THE PEOPLE” #SayEnoughIsEnough – “THEN WE SEE REVOLUTION”, which brings change!!!

    In the 2004 “MEGATRON” tsunami that struck Sumatra like 10 Kiloton Bomb because of invariably what was involved at its “EPICENTER”, the tsunami took anywhere from 15 mins to 7 hrs to reach the Indonesian coastlines. The northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra were hit quickly, while Sri Lanka & the east coast of India were hit roughly 90 mins to 2 hrs later – killing at least 225,000 people (PALE ESTIMATES) across 12 countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, & Thailand sustaining massive structural & environmental damage!!!

    Closer to home, just as the “COVID-19 PLANDEMIC” was a “DRESS-REHERSAL” for a “LARGER CRIMINAL ASSAULT” on the people of the world – this morning a “GLOBAL IT OUTAGE” hits (FTSE et al) companies around the world, as planes grounded to a halt, with train services affected – to hospitals going “OFFLINE”, to a myriad of “MAJOR DEFENSE” et al providers scratching around in the dark on “BLUE SCREENS”!!!

    According to #SkyNews, businesses including banks, airlines, train companies, telecommunications companies, TV and radio broadcasters, and supermarkets have been taken offline following a mass global outage. (PREDICTED BLACKOUT IS COMING)

    Major US airlines including American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines have been grounded, while airports in Germany, Amsterdam and Spain are also reporting issues…

    Some are arguing that “CYBERSECURITY” firm #CrowdStrike & “BILL GATES OF HELL OWNED MICROSOFT” have something to do with the “BLACKOUT OUTAGE” while others are saying the “CHINESE” or “RUSSIANS” have their hands “DUTTY” with their new tranche of “CYBER-WARFARE” intended to “CRIPPLE THE WEST”!!!

    A few days ago, I argued that “IF” #DonaldTrump becomes the 47th PREZ* that the #SYNA_GOG_OF_SATAN will “CRASH” the world economy!!!

    #StayTuned
    #StayBased
    #StayFocused

  34. David Avatar
    David

    Cops ‘taking guns off streets’

    By Maria Bradshaw

    mariabradshaw@nationnews.com

    A powerful, deadly, firearm is in circulation and Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce has vowed the Police Service will do all in its power to get it off the streets.

    The gun, said to be a fully automatic AR style rifle or AK-47, was said to have been used to gun down a young man at Silver Sands, Christ Church, last month.

    Speaking to the Weekend Nation yesterday on the crime situation which has gripped the country for the past several weeks and resulted in a number of young men being gunned down in quick succession, the Commissioner stated: “Unfortunately, one of the weapons is a highpowered weapon, and that is of grave concern to us. It is a weapon which is not easily available. When we see it being put into operation, we know we have a battle on our hands and we would take every step and make every effort to retrieve that weapon.”

    He added: “The persons who are tasked to look into the situation, they are working around the clock and no doubt we will succeed going forward. Before, they were mostly light weapons, that is, small, ordinary weapons. But when we see it step up, it tells us that it will be a battle for the long haul.

    Not gang-related

    “I’m saying we will not stop and we will not leave any stones unturned until we get everything under control, where firearm offences and activities are concerned,” he assured.

    The Commissioner also reported that the police was successful so far in recovering a number of the illegal firearms and bullets being used while confirming that ballistic tests showed a number of these guns were used in more than one murder.

    “It tells you that persons, at least persons who have these weapons, they are moving around and it’s not at least a large number of persons. For us, it is a small group of persons who are just moving from district to district and creating this type of havoc,” he noted.

    While many have been calling the shootings gang-related, the top cop stated this current spike in crime was not mostly gang-related but what he called a “a mix”.

    “It is a mix, a mix in terms of persons who were once affiliated with close gangs. Those are persons now who operate on their own and taking their own action against their enemies or rivals or whoever. So it’s not mostly gang-related.”

    He assured the public that the police have been mobilised to deal with this uptick in violent crime.

    “What I would say upfront to you is that the situation as it relates to the recent spike in criminal activities in the country, especially during the month of June this year when we saw the spike, it has been a major concern to the Barbados Police Service.

    “Unfortunately, those criminal events have been heightened or accentuated by the use of firearms, which have created a high level of fear within the island. The entire body of the Police Service has been mobilised to assist in the fight against this scourge. Importantly, we as a primary law enforcement agency have taken appropriate measures to address this fallout and return calm and order and peace of mind to the respective communities that are being impacted.

    “Now, already we have activated an enhanced serious organised crime unit, which is headed by a seasoned investigator in conjunction with a team of dedicated officers to lead the fight against this criminal element. We are witnessing already measures of success as it relates to the arrest of some of these persons who have been responsible for generating a number of these acts.

    “These acts were done with the use of firearms. We have also recovered a number of firearms and ammunition. Additionally, we have deployed a number of officers in some of the challenged communities to engage the residents with the intent of strengthening our relationship with them,” he said.

    As recently announced by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, the Commissioner reported that even members of the police band were being deployed to deal with this situation.

    “These officers, which I must say include members of the band of the Barbados Police Service, have been going into the streets and they have been welcomed by the residents in these targeted communities. What I would also say is that I, as the Commissioner responsible for safety and security of the island, I want to assure the members of the public that the entire Police Service will continue to work in partnership with each and every community to wrestle this current crime situation to the ground and with the partnership of these communities, we as a body are going to fight against the criminal element.”

    He called on members of the public to also work with the police.

    “We can do it, we can win this,” Boyce declared. “As I said before, with the support of each and every member of the society, communities, must now step out and lock arms with us, so we can deal with this situation and return the island to peaceful Barbados as we know it. So I’m calling on persons to continue to partner with us, support us, so we can address the situation and more so to ensure that we go into the Crop Over season, knowing full well that everyone is safe and sound and we would have zero tolerance when it comes to criminal activity going forward’ he said.

    Source: Nation

  35. David Avatar
    David

    Anti-gang laws way to go, says Thorne

    Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne has called on Government to introduce anti-gang legislation in response to the surge in homicides across Barbados.

    He criticised the Government’s handling of crime, particularly the failure to enact measures that he said other Caribbean nations had successfully implemented.

    “I want to give another solution to the Government. If they want leadership on the issue, anti-gang legislation. The other countries have done it,” he said, placing the blame for the lack of movement in this direction at the feet of Attorney General Dale Marshall.

    “It is known in this country that a lot of the crime is localised within gang activity. The logical thing to do is what Jamaica did, what Trinidad did – anti-gang legislation,” he said during a press conference at the Opposition Leader’s Office on Hincks Street, The City, yesterday.

    He lambasted the current administration for what he charged was inaction and indifference.

    “They want me to tell them now what is anti-gang legislation? Tell them go read, tell the Attorney General to consider anti-gang legislation; it is logical. Instead, they are sitting down and closing their eyes for five minutes and hoping for something. It makes me angry,” Thorne declared.

    In 2011 Trinidad and Tobago passed its Anti-Gang Act, designed to reduce criminal gang activity by making membership of gangs and related activities unlawful.

    Organised Crime Unit

    Section 5 declared all gangs to be unlawful. Any person who is a member of a gang, or who, to gain an unlawful benefit, pretends to be a gang member and commits an offence, is liable to imprisonment for ten years. If convicted a second time, the penalty is 25 years. Where the accused person is a gang leader, or member of the protective services, the term is 25 years.

    Thorne also took issue with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s recent announcement of a new Serious Organised Crime Unit within the Barbados Police Service, suggesting that she “has gone beyond her legal bounds”.

    He noted that under Section 8 of the Police Act, the Commissioner of Police is responsible for the management and administration of the police, not the Prime Minister.

    “The Commissioner of Police is answerable to the Head of State in his management, even in terms of the spending of monies of the Police Service. He is not answerable to the Prime Minister,” the Opposition Leader said.

    “If there is anyone politicising the matter of crime and the matter of policing, it is the Prime Minister because the Prime Minister has no legal authority to do what she did last week in making that announcement.”

    Beyond legislative solutions, Thorne spoke of the need for a multifaceted approach to crime reduction, including joint police and Barbados Defence Force patrols, socio-economic interventions and cultural initiatives. He criticised the Government’s promotion of events that he believed contribute to the moral decline among the youth, citing a recent Barbados Labour Party-sponsored activity.

    The King’s Counsel pointed to Government’s failure to adequately support the judicial system, despite increasing the number of judges.

    “They increased the number of judges and have failed to provide the infrastructure in the courts that have allowed cases to move at a quicker pace. In other words, the transcription people, the clerical staff, they haven’t increased them.”

    He emphasised the importance of engaging with the public to find solutions to the crime problem. “We don’t have all of the solutions, we don’t have them all, but we want to engage with the people.” (CLM)

    Source: Nation

  36. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    @July 18, 2024 at 5:18 pm
    The “A guy” maintains his A status by bringing a dose of common sense to the discussion. Yes, we have to be careful that we do not allow our enthusiasm to rid the island of these miscreant (gunmen) do not push us too far to the other side of the coin.

    These ‘super police’ have a tendency to go rogue, to become unable to differentiate between good and bad citizens and even become a law unto themselves.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    In these kinds of bad situations we will have to pick our poison. All strategies implemented will have to be periodically evaluated.

  38. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    I am somewhat amuse to see these hodgepodge solutions tossed over the fence and thrown out for public consumption. I am somewhat amazed at how the reading public eat up these solutions as if they are new ideas. Yes, it is surprising to see the denizens of BU run after this leftover soup as it is fresh and just out of the pot.

    I have repeatedly ask myself “Why does this happen?” and I think I have the answer
    (1). It is our short attention span. Come here and repeat the same answer three weeks from now and we will act as if it is new.
    (2) It is our love for intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals. Have a degree and it isas if your words were taken from the Bible. And if you have a position at UWI, you can repeat the same shit 3,000 times; just give them a slightly different spin.

    2025 is fast approaching and so is some leftover soup. Get ready to lap it up, when it come.

    So far, I have seen nothing new and I am doubtful if we have been given any solutions.

  39. Terence M Blackett Avatar
    Terence M Blackett

    BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN ENTREPRENEUR, VENTURE CAPITALIST, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER & VISIONARY VUSI THEMBEKWAYO VISITS THE PIERCING QUESTION: “Where Have All The Blacks Heroes Gone?”

    I will let #VusiTellHisStory

  40. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Crimes

    Certainly that this Mottley regime and the word ‘regime’ has negative connotations has now devolved into no more than a kleptocracy as in line with Westminster.

    Cannot be denied.

    That contacts close to the deputy prime minister are the ones stealing at least 60 million from this regime under the pretext of house construction with very few having been built is indeed a grave crime proportions.

    Separately

    On other matters of crime is the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion as requested by the General Assembly of the the United Nations as a condition precedent for General Assembly action, given that the UNSC is unable to act.

    Currently being handed down appears to be decidedly against the Zionist regime, America and the White racist here on BU and elsewhere!

  41. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Wash, rinse repeat!

  42. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “I ask again where the guns and cocaine coming from?”
    Any conspiracy theory worth it’s salt would point the finger of blame on the CIA
    who’re specialists in guns drugs and full on punitive international laws as world cops
    while operating with impunity and immunity to all spiritual laws home and abroad

    Deep state have committed assassinations regime changes and false flags

    Conspiracy Hypotheses
    Trump is one of them.. was his shooting a false flag to implicate the deep state
    or was it the deep state trying to eliminate the clear and present danger of Trump
    the only one who knows was shot dead by special forces and dead men can’t talk

    Republican PNAC + Project 2025 = White Supremacy Christian Nationalist continuity
    After war with Islam for 25 years USA wants to implement christian fascism at home
    >>>

    “Where Have All The Blacks Heroes Gone?”

    Ancestors (ancestral ghosts/spirits) are an integral part of reality. The ancestors are generally believed to reside in an ancestral realm (spiritworld), while some believe that the ancestors became equal in power to deities.

    The God King Jah No Dead..

    “They tried to fool a Black population
    By telling them that Jah-Jah dead
    And they try to fool a Black population
    By telling them that Jah-Jah dead
    And I knows that Jah no dead

    Jah no dead
    Jah no dead, Jah no dead
    Jah no dead, Jah no dead, oh, no

    My knowledge increase
    My memory reflect
    Marcus Garvey did say
    “A rumour, rumour, rumour, rumour, rumour”
    Marcus say”
    — Burning Spear

    >>>

    A You Lick Me First, A You First, Lick Him With The Dustbin

  43. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    We have maintained that there is no major crime development. The Com of Police agrees. The same guns are being used in more than one murder. It means the deviant group is very small. We are not a crime riddled country by any stretch of the imagination at this time.
    Let the police administration do its work. Remove BLPDLP from micromanaging the police . Our police when left alone solved the crimes.
    There was no need for a minister of crime prevention. If the AG cannot do his job fire him.
    The PM has bought her credibility on crime into disrepute by recent actions.
    Barbados is considered a Christian society but the church should be left to individually deal with its unique flocks. The church is no crime buster. Separation of state and church is essential for what we call democracy.
    Let the police do their work .

  44. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/worldwide-tech-issues-1.7268863

  45. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Skinner

    This is not any ‘work’ for the police! For the po-lice itself, by its very nature, suborns crime.

    The mere fact that they can seek to respond mainly after the so-called crime has been done should tell us that this so-called response has no effect on so-called crime in the making, which have followed like night follows day.

    Has crime not continue to rise for decades.

    Come again.

    We would like to contend that these crimes are natural and unavoidable outcomes of all around us.

  46. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Pacha
    There is no society free of crime. We can redefine it but nobody has attempted that yet. Our police force is responsible for law enforcement and the protection of citizens. They cannot do anymore than other professions ; there will be bad ones and good ones. We suspect your position to be essentially esoteric and that certainly will not stop senior citizens who built this country from sleeping well tonight.
    It is not honest or correct to suggest that police don’t prevent crime. A simple example: A criminal intending to execute a crime in a neighborhood , would perhaps think twice if he sees a patrol car pass. The police cannot stop him from returning at another date and committing the crime but at that exact moment they technically stopped a crime.

  47. John Avatar
    John

    Is this the 21st century’s version of the “Great Awakening”?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbWCW2Bdg0

  48. Amit Uttamchandani Avatar
    Amit Uttamchandani

    BU Family et al,

    For those interested, I’ve done a search on victims names that I documented as part of my 2023 homicide stats and have looked at who appeared in the courts for same:

    https://www.caribbeansignal.com/2024/07/19/barbados-homicides-2023-court-appearances/

    Kind regards,
    Amit

  49. John Avatar
    John

    Some Jewish thinking about leaders.

    https://youtu.be/2IFxwcom-ZM

  50. David Avatar
    David

    Police probes at standstill

    By Maria Bradshaw mariabradshaw@nationnews.com

    Investigations into a number of policeinvolved matters, one of which pertains to the death of a man in police custody, appear to be at a standstill for now.

    On June 9, this year, Kemo Grant, 29, was found unresponsive in a holding cell at Central Police Station.

    His death sparked an outcry from his family who expressed strong suspicions about his short time in police custody and his demise.

    Other matters include a viral video showing a female police constable berating, insulting and cursing at a man who was in police custody and the leak of a witness statement in the criminal matter involving Member of Parliament Neil Rowe.

    Asked to give an update on these matters, Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce indicated that for various reasons none of them had been concluded as yet.

    In terms of Grant, he said while that investigation was going “smoothly”, the matter was currently before the High Court.

    “That investigation is running smoothly, I must say, smoothly up to a point in that the family has engaged an attorney. And, that matter is currently before the High Court. And because of that, it has put somewhat of a halt to certain aspects of the investigation where it relates to the actual post mortem being conducted and that in itself has put that matter in abeyance.

    “So we’re hoping that it can get cleared from the court and the post mortem can be conducted so that we would know exactly what we are investigating and not doing a guesswork type of investigation. So we’re waiting on that aspect of it.”

    In terms of the January 16 viral video involving a female police constable and Leaon Seymour Freeman, of Bank Hall, St Michael, who has since filed a case against her, the commissioner revealed that the officer had been on leave since then and unavailable as she was presently out of the country.

    Out of jurisdiction

    “What I can say to you is that that investigation has started, but it’s reached a point whereby the person who has been accused of the act mentioned (verbal), that person is currently out of the jurisdiction and that has created a pause in the investigation.”

    Asked if she had left the Police Service, Boyce clarified that she was on leave.

    While the investigation into the leak of the victim statement in the rape case involving Barbados Labour Party MP Rowe started back in 2022, Commissioner Boyce has reiterated that the police was awaiting help from outside.

    He told this newspaper: “As we mentioned back then, what I’ll say again, is that we were depending heavily on the external assistance where that is concerned because we need a special type of technology which is not available regionally. So when that comes through, then we’ll be able to give a definitive statement.”

    He also provided a response to allegations of poor police service made by Dawneisha Best last December, when she contacted the police to report a crime at her mother’s home.

    “That matter is still under investigation. I had called for that file because it created a stir. And I can confirm that it is at the final stages of completion.”

    When contacted yesterday, attorney Martie Garnes, who along with fellow attorney Tyra Trotman are representing the family of Grant, said a judicial review pertaining to Grant’s post mortem was underway in the High Court and, as a result, he could not say much on the matter.

    Submissions

    “The matter is still before Madam Justice Cicely Chase. We submitted our written submissions and we are returning to court tomorrow to continue our oral submissions.

    “The reason why we put the matter in court is because we are of the opinion that the coroner had unreasonably exercised his discretion, hence the application for a judicial review because it was given to a consultant pathologist and not a forensic pathologist.”

    Meanwhile, in the separate matter involving the female police officer, attorney Shadia Simpson, who is representing Freeman, told the Sunday Sun that while she had filed a private prosecution against the officer, she could not be located to be served.

    “We have been making efforts to have her served and those efforts have proven unsuccessful. We lodged the information against her and my client also made an official complaint to the Police Complaints Authority.

    “We have been trying to get the matter advanced but we have been unable to locate her,” Simpson said.

    Source: Nation

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