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Barbados Homicides Stats – Jan to Nov 2024

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Update on Barbados homicides statistics by Amit at caribbeansignal.com. We are on track with a couple weeks to go in 2024 for it to be a ‘record’ year – David, blogmaster.

Reproduced from caribbeansignal.com – At the end of November 2024, Barbados recorded at least 48 homicides between January 1 and November 30. This represents an increase of five deaths, or 11.6%, over the January-to-October period. For the same period last year (i.e., January to November 2023), there were at least 19 homicides. This represents an increase of 29 deaths, or 152%. My count and analysis are based solely on media reports; the figures and insights provided below should not be considered official or final.

Image 1: Barbados Murder Map, Jan to Nov 2024
Image 1: Barbados Homicide Map, January to November 2024

Read full report HERE

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71 responses to “Barbados Homicides Stats – Jan to Nov 2024”

  1. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Maybe Saint Lucy, George and John. Should sue for their own national states on the basis of freedom from homicide!

    Thereby protecting themselves from the murder capitals of Saint Michael, Phillip and Church, as national strategy.

    When you’re a church there’s no need for sainthood, it seems.

    But then, the country is at best serving the sentence for the naming of its imposed parts entirely based on made-up stories of Europeans.

    The aboriginal ancestors from the time before time seek voice

  2. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Apogee and perigee!

  3. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    Do we count in the “2” recently found skeletons?

  4. David Avatar
    David

    @Observing

    2023 count was increased by 2.

  5. David Avatar
    David

    United stand

    Alliance coming to battle crime in region

    THE REGION IS banding together to fight the increasing number of violent crimes and organised criminal networks.

    Addressing the twoday Regional Security and Justice Summit yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Attorney General Dale Marshall said he welcomed the establishment of the Alliance for Security, Justice and Development which will be launched today with the signing of the Bridgetown Declaration.

    “Its objectives will focus on the protection of vulnerable populations, building institutional capacity in law enforcement agencies and stemming illicit financial flows, problems with which the Caribbean region is dealing. This alliance follows on the heels of our own efforts within the region,” he said.

    Marshall added that there had been a regional heads meeting to examine crime and violence as a public health problem; a Caribbean Court of Justice regional symposium on the reform of the region’s criminal justice system; and the signing of the Needham’s Point Declaration, a comprehensive road map “for how we reform our criminal justice system and use it as a tool to help fight crime and violence”.

    “My simple point is that as a Caribbean region, we have determined that with our Caribbean societies that are so linked by a common heritage, societies that are suffering from identical issues, societies that are connected by geography, immigration, family and politics, we must formulate a common plan of action to address the issues of rising crime in our states and to stifle the creeping influence of transnational organised crime,” he said.

    The Attorney General said there was darkness in the region overshadowing the sun, sea and sand portrayed to the world, adding that Barbados was going through the highest number of killings.

    Organised crime

    “The Caribbean region is well known for islands with idyllic settings and beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets. We proclaim that there is no better place to live than in the Caribbean – that is the image portrayed in our tourism brochures and advertisements. Yet, there is a dark aspect to the way of life for the people who live in these islands, as we all feel the grip of increasing crime and violence, and in particular, increasing rates of homicide and also the spectre of organised crime.

    “These are significant threats to our way of life and stymie our national development. Statistics abound, but for Barbados and Barbadians, the statistic that is most alarming is that which says that in this year, 2024, we have now reached the highest number of homicides in a single year in our history– 49. For you, 49 may not seem like a significant figure, but 49 homicides in little Barbados is a big thing for us,” he said.

    Marshall noted that of those, 16 were due to stabbings and bludgeonings, suggesting there might be underlying mental and conflict resolution issues, or anger management.

    Vice-president for sector and knowledge at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Ana Maria Ibañez also outlined the function of the alliance.

    “[Today] all of us will launch the Alliance for Security, Justice and Development, an initiative first announced in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Together, countries have been working to structure this initiative through its 34 working groups, and the Alliance will serve as a catalyst for joint efforts across diverse actors.

    “It will strategically complement existing networks that are present, bringing added value to the ongoing work of the security community in the region,” she said.

    Ibañez said generating knowledge was a key foundation of the Alliance, which aligned with the IDB.

    “As a knowledge bank, one of our key priorities is deepening our understanding of the dimensions, drivers, impacts and, most importantly, the solutions to this issue. We believe that both qualitative and quantitative diagnostics, applied research, monitoring and continuous evaluation are essential for understanding the structures, use of markets, motivations behind federal organisations and the social forces borne by our populations.

    “To make real progress, we need more data and rigorous evidence on what works and, very importantly, what doesn’t work. In preventing and responding to organised crime, an evidence-based approach is crucial to achieving results that are relevant, costeffective, sustainable, and impactful,” she said.

    Ibañez said transnational crime was a major hurdle but was not insurmountable as long as those with like minds banded together to fight.

    “While crime and violence are holding us back . . . we [still] live in a region of enormous promise. We have the resources to keep [crime] low. We have a richness of biodiversity unseen anywhere. We have an abundance of minerals needed for the green energy revolution and much more.

    “By working together, strengthening public institutions, promoting social and economic development, and focusing on prevention, we can take a big step to ensuring Latin America and the Caribbean can confront this pervasive threat with the urgency and determination it demands to secure a more stable and prosperous future for all,” she added.

    (CA)

    Source: Nation

  6. David Avatar
    David

    Four men held in bones probe

    FOUR MEN are reportedly in custody assisting police with investigations into the unearthing of human remains at Henley, St John, last week.

    Sources told the DAILY NATION that two nonnationals were among the suspects.

    Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a search of the rural area and after several hours, retrieved the bones buried in a field which they believe to be those of two missing men.

    Junior “Pippy Yard” Taitt, 49, and Randy “Sharkman” Brathwaite, 47, both of Blades Hill, St Philip, have been missing since June last year when a vehicle in which they were travelling was found at Farm Road, St Philip, with the doors opened and filled with bullet holes and blood. What appeared to be bloody drag marks led police to a nearby unoccupied house which was also filled with blood and a lone finger.

    A source said police were operating on the theory that the men were killed as a result of the shooting death of a young St Philip man.

    Apart from that situation, it is understood that the suspects were also assisting police with another shooting death which occurred at Four Roads, St Philip, earlier this year.

    (Nation News Desk)

  7. David Avatar
    David

    25-year term for ‘Nut Man’ killer

    RECARDO RECO LAMAR BEST was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his part in the death of Randy ‘Nut Man’ Selman four years ago.

    However, he will spend 11 years and about eight months after deductions.

    Best, a general worker, of Clapham Main Road, St Michael, was back in the No 2 Supreme Court where he had pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing (manslaughter) Selman on September 23, 2020.

    He was originally charged with murdering Selman on the same date but pleaded not guilty to that count.

    Best also admitted he caused Trevor Ramsay serious bodily harm with intent on September 23, 2020, and that he used a firearm without a licence on the same date.

    He was represented by Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens, while Principal State Counsel Oliver Thomas appeared for the prosecution.

    Justice Randall Worrell told Best the threshold for a custodial sentence had been passed. He, however, pointed to his guilty plea, noting he (Best) indicated “from the outset” that he wanted to enter such a plea.

    The judge deducted a year from the 25-year starting point for the mitigating features on the matter, as well as one-third for the guilty plea.

    He said while there had been some delay in the matter, “the case, though it might not seem so to those on the outside, had moved rapidly through the system”.

    Justice Worrell then deducted 180 days for the delay and credited Best with the 1 390 days he spent on remand. He ordered him to serve the remaining 4 270 days for manslaughter.

    In relation to the use of firearm and serious bodily harm offences, the judge told Best he had armed himself with a gun “and there was premeditation”.

    “There was a discharge of a firearm in a public place, in a residential area. These are all aggravating features,” Justice Worrell said, as he noted they were “extremely serious offences”.

    He said the matters could only be dealt with by way of custodial sentences.

    “You went armed. You had ammunition as well. If not for the vagaries of a female resident, God knows what else might have happened,” the judge said, adding there were no mitigating features in the offences.

    The judge said he had determined that ten years was an appropriate starting point for the offences. He then deducted one year for the mitigating features relating to the offender and one-third for the guilty pleas.

    He further deducted the time Best had spent on remand, as well as 180 days for delay, and ordered him to serve the remaining 620 days for use of the firearm and serious bodily harm with intent.

    Source: Nation

  8. David Avatar
    David

    https://youtu.be/nloY0bi51Ik

  9. David Avatar
    David

    Barbados Road Fatalities January to December 2024

    Image Source:  BARBADOS Today

    I’ve thought about tracking road fatalities in Barbados for a while but never got around to it until now. The catalyst for this was a report of yet another pedestrian being a victim of a hit-and-run yesterday (Dec 11). Barbados is also a small island (166 square miles or 466 square km) with a large population (280,000+ persons) and thousands of vehicles (100,000+). 

    There have been at least 18 road fatalities in Barbados between January 1 and December 11 (ignore the November bit in the charts, this post was finished at 1 AM so there are typos in the images which I will fix in the morning). T

    This is my first post on this topic. I may make this a regular feature if time permits. The methodology is similar to my homicide posts, i.e., I depend exclusively on what is reported in the media.

    Read more:
    https://www.caribbeansignal.com/2024/12/12/barbados-road-fatalities-january-to-november-2024/

  10. David Avatar
    David

    A welcome decision by Amit to track road fatalities. The analytics will probably show over time that there is a positive correlation to increase in number of vehicles, lawlessness on the roads and fatalities. We need a drastic intervention by the authorities to deal with traffic. It starts at the Licensing Authority and BRA where inefficiency has become the culture.

  11. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    We should build a wall around St Michael with barbed wire and watchtowers to protect the businessmen and tourists. Also, the government should encourage the erection of 10000 volt fences around the gated communities so that our high performers and expats can live in peace.

    Have a happy Advent!
    Tron

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Tron

    Let us follow in Jamaica’s footsteps.

  13. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Violent crime is a growing part of the culture worldwide, a less alarmist panic strategy should be taken by news outlets and media as they report on positive initiatives instead, such as fathers and mothers giving guidance to their children to keep them away from crime.

  14. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    @555Dub
    Good idea. But that neither sell papers nor drives advertising!

    @David
    Thanks for pointing it out. AG Smiley was quoted as saying 49 is the most in the history of the country. Not sure if he missed the 50 from 2019.

    Just observing

  15. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Thing is, the murders are cross-parochial wrt the participants. People from all parishes are involved, and many are people who have moved into St. Philip from the other parishes.

    If you want that kind of action, you move from in “the hickeys”.

  16. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “But that neither sell papers nor drives advertising!”

    I saw a positive news article on TV about a father’s group steering children away from crime, which felt uplifting rather than depressing and bumming people out with bad news. Fear, shock and awe is a means for Governments controlling people and implementing more harsher laws.

    Negativity in Politics:
    Trump has normalised anti-immigrant politics and sentiments around the world by stigmitising, criminalising, arresting and detaining people who aren’t criminals and just want to work and support families. ICE is militarised.

  17. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    Could someone right a short note on our murder stats. Here I was thinking that 48 was our previous highest, but the numbers seem to have changed and jumped around.

  18. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Incarcerated Fathers and Rehabilitated Criminals who have been in and out of the Justice system can form groups to guide children away from crime, as they have useful inside knowledge of the pros and cons of the path towards a life of crime and is an important educational learning process for parents and children.

  19. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    One year the numbers for St Lucy were surprising. I could not understand how such a lovely and peaceful community was becoming the murder capital of Barbados. I do not know what the police did, but it is obvious that they did something right. Hopefully, they can take the same thinking and action to other places in Barbados.

  20. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    48 or 50 who cares. Barbados homicide rates are in the upper echelons. Especially when compared to the USA whose homicide rates are at least half that of little England. The liberalisation of Barbados economy. The open nature of our tourist industry and our public and private ports have turned Barbados into a transit route for drugs. It’s no longer a well kept secret.

    A lot of these modern housing developments are purchased using illicit drug monies.

    The BLP party believe that it’s a price worth paying.

  21. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    @555dubstreet,
    You must be high on drugs or living in a parallel universe.

    Do your sums young man: population 285,000; homicides 50.

    May I suggest that you do some elementary research before passing comment.

  22. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    The question we need to ask is this. Does Mia have in mind a homicide number which she considers to be unacceptable? For example if these 48 or 50 killed had pretty white skin would she have felt more inclined to have taken action.

  23. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @TLSN December 12, 2024 at 12:51 pm “A lot of these modern housing developments are purchased using illicit drug monies.”

    And ole foolish me spent 3 years paying for a house spot, and 20 years paying off money lent to me by CIBC/First Caribbean to build my modest home.

    Next time I need a loan I better seek out a drug dealer, instead of a foreign bank.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    We must not only focus on enforcement, there is the challenge to nurture a culture where there is good parental guidance and wider support. The crime being manifested and the perception that it is a threat didn’t occur overnight. There is enough evidence to show that reported violent crime is on the increase. We have to confront it and stop with the armchair excuses.

  25. David Avatar
    David

    The question we need to ask ourselves is why aren’t we doing more to win back our communities. Like everything else we seem willing to outsource our parental and civic responsibilities.

  26. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    I guess Hal won his name calling insults / arguments or so it seems..

    People could view historical trajectories of ghettos and cities such as Chicago, New York, London and South American countries to see haw violence, gang culture and crime syndicates are connected and multiply

  27. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    OG,

    Lord Evil. That’s the man up north. Last thing I heard, he was trying to start up something in St. Philip. I heard he was rebuffed.

  28. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    Anybody visiting any of our parishes would observe that there is no difference in the behaviour or trends of the youth in what we call town (St. Michael) and what we call the country. There are still little reminders of the days when the country parishes seemed a bit more tranquil but crime is now widespread throughout the country. One could easily argue that many of the crimes committed in town are not all people from St. Michael and folks in the country areas could easily argue the same. Once the crime reached St .Lucy, it was a given that the entire country was in trouble. There was a time when people in town could pick out a country boy and vice versa in the country they could pick out a town boy.
    This migration did not start yesterday, back in 70s and 80s St. Michael folk were rushing to buy land in St.Philip. And because of job opportunities , we had a movement of young country folk into St. Michael.

  29. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “Do your sums young man: population 285,000; homicides 50.”

    OK Old Man Geezer
    1/285,000=0.00000350877
    2/285,000=0.00000701754
    3/285,000=0.00001052631
    ::::
    10/285,000=0.00003508771
    ::::
    20/285,000=0.00007017543
    ::::
    30/285,000=0.00010526315
    :::
    40/285,000=0.00014035087
    :::
    50/285,000=0.00017543859

    USA in Comparison
    1/334,900,000=2.98596596e-9
    50/334,900,000=1.49298298e-7

    The difference between a murdered American and a murdered Bajan =
    2.98596596e-9 – 0.00000350877 = -0.00000350578

    The difference between a murdered Bajan and a murdered American =
    0.00000350877- 2.98596596e-9 – = 0.00000350578

  30. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    1 murdered Bajan is worth 334,900,000 / 285,000 =
    1175.0877193 murdered Americans

  31. David Avatar
    David

    Not a word about the individual who was slapped by a policeman on Kadooment Day. The AG is silent. The COP is silent. The Disciplinary Committee of the Bar is silent. They pick the things they want to be loud about.

    Call for cops to be disciplined

    Martie Garnes, the Convenor of the Criminal Law Committee of the Barbados Bar Association, has condemned the behaviour of the two police officers who were part of the criminal case involving attorney Lani Daisley and is calling for police officers engaged in breaking the law to be disciplined for their actions, even if it means termination from the Barbados Police Service.

    Speaking to this newspaper about the just concluded matter in which Daisley was awarded $373 904 after a judge determined that two police officers had concocted criminal charges against her, Garnes said this was just one among several matters involving police officers who had run afoul of the law.

    Daisley had a recording device which captured the cops conspiring to bring the charges against her.

    Not speaking out

    Stressing that the Criminal Law Committee was not speaking out because a lawyer was involved, Garnes said they were confronted with several matters where police had engaged in serious wrong-doing but faced no disciplinary action.

    He charged that what was “even more egregious and troublesome” was that one of the officers in the Daisley matter had two promotions and was now a station sergeant. The other officer has since resigned from the Police Service.

    “So is it that we are now rewarding this type of behaviour?” the attorney asked. “Just like with any other job, if you have a police officer or an employee who is breaching certain rules, the first thing you do, you look to legally and lawfully get rid of them if it is that the actions are so egregious that it warrants termination on the spot. If this does not, I don’t know what will amount to lawful termination,” he said.

    Concrete evidence

    The convenor, who was accompanied by committee member Shadia Simpson, said the Daisley case “is of particular importance in Barbados right now because it really demonstrates, based on the unique facts of that case, had it not been for her using that audio device in a pen, this would have turned out very, very differently because we now have concrete evidence showing that police officers would have collaborated and would have lied under oath . . . They would have arrested her on these terms ‘because she getting on my nerves now’.

    “As far as I’m aware, that is not a reason to arrest someone . . . but then, more importantly, you can hear one of the officers saying, ‘So how we gine work it is that customs tell the woman to leave, she won’t leave.’

    “Luckily for her, she had this pen. If she did not have this pen, it would be the police officers’ word versus Ms Daisley’s word.”

    Simpson said this was the reason why defence lawyers usually advised the jury “do not take the angelic or the proverbial angelic halo that the police officers come with”.

    Garnes gave other instances of what he perceived to be police wrong-doing.

    He highlighted a matter involving Rasheed King, who he said was badly beaten by police officers and was photographed by his attorney at the police station, bloody and bruised. That attorney then publicised the matter.

    “What happened was within a week or two later, they (police) then posted a notice saying that attorneys are no longer allowed to carry cell phones in the rooms. So you’re preventing us now from reporting these type of things, rather than trying to stop the very behaviour that caused it in the first place.

    “So you’re not going to the root of the issue. It’s almost as if you’re trying to enable the persons who are doing these type of things.”

    He said there was another matter involving a man named Rackesh Grant ,who was acquitted of rape after the defence brought a handwriting expert who determined that the signature in the police officer’s notebook of Grant confessing to the crime was not that of the man, but that of the police officer.

    Garnes said the attorney had since written the Commissioner of Police on this matter, requesting disciplinary action be brought against the cop but to date there has been no response.

    Sick leave

    Simpson, who was also involved in a headline-making matter this year where a female police officer was seen on video admitting to beating her client, who was in custody, and using profanity and threats towards the man, said she had brought a private prosecution case against the officer but had not been able to have her served as she was still on sick leave. She said: “There was no official statement from the Commissioner of Police in respect to the matter to this date. “There was no disciplinary actions lodged from the last time we checked. So it just seems to be another incident in the forest.”

    The attorneys further expressed concern about police denying lawyers access to their clients.

    Pointing out that it was a constitutional right for people in custody to request an attorney, Garnes said: “Quite frankly, I think that this is most disturbing.”

    Simpson stated: “While I applaud the decision that was recently given in the case with attorney Lani Daisley, I believe that that’s the exception and not the rule in Barbados. She was fortunate to have this audio device that she could have compelling evidence to put before the court, but we have countless stories and accounts from clients in terms of the kind of treatment that they have received whilst in police custody, or even just in their interactions with police.

    “And if you aren’t fortunate to have it recorded on a video or audio device, then it puts you in a position where it’s really your word against the police’s . . .

    “So the truth is that I am really happy [about] the decision, but, by the same token, I don’t think it will set a precedent in terms of how these matters are dealt with in court.”

    Source: Nation

  32. David Avatar
    David

    Our tax dollars at work.

    AG wants to limit sum

    Attorney General Dale Marshall says his office will be appealing the quantum of damages which a High Court awarded to attorney Lani Daisley, who sued the State for assault, battery and false imprisonment by police officers following an arrest and criminal charges brought against her 12 years ago.

    Last month, Justice Bryan Weekes awarded her $373 904 in damages and court costs after finding that the two constables fabricated the evidence against her, that she was subject to public humiliation and that her reputation was impacted.

    The Attorney General’s Office did not file a defence or any submissions to the lawsuit.

    When contacted, Marshall said: “I can say that we will be appealing the quantum of damages awarded. Beyond that, I have no comment to make on the matter, which is obviously sub judice.”

    The events which led to Daisley’s arrest occurred on September 12, 2012, when she visited the Bridgetown Port to see a client who was in police custody. While demanding access to that client, Daisley was asked to leave but was later dragged down a flight of stairs and forcibly removed by police officers. She was then charged with unlawfully assaulting Constable Kim-Marie Rock; unlawfully resisting her; unlawfully resisting Constable Hughstone Gamble; having lawfully entered the premises of the Port Authority, misconducted herself by behaving in an annoying manner, and that she did not leave the premises, after she was directed to do so by the Assistant Comptroller of Customs Charles Parris.

    However, unbeknownst to the two officers, Daisley had a pen which recorded the entire episode, including the two constables conspiring about what they were going to concoct about the incident.

    When contacted yesterday, Daisley said she was aware the State was pursuing an appeal.

    “Myself and my legal team are interested to see the grounds of appeal in the matter where the State had not previously participated in the matter by way of defence or timely submissions,” she told the Weekend Nation.

    On the recording, Daisley and attorney Stewart Mottley can be heard repeatedly demanding to see their client and, at one point, Mottley leaves while Daisley is interacting with a customs officer and police officers. After several exchanges, someone tells her she is trespassing and that “nobody ain’t invite you”.

    She then asks: “So, my client can come with me?” The same voice replies: “Excuse me, please. Arrest she because she getting on my nerves now.” After a few more exchanges, another voice interjects: “You want her off these premises?” A man replies: “Yes, I want she off these premises.”

    Daisley responds: “Do not touch me.” Then Mottley says: “You cannot drag the lady like that. You all cannot assault the woman like that.”

    This is followed by noises, with Daisley complaining that she was being dragged down the stairs, that she had lost one of her shoes and that she was injured.

    Several minutes after, she is transported to the police station, a man and a woman are heard talking in the police vehicle and the man says the sergeant wants to know what’s going on.

    He tells the female: “So, how we working it is that customs tell the woman to leave and she won’t leave. She was boisterous, getting on. Customs told . . . ‘I want these people to leave’ . . . told them, well, they become trespassers, come and go downstairs. [He] went downstairs with the man, she stand upstairs still being boisterous and so on, and you told her, well, she is now a trespasser, come and go downstairs.

    “She try. She did not try to, she push past you saying she gine and see she client, right? I held on to her, she start to struggle with we. You cool with that?”

    The female replies: “I cool wid that,” as the male tells her to “take up the set now and tell them that your hand hurting you real bad and you want to see the doctor. Cause he rushing for you to go down dey and write the statement”.

    The last statement the device records is the man asking: “You got that woman pen?”

    Source: Nation

  33. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Wow! Just wow! These officers should be facing charges of some sort.

    Why aren’t they?

  34. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ David
    Our major regional problem is that our leaders are committed to Eurocentric thinking which reflects monarchical form of political leadership. Our Prime Ministers see themselves as Kings and Queens and at the other level as the plantocracy, so they are afraid of communal leadership because the fear of not seeing themselves as primus inter pares looms large.
    It pervades their thinking and inhibits them from being transparent. Law enforcement cannot escape the pitfalls of this kind of leadership. Remember the phone call to the PM………

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @William

    Our education system has Eurocentric underpinnings as you know. It is as though we are ashamed of our black heritage and refer to it to frequently for the purpose of convenience.

  36. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    David,

    I don’t think we are ashamed. Just unconvinced that we can turn back the clock and afraid of the effort it will take to change us.

    I myself will never be African through and through. I have probably lived more than half of my life with just the little stubborn Africanness that survived. Do you know the effort it will take to effect total transformation?

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna

    Any goal that adds value to anything takes vision and execution.

  38. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “I myself will never be African through and through. I have probably lived more than half of my life with just the little stubborn Africanness that survived. Do you know the effort it will take to effect total transformation?”

    Roots Natty Congo
    You are an African
    Living in Barbados

  39. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    The Attorney General’s Office did not file a defence or any submissions to the lawsuit.
    +++++++++++
    What an astute group! They did not file a defence and now they are appealing the decision.
    Could we get an AG that is competent?

    Barbados deserves better.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    That level of award sets a precedent that would weigh heavy on the head of government given BFS vulnerability to making errors.

  41. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @David
    yours@11.44 am
    Precisely! That’s why at the very least they should have filed a submission of some sort showing that they were engaged in the matter instead of waiting for a judgement and then appealing.

  42. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    That is if there wasn’t an expectation this matter would have ‘blown’ away.

  43. David Avatar
    David

    A 38-year-old Jamaican national is set to appear in court today, in connection with the murder of Shane Parris, along with other charges.

    Luston Trace Qurie Watson of Lot 9 Heddings, St. Philip was arrested and charged by the Major Crime Unit of the Barbados Police Service (TBPS) for the following offences:
    – Murder of Shane Parris on January 13, 2024
    – Possession of Cannabis
    – Possession with intent to supply Cannabis
    – Trafficking in Cannabis

    Watson is scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes in the District ‘A’ Criminal Court #1.

    Source: CBC

  44. David Avatar
    David

    34-year-old man has been remanded to Dodds Prison following a court appearance in connection with firearm and ammunition charges.

    He is Tremaine Rico Ramon Hinds of #39 Beckles Road, St. Michael.

    The Serious Organised Crime Unit of the Barbados Police Service (TBPS) arrested and formally charged Hinds for the following offences:

    ⦁ Possession of a Firearm (x2) – on December 8, 2024
    ⦁ Possession of Ammunition – on December 8, 2024

    Hinds appeared before Magistrate Alison Burke in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court on Friday, December 13, 2024 and have been remanded to Dodds. He is scheduled to reappear on Friday, January 10, 2025.

    Source: CBC

  45. David Avatar
    David

    Two men have died in an early morning single-vehicle accident along Bennetts Road, St. James.

    Police say the incident, which was reported around 1:50 a.m., involved one motor car with at least four (4) occupants.

    They say the vehicle was travelling along the mentioned road towards Highway 1 when it struck a utility pole head on, resulting in two (2) of the occupants dying at the scene.

    The deceased, ages 41-years & 37-years, are yet to be formally identified and their respective families officially notified of their death.

    Meanwhile a 24-year-old male and a female in her 20s have been transported to the QEH via ambulance for medical treatment.

    The female suffered serious head injuries and other injuries about her body, while the injured male had several cuts and abrasions.

    The road way has been cordoned off as investigations continue.

    Source: CBC

  46. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Another fatality NOT caused by ZR drivers.

  47. David Avatar
    David

    We have this uncanny skill of doing nothing until the problem become unsolvable.

    DLP alarmed by rising tragedies

    The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) last night bemoaned the high number of vehicular accidents on this country’s roads and urged Government to reconsider speed limits in areas where serious accidents are prone to occur.

    The party’s concerns came in the wake of the double road fatality which occurred along Bennett’s, St James early yesterday morning that left two men dead, a woman critically injured and another man nursing serious injuries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

    “The DLP is deeply concerned by the alarming increase in road accidents across our nation. The frequency of these tragic events highlights an urgent need for action,” the DLP said in a statement issued last night by the party’s acting general secretary and spokesperson on the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance, Pedro Shepherd.

    “As we collectively grieve, we must also reflect on the steps necessary to prevent further loss of life and suffering. This is a moment that calls for introspection and decisive action to ensure the safety of all road users, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike,” said Shepherd.

    He said the sorrowful event had impacted the DLP profoundly.

    “We mourn the passing of cherished community members and extend our sincere sympathies to all their families and friends as they navigate this profoundly difficult time. The pain of losing loved ones is indescribable, especially as we approach the festive season, a time traditionally reserved for celebration and togetherness,” he added.

    Shepherd also called on Government to prioritise the safety of the country’s roads, saying that adequate lighting, particularly along major highways and secondary roads, remained essential to prevent accidents.

    “Implementing solarpowered lighting, where necessary, can be an efficient and sustainable solution. Furthermore, addressing the pervasive issue of potholes and road disrepair is critical. These hazards not only contribute to accidents but also damage vehicles, imposing additional costs on drivers,” Shepherd suggested.

    Resources

    He added that recent Government projects had seen resources deployed in areas where the need for road work was less critical, and called on the administration to address this. “The stretch of Highway 2A, from Bagatelle (St Thomas) to Mile & A Quarter (St Peter), exemplify how neglected road maintenance can severely compromise safety. Public funds, particularly those derived from external borrowing and local fuel charges, must be allocated judiciously to areas most in need. In addition to structural improvements, the increasing incidences of vehicles equipped with excessively bright white lights demand attention,” said Shepherd.

    Reiterating those lights could significantly impair the vision of other road users, posing a further risk to road safety, Shepherd urged regulatory authorities to enforce standards that ensured vehicle lighting was safe and considerate of all on the road.

    “We also urge the Government to reconsider speed limits across our road networks, particularly at dangerous intersections and bends. The Turnpike junction (St George) and Windsor four-cross (St George/Christ Church) are known hotspots for serious accidents, demanding immediate attention to prevent future tragedies,” the DLP official noted.

    “Beyond fatalities, those injured in accidents often endure life-altering consequences, facing significant medical expenses and lifelong challenges. The DLP implores the minister responsible to address these issues earnestly and prioritise the well-being of our citizens” he concluded. ( BA/PR)

    Source Nation

  48. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    This is Wade Gibbons posting to Facebook on the issue you picked up as well. A majority of Barbadians are only interested in feting, arguing BLP/DLP nonsense and watching movies.

    “There is a famous saying emanating from the late Australian-born, British judge, Lord Atkin (1867-1944) that: “Justice is not a cloistered virtue: she must be allowed to suffer the scrutiny and respectful comments of ordinary men”, like Tom, Dick, Harry and myself.

    A case heard recently in the Supreme Court involved two police officers and an attorney, Lani Daisley. The latter was awarded $373,904. I’m not interested in the facts of the incident, per se, as those were dealt with by the judge. My concern is with the peculiar behaviour of the state in the case. For those who are really following, alarm bells should have sounded.

    It is now a matter of public record that for a case/accusation so alarming, so vexatious, so grievous, so incendiary, so critical of the Barbados Police Service and by extension the state, the office of the Attorney General, and by extension the Government, had no legal representative at the hearing. Let me repeat that. An accusation of a most heinous nature was made against the state, but the state did not represent/defend itself.

    But it gets even more curious. Having not defended itself – whether it had a viable defence or not – I am now reading today that the Attorney General’s office is appealing the quantum of damages. I have been checking other jurisdictions to see if the populace of other places is subjected to this type of cloistered virtue and it seems that Barbadians, often accused of frequently being in a state of somnolence, mainly entertain this type of assault on their intelligence. If the Government did not see it necessary to defend itself, why seek to reduce the quantum of damages – which is subject to increase at appeal by the way.

    What the hell is going on behind closed doors that is not suffering scrutiny and more respectful comments from ordinary Barbadians?

    Mind you, this Government that is now seeking to reduce the quantum of damages awarded Daisley, is the same Government that awarded an estimated seven-figure sum to about 13 police officers, collectively, who actually LOST a case brought against the state related to promotions. The separation of powers did not simply go through the window; it was kicked over a cliff.

    But wonders never cease. Ms. Daisley has an appeal pending before the Court of Appeal. Would anyone be alarmed if her appeal, and that of the Attorney General’s office against the quantum of her damages, be heard together before the same panel?

    The Barbados Bar Association is within its rights to speak out for its members and for justice in general. Hopefully, it will apply equal fervour to addressing the rule of law in this country and what many view as its precarious perch at the edge of Hackleton’s Cliff.”

  49. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    These stories though interesting are often incomplete. Stating the consequences for attorney Lani Daisley if she ‘lost’ the case would added depth to the story.

    This need not be considered as an area of speculation for I am certain that they were penalties attached to the type of interaction the attorney was accused of.

  50. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    I am back there in 2019. I cannot move forward. Can someone explain to me how the number of murders in 2019 was 48 up until a few days ago. Today we are told the number was 50.

    With 49 murders, 2024 would have been the year with most murders in Bajan’s history, but the sudden jump from 48 t0 50 puts 2024 in second place. Please, no more jumps for 2019.

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