Many must be ‘tired’ of the constant focus on the homicide rate and crime but it is what it is as they say. What characterised Barbados in the recent past was a feeling of peace and safety as we went about our daily lives. It seems despite our boast of having advanced economically, we have regressed socially. The question on the minds is – when will it end?
See Barbados Crime Blog’s latest analysis on the crime situation legitimately dubbed the “Deadliest Decade” – Blogmaster
TWO WOMEN, VICTIMS of a traumatic attempted carjacking last week, are warning Barbadians to carefully inspect their surroundings.
They had just exited PriceSmart on Green Hill, St Michael, Thursday evening, when two masked men armed with “big guns” pounced to steal their vehicle.
One of the assailants who jumped into the driver’s seat apparently did not realise he was sitting on the key and after trying for several minutes to locate it, both men ran off in view of shocked onlookers who had gathered.
One woman, who is nursing bruises about her body, recounted how around 7 p.m. she got into the driver’s seat feeling a presence on her side.
“My colleague had one foot in and one foot out. I was just about to flip the door because I’m usually in the habit when I get in, I just central lock.
“As I looked up this person opened my door and I looked up to see this figure in all black, this hooded figure. The only thing I could see would have been the eyes. The person had on a mask and you could see those grills just beyond his mouth. He held a gun, a fairly big gun. It was pointed at me. I could hear him saying, ‘I want the car, I want the car. Give me the car,’” the middle-aged woman recounted.
She instinctively jumped into the passenger seat as her colleague had been dragged out by another masked gunman.
“So I started scooting back and eventually I jumped out of the car, but I don’t know how I got out. I moved backwards and I was trying to wiggle my feet away from the vehicle because I anticipated that they would have been driving off and I didn’t want them to drive on me.”
She said within seconds the other masked gunman jumped into the passenger seat but then quickly got out, as did the other man in the driver’s seat.
“He came again with the gun and he held onto my chest . . . dragging me. He was saying something which I could not understand. My colleague came and she was holding me, and actually pulling me away from him. He said, ‘I want the keys, I want the keys.’ I responded, ‘I don’t have the keys.’
“He kept saying that, and it seemed like forever. I had money in my hand, in my fists and I told myself he probably thinks I got the keys in my hand so I threw the money out of my hand and I opened my hands, like in the surrender position. And I said, ‘I don’t have the keys, the keys in the car.’ With that, he jumped back into the vehicle.”
It was then that she ran to her colleague and their screams brought people running, with one man recording the assailants in the vehicle.
“When you looked into the vehicle, it looked as though it was a scene from a movie because the lights were on. All you could see were the eyes of these assailants and they were rummaging around, I imagine, looking for the car keys.
“A lot of people gathered around and they did not seem to find what it is that they were looking for so they jumped out, closed the door and ran towards the polyclinic.”
She was amazed that the men only wanted the vehicle.
“I had money in my hand which I threw to the ground and there was money lying around in the car and groceries in the back seat but all they wanted was the car.
“These things are minor because I have my life. Now that I’ve gotten over it, I’m not as shaken as I thought I would be. But indeed, I am more vigilant and I will want to warn others, not just women, but anybody.”
She was informed that cameras in the area showed the two men entered the complex in a vehicle, exited it when she and her friend walked out of PriceSmart and their driver left.
The woman’s colleague said she was dragged out of the passenger seat but “put up some resistance”.
“We were shaken and we would have had some pains and so on about the body but we had life because even though the men were armed, they did not discharge the firearms, thank God. It is important that even though this experience was a traumatic one there are way too many reports of persons who are victims of such attacks and we hope that by sharing, that persons would understand the seriousness of what is happening because we are usually very vigilant. We look around and we try not to be in any place that’s isolated or dimly lit,” she said.
The DAILY NATION was unsuccessful in reaching Assistant Commissioner John Boyce, who is in charge of crime.
There were several reports circulating that a soldier was carjacked last Friday night near the Hotpot in Brighton, St Michael, and a woman assaulted with a gun and her vehicle stolen on Saturday night at Warrens, St Michael.
Stories by SANDRA DOWNES THE AMMUNITION which police officers said they found in the vehicle of retired policeman Ashford Jones, was put there “inadvertently”.
That was according to the testimony of Inspector Duane Griffith, the officer who arrested and charged Jones also known as “Rap Browne/Rat Browne” six years ago.
The 78-year-old accused of Inch Marlow, Christ Church, has pleaded not guilty to having 100 rounds of ammunition on October 13, 2019, without a valid licence. His case is taking place in Supreme Court No. 2A, before Justice Elwood Watts as he has opted for a judge-only trial.
During his testimony, Griffith recalled being one of the officers who went on duty to Grazettes Main Road, St Michael on October 13, 2019, after receiving information. They saw XA 689 and motioned for the driver to stop. He complied, got out of the car and identified himself as “Ashford Jones, Rat Browne.”
Griffith said he and Sergeant Jason Allman approached Jones and identified themselves as policemen, told him they had information that he had unlicensed ammunition in his car and they wanted to search the vehicle.
The witness said Jones replied: “Oh my God; what I gone and do?”
When asked about his licensed firearms, the witness told the court the accused said the pistol was on the floor by the driver’s side and they saw the other two as well.
Jones also told them: “I have some ammunition in there for my pistol”.
The officers then removed a couple of plastic bags with ammunition inside. The guns and ammunition were held by the lawmen, and when Jones was questioned about why he had 100 rounds of .40 ammunition, he said he signed them out from the (shooting) range that morning.
The officer said that Jones’ explanation for having the unlicensed ammunition was that he did not need a licence “if I sign out ammunition from the range”.
Griffith said once he informed Jones that it was in fact an offence, the ex-policeman said he intended to return to the range to shoot them. He had actually signed for three boxes of ammunition but had already shot 50 rounds, he stated.
Later, during his interview at the District “E” Police Station, Griffith said Jones told officers “I inadvertently put the ammunition in my car, that’s all”.
Michael Hinkson, President of the Barbados Rifle Association, also testified yesterday.
Jones is being represented by Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens and King’s Counsel Michael Lashley, while Principal State Counsel Oliver Thomas, along with State Counsel Dr. Zoe King are representing the State.
The case continues tomorrow.
Source: Nation
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TLSN
Here’s an interesting view on crime from Belize’s Commissioner of Crime. Beware the man has a dazzling smile. I wonder if our Barbados equivalent could learn something from this man.
H. Rap Brown, born 1943, also known as Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, is an American activist, writer, and former chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Born Hubert Gerold Brown in 1943, he gained the nickname “Rap” for his verbal skills and became a prominent figure in the Black freedom movement. His activism included advocating for civil rights, opposing the Vietnam War, and transforming SNCC into a human rights organization. He later converted to Islam and changed his name to Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin
GOVERNMENT IS ON a major drive to address Barbados’ traffic woes and enhance safety on the roads.
Construction of roundabouts at dangerous intersections, more comprehensive road repairs, improved street lighting and erection of modified speed humps to regulate traffic passing through communities were among the plans outlined by Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw during debate on a land acquisition resolution yesterday in the House of Assembly.
The resolution provides for Government to acquire seven parcels of land around the Windsor/ Brighton area in St George for construction of a long-requested roundabout on a spot where several accidents have occurred.
Bradshaw, who is acting Prime Minister, said another resolution for construction of a roundabout at Groves, also in St George, and improvement of the nearby Sweet Vale Road – a project estimated to cost around $5 million – will also be brought before the House shortly.
She said the extensive road improvement measures were intended to ease the daily gridlock, as the increasing number of vehicles were presenting a headache for traffic management.
Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance Dwight Sutherland, who is also Member of Parliament for St George South, in piloting the resolution, said work should begin “within a month or two” at Windsor/Brighton as the tendering process was already under way.
He submitted that with around 140 000 vehicles, there was a “greater need” for traffic management and as the housing stock continued to increase, “we have to come up quickly with a plan to address the traffic congestion on our roads, not only by signalising intersections, or by roundabouts, but a greater traffic management plan”.
He suggested a park-and-ride system as a possible solution, while hinting that consideration was being given to an area in the south for a car park.
“I look forward to the day when I can see a ferry system coming from the north of the island to address traffic congestion in the Speightstown area and in the Holetown area. I also look forward in the very near future to see something similar in the southern section, to assist those persons coming from St Philip and the Christ Church area.”
Bradshaw said Government was also very concerned about road safety because of the frenzied traffic activity. She appealed to motorists to be more responsible when behind the wheel.
She noted that based on trends revealed in a survey on the traffic situation, “we are seeing a lot of people running red lights; we are seeing a lot of people moving quickly to get to their destination. There is a lot of road rage being created – from our PSV (public service vehicle) sectors, to ordinary people driving on the roads”.
She said her ministry was trying to make improvements to the public transport system “that has been allowed to get away with murder for a long time”.
Bradshaw disclosed a public education campaign for the PSV sector will shortly be launched, since their conduct impacted on road safety, and that the ministry would be “coming after them” when they flaunt regulations.
She noted that potholes were cited as a factor which impeded progress on the road, and informed the House that six pothole-patching machines should be before the end of the year.
FIVE MEN were in and out of the dock of the District “A” Magistrates’ Court yesterday, as the 91 serious charges they are collectively facing were read to them – including two murders and the daylight shooting up of Nelson Street and St Stephen’s Hill, all in St Michael.
The accused, who range in age from 18 to 43 years, are charged in connection with violence that ran from St Michael to St Philip, and they went before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes in Criminal Court No.1.
ACCUSED JACOBI FENTY
KARL MAYNARD
ACCUSED LANCE GIDDINGS
ACCUSED Carlos Mann
(Nation News Desk Pictures)
Two teens among those facing multiple charges 18-year-old Miliki Colvin Forde, of Belleview Gap, Waterford, St Michael, whose tally stood at 51.
Forde is facing 25 charges; Karl Omar Maynard, 43, of Four Roads, St Philip, has 22; Lance Curt Giddings, 17, of Halls Road, St Michael, has 11; there are four against Jacobi Omari Fenty, 20, of King’s Village, Whitepark Road, St Michael; while Carlos Tito Mann, 36, of Smith’s Corner, Sargeant’s Village, Christ Church, has three.
Forde, Mann and Fenty are jointly charged with murdering Gavin Archer, 24, of Whitehall Main Road, St Michael, on June 22, while Forde, Maynard and Giddings are accused of murdering Cameron Elcock, 22, of Six Roads, St Philip, on June 12.
Forde, Fenty and Mann are accused of committing 14 crimes together, and Forde and Giddings 12.
All of the offences were allegedly committed between February 20 and June 28 this year.
Other charges include causing serious bodily harm, endangering life, using unlawful violence and causing persons at St Stephen’s Hill, and Whitehall, to fear for their personal safety, discharging a firearm at Wellington Street, The City, using unlicensed firearms, brandishing firearms while committing robbery and violent disorder, endangering several lives, entering ShopSmart and committing grievous bodily harm on Winfield Hinds, intentionally damaging property belonging to persons and being reckless as to whether in doing the damage to the property that would endanger people’s lives.
Sitting in the dock, the accused men seemed calm and were attentive for the most part, with some chatting intermittently but quietly to each other.
After the charges were read, Giddings asked about the possibility of securing legal aid, as did Forde, who said he would take that route should his mother not be able to secure an attorney for him. Chief Magistrate Weekes informed them that they could make any such inquiries while on remand at Dodds Prison.
When he indicated that family members who came to see the accused could exit the courtroom, since their court appearance was over, no one stood. Seemingly, no family members were there.
King’s Counsel Michael Lashley and attorney Sade Harris are representing Maynard, while Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens is acting on behalf of Mann and Fenty. Teenagers Forde and Gittens were unrepresented by counsel.
All of the matters relating to the District “C” jurisdiction were transferred for the accused to appear in that court before Acting Magistrate Angela Knight on July 30, and for the District “A” matters, they will appear before Magistrate Alison Burke in the Bridgetown Traffic Court on August 13. (SD)
RICHARD “CABBAGE” HAYNES was in his shop across from his home in 1st Avenue Weekes Land, Goodland, St Michael, when he was gunned down Tuesday around 10 p.m.
One of his sisters, Melissa Haynes, said she was sleeping when she heard the first of many gunshots shatter the peace of the neighbourhood. She recounted seeing the 40-year-old father of six after he was shot.
“I bound out of bed and ask where my son was. After I knew he was safe, I start to get a chill because I knew my brother was out there. The shots were still going on, but I run out and then when I get to the shop, I saw my brother bleeding from he head,” she recalled.
She said family and friends quickly gathered, wrapping Richard in blankets and transporting him to the hospital, where he passed away. His death was the 30th homicide for the year.
“My brother was loving, always smiling and happy. He had his ways but he was a good family man. He always used to look after his children – on mornings he would make sure they eat and he gone on his way,” she told the DAILY NATION.
Haynes said her brother, who had two other sisters, loved motorcycles and would ride his friends’ bikes, but he never owned one himself. She added that the shopkeeper saved his money to buy a car instead, as he had not long ago fathered twins and needed a reliable way to transport them.
She said it was a tough time for their mother to lose her only male child, made worse as she was not well.
“This is not normal. Some sort of war going on in Barbados and it’s about to get worse,” she lamented.
Another sister, Crystal Haynes, earlier told Starcom Network she was in her bedroom when the shots first rang out and also ran to the shop. She started screaming at the sight of her brother.
“I feel so sad, ain’t no words to describe it. I try to cope with it but it really hurts inside, really, deep down inside,” she said.
Crystal too described him as fun-loving and caring.
THREE PEOPLE CHARGED in connection with harbouring fugitive killer Kishon Anderson Lemar Thomas were each released on $40 000 bail yesterday.
Veronica Caroline Bascom, 61, of Seaview, St James, the mother of Thomas, was charged with assisting an offender – her son – between May 2 and July 12. She was not required to plead to the charge.
Twenty-nine-year-old Afiyah Akilah Asher Mounter, of the same address, pleaded not guilty to assaulting and resisting a police officer, and was not required to plead to assisting offender Thomas between May 2 and July 12.
Javairne Jason Thompson, 41, of Nicholls Road, Seaview, faced similar charges as Mounter, accused of assaulting and resisting a police officer to which he pleaded not guilty. He was not required to plead to the charge of assisting Thomas.
All three accused will return before Magistrate Wayne Clarke tomorrowin the Holetown Magistrates’ Court. ( AC)
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE RICHARD BOYCE is warning that Barbados is part of a regional surge of firearmrelated crime which, if left unchecked, threatens to erode the country’s social and economic stability.
Addressing yesterday’s 149th Passing Out Parade at the Regional Police Training Centre in Seawell, Christ Church, he told the 46 new constables that their entry into the Barbados Police Service comes at a time when “the pervasive presence of these weapons in the hands of misguided youth” is placing unprecedented pressure on law enforcement and communities alike.
“Recent data have indicated an increase in the number of firearmrelated incidents. Even more concerning is the declining age of those individuals who are getting involved in serious criminal activity . . . . Such behaviours shall not be tolerated by the law-abiding citizens of Barbados,” he said.
String of prosecutions
Calling the regional crime wave a “public health issue” that saps national resources and inflicts “long-term psychological and financial burdens”, Boyce said Barbados must view violent crime not only as a policing problem but as a threat to families, business confidence, tourism, foreign investment and routine public life. He warned that diminished investor confidence, strained health care services and the breakdown of social trust loom if communities fail to confront the problem together.
While praising detectives for a string of recent firearms prosecutions, the commissioner conceded that much of the police service’s success remains “reactive rather than preventative”. He outlined a sharpened strategy that leans on intelligence-driven operations, strengthened partnerships with international allies and a renewed public appeal to “work alongside us in the pursuit of making our communities safer”.
That collaboration already extends beyond Barbados’ shores, with Boyce revealing that officers are currently deployed in the Turks and Caicos Islands to help quell a surge in gun crime there, underscoring “a broad regional consensus that crime levels . . . are on an upward trajectory”.
Turning to the police’s preparedness, he highlighted new links with the College of Policing in the United Kingdom, noting that Acting Assistant Commissioners Sonia Boyce and Barry Hunte just completed six months of senior leadership training in Britain.
“That training intervention will no doubt enhance the capacity of the service to execute its policing mandate with a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness,” he said, while offering public congratulations to both officers.
Boyce told the recruits that continuous professional development, mastery of policing technology and strict personal discipline were nonnegotiable in the modern crime landscape.
“Technology is an enabler. It enhances our effectiveness, strengthens evidential integrity and improves service to the public,” he said, urging constables to keep pace with rapid changes in investigative practice, traffic management and public service delivery.
Public confidence
The commissioner told the new constables their uniforms were “a visible symbol of lawful authority, entrusted to you by the people of this nation”, and that slips in discipline by any single officer could erode public confidence in the entire service.
“You will be called upon to make split-second decisions, often under intense pressure,” he cautioned, advising the graduates to keep abreast of the law, standing orders and operational procedures.
Respect for human rights, he stressed, must underpin every encounter: “Every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves to be treated with fairness, empathy and dignity.”
Boyce also told them to be prepared for the diverse realities of service life, from crime scene response and road traffic enforcement, to security duties during the Crop Over season and disaster relief during adverse weather.
He closed with a call for unity – both within the ranks and between the service and the public – insisting that only collective action can curb the gun crime scourge.
“Serve with honour, protect with courage and reassure with compassion,” he told the constables. “The road before you is long. It is for you now to make it worthwhile.” (CLM)
Source: Nation
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BAJE
THREE VERY GOOD ARTICLES ABOVE.
I HAVE FAMILY ON THE 2×3 ISLAND INCLUDING 2 CHILDREN WHO ARE UWI GRADUATES.
HOPEFULLY IT GETS BETTER BECAUSE SEEMS DREAD AND VERY UNSAFE TIME ON THE 2×3 ISLAND.
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