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Gun Crime:Shooting on the ABC

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Despite the recent spin from Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce and the conspicuous silence of Attorney General Dale Marshall, gun crime in Barbados continues unchecked.

Today, in broad daylight, on a Monday, along the CBC to BUSSA stretch of the ABC Highway—our busiest artery—a man was shot.

Let that sink in: A man was shot. In broad daylight. On our main highway.

This isn’t the time for verbosity. The facts speak for themselves. We can continue to ignore the trajectory of lawlessness BUT it will not ignore us.

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13 responses to “Gun Crime:Shooting on the ABC”

  1. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Agreed! You know. On looking at the number of murders a few weeks ago, it was around 34!

    And following it over the last 10 days or so, it moved to 39, I seem to recall.

    At 34 the though was entertained that if Barbados could avoid any more murders until December 31, it would have represented one of the low years, even as there might be a statistical possibility that next year might be high again.

    Weeee were wrong! For with two more months to go and given the intent to prove Pacha wrong, the forces that be insist that the murder rate must be out of control.

    Still, knowing the culture and given weightings to all other factors driving murder we still contend that the society has the ability to stymie one of the worst forms of citizen on citizen violence.

  2. David Avatar
    David

  3. TheOG Avatar
    TheOG

    It is difficult to follow these deaths. There is a burst, then a lull and when you think we have gone past the worst, there is a burst again.

    A bit of sanity followed by moments of madness. Silence during madness and a hint/claim of some success in fighting crime during the lull.

  4. Terence Blackett Avatar
    Terence Blackett

    SIGNS OF THE TIMES WE LIVE IN – OR JUST ANOTHER DAY ON PARADISE #Earth

    SATAN DELIGHTS IN MURDER* & WAR AND ALL THOSE WHO LOVE & FOLLOW HIM HAVE THAT SAME MURDEROUS SPIRIT!!!

    It’s as plain as the same daylight mentioned in this “TRAGIC” piece!!!

    We no longer “MOURN” or “WEEP” for the “VICTIMS” – instead we cast the “FIRST STONE” with all manner of aspersions!!!

    BUT THEN NOTHING IS NEW UNDER THE SUN – LOOK WHAT WE DID TO MAURICE BISHOP OF GRENADA ON HIS 42ND ANNIVERSARY – IN AIDING & ABETTING IN HIS MURDER

    #ThePlantationSystemIsAliveAndWell

    #WhatADamnedWorld

  5. David Avatar
    David

    An out of control PSV sector and the inability of our children to make sound decisions are not isolated issues. They are symptoms of a deeper, growing disorder in our society. An off offroute ZR van flipping and injuring 25 students is NOT just a traffic incident, it is a warning. Our lawlessness is no longer creeping, it is racing!

    A PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLE (PSV) CRASH that triggered a mass casualty response after several schoolchildren were injured yesterday has uncovered transportation problems of joyriding or lateness.

    It has also led to Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman insisting on an urgent meeting this week with PSVs leaders as the vehicle was off route, police said.

    Just around 8:55 a.m., the area near Lester Vaughan School in Cane Garden, St Thomas, was flooded with medical personnel from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Barbados Defence Force and the Ambulance Service attending to 25 students and one adult ranging in age from 11 to 31 years from the overturned route taxi, with 23 attending Fast Track for treatment and the other victims with limbthreatening injuries going to the QEH where they were stabilised, X-rayed and referred to the specialist.

    Principal Suzette Holder admitted that they were working on a problem of students joyriding after arriving at school early or others gathering in the Warrens, St Michael area to take the PSVs to reach classes hours late.

    She had only minutes earlier at general assembly, she said, spoken about the issue and wise choices when she got the call about the incident.

    “This could have been a different report. We have been having some challenges where we just found out students come early, leave the premises and joyride. We also note they leave home early and assemble in Warrens and come to school between 10:30 and 11 a.m. That is something we are cracking down on and that is what I was speaking to them about at assembly,” she said, adding she was thankful to all those

    Continued on Page 4.

    zoom-in
    THE PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLE in which 26 people were travelling, on its side in Cane Garden, St Thomas, yesterday morning. (Picture by Haroon Greenidge.)

    Close call sparks outcry over student transport safety

    who responded.

    Blackman said the situation was one that could have placed the country in mourning and was relieved there were no lives lost.

    “What is very clear to see is that we have a PSV off-route on a Monday transporting our country’s children to school . . . a major challenge. I will reach out to the Ministry of Transport and Works and the PSV organisations. It cannot be that our children are not safe when they ought to be . . . . I want to make it very clear that the time has passed or come when we relook how our children engage the PSVs.

    “This is not a pronouncement of any policy, but I am telling you in the interest of our children and their safety, we must make sure that law and order is first of all enforced and have a conversation with our country, and parents I want to encourage you to speak to your children.

    “When they leave home, cover them under the blood of Jesus. I am sure this morning is a tangible manifestation of the blood of Jesus working because this could have been absolutely worse where the country this morning could have been in a state of mourning. Thankfully, we’re not,” he said.

    The school was closed for the remainder of the day and counselling also made available for those who might have been impacted through witnessing or having friends who were injured in the incident.

    The Minister said yesterday’s incident had a wider impact for the PSV operators.

    “You have a responsibility, if you are not aware read the Road Traffic Act. You have an obligation like every other driver and a responsibility in how you engage with the public and our children. This is not to prejudice any investigation, but I am deeply concerned about the state of affairs of how a number of our PSVs continue to act on the road. When it comes to our children, it is zero tolerance and I as minister want to make it very, very clear: if we have to review how our students engage with the PSVs, then that is a conversation that I am ready to have,” Blackman stated.

    The driver eventually accompanied police to the station as the officers investigated what caused the crash, said police communications and public affairs officer, acting Inspector Ryan Brathwaite.

    Felicia Dujon, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) spokesperson on education, who was also on scene, said the Government had been reactive, adding that two weeks ago she made a strong appeal for more assigned school buses, but when the minister responsible for MTW spoke about the 40 additional buses, none was allocated to schools.

    “I am hoping that today is really an eye-opener for the minister and for the persons involved in the Ministry to ensure that our students get to and from school safely.

    “The reasons the DLP had free transport for all students was to not only get them to school, but to get them to school safely and this Government has abandoned that. I hope this is an awakening call to the Minister that when you do not put policies in place, this is the end result; these are the consequences of not being proactive. I don’t know what else I can say to this Minister other than get it right,” she said.

    Inspector Brathwaite appealed to road users, including PSV drivers, to be mindful that they are conveying passengers.

    “If we continue along this line, obviously it will be detrimental to other persons using the road. You must take responsibility for your action . . . in the way you traverse the road,” he added.(AC)

    Source: Nation

  6. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    In ANY serious organization, even in a snow cone cart business, where the persons with specific responsibilities had DEMONSTRATED the inability to carry out a basic task of the business (in this case for over a decade,) that business would be bankrupt.

    Our various government’s clear INABILITY to manage the transport sector, and the ZR operations in particular, is the most glaring indication on national bankruptcy.
    This is even more so than our monumental DEBTS, …broke NIS, …broken health services, …pot-holed roads …and spiraling crime / murder rates.

    This ZR chaos SHOUTS national failure.

    The REAL failure, however, has been our collective BLINDNESS to our gloomy predicament, and our apparent INABILITY to conceptualize a rational response.
    We have resigned ourselves to doing the SAME shiite, …with increased resolve…
    …and actually expecting different results.

    Definition: Madness!!!

    But recall….
    Quos Deus vult perdere prius dementat”

  7. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    Felicia Dujon’s response to the incident, relative to her making “a strong appeal for more assigned school buses,” is POLITICAL RHETORIC.

    Despite “the DLP (implementing) free transport for all students,” and the provision of a school bus service, the reality is, school children preferred method of transportation is PSVs.

    I would invite Ms Dujon to look at various bus stops on mornings, or visit the Speightstown bus terminal any even after 3pm, for example, before making silly political comments to the press.

    I’ll give an example. On mornings there are several Frederick Smith (St. James) Secondary School students at the bus stop near KFC, Black Rock. They allow ‘half empty’ school buses bearing the name of their school to bypass them, preferring instead to board ‘jam packed’ minibuses.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    Listening to Chad Blackman commenting on the incident yesterday his helplessness as a member of Cabinet was embarrassingly evident.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    It is a fervent hope that we start to confront serious national issues like education, NISSS, Crime etc in a bipartisan manner. Of course this is a wish on a prayer.

  10. David Avatar
    David

    It is amazing what appears to be the ‘calm’ in the country the day after a daylight shooting on the ABC yesterday.

  11. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    Bipartisanship in Barbados seems only to work with parochial issues, such as choosing the President.

    Ms Dujon said, “The reasons the DLP had free transport for all students was to not only get them to school, but to get them to school safely and this Government has abandoned that.”

    She should be ASHAMED for making that comment.

    Especially when one considers the DLP’s abysmal record relative to the Transport Board.

    Under their ten (10) year tenure, TB’s bus availability was significantly reduced from just over 100 buses per day to 35.

    If Dujon had said she was WILLING to WORK with both the ministers of education and transport, to conceptualise a policy that requires school children to travel on school buses only, then therein lies a “bipartisan manner.”

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    The current state of affairs require a disruption. Surely our many uni trained leaders in both government and NGO kingdoms should be able to understand?

  13. David Avatar
    David

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