Activists back anti-gang law, warn of risks to innocent residents

Two community activists who work with at-risk youth and gang members have backed the new anti-gang legislation, while cautioning that safeguards must be in place to protect innocent residents living in communities often associated with criminal activity.

For former Chapman Lane block leader Winston Iston Bull Branch and Roger Husbands, a youth activist, criminologist and founder of Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS), the new law represents an important step in addressing gang activity. 

But they both insisted that enforcement alone will not solve the problem without addressing the social and economic conditions that continue to draw young people into gangs.

The Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Act was necessary given the growing involvement of young people in gangs and violent crime, said Branch.

The legislation, passed last week in Parliament, criminalises gang membership, recruitment and financing, while introducing mandatory minimum sentences for gang-related offences. It also expands police powers, allows for witness anonymity and strengthens civil asset recovery measures.

Branch said many of the social issues driving gang involvement begin in the home.

“We see a lot of men that capitulate with one another with this foolishness and can’t go no further than where they are right now,” he said. “A lot of things were missing from the home. A lot of children born before the mother and father could even think about raising them. The mother and father splitting up causes a lot of pressure too.”

He also criticised the education system, which he said left struggling students behind, with many young people leaving school without adequate literacy or numeracy skills and eventually turning to the streets.

Branch argued that opportunities for honest work exist, but many young men refuse to take advantage of them.

“A lot of them do not want to work,” he said. “I do construction and they didn’t even want to learn the trades, far less the labour work. If you look around, you’ll see a lot of foreign nationals doing the labour work and learning the trades.”

As a result, he said, many young men end up spending their days liming on blocks, unaware that only a select few will ever rise to leadership positions within criminal organisations.

“The rest now will become foot soldiers,” Branch said.

He added that the dynamics of gangs have changed over time, with younger members who have access to firearms often acting independently rather than following instructions from senior figures.

Despite supporting the legislation, Branch warned that law-abiding people in communities commonly associated with crime could become unintended casualties of enforcement efforts.

“The only thing now with the anti-gang is that innocent people are going to get hurt,” he said. “When a man goes to work for eight hours and comes home and still wants to relax, it’s in certain areas that are branded. But that is not true. The majority of the people just want to enjoy their area, live cool, lime by a shop and talk.”

Husbands described the anti-gang law as a necessary response.

“I understand that persons in Barbados might feel targeted being around a certain person,” Husbands said. “But based upon the legislation, I think there will be a period of investigation.”

He acknowledged concerns that some people could be wrongly suspected because of their clothing, appearance or association with others, but expressed confidence that investigations would help distinguish between gang members and innocent individuals.

Husbands also called for support programmes to accompany enforcement measures, arguing that rehabilitation and intervention must form part of the national response.

“I think what we need to do is create anti-gang support groups,” he said. “Persons identified as gangsters should be placed in support groups where they can receive therapy, assistance, lessons and skills training to help them avoid becoming involved.”

According to Husbands, many young people attracted to gangs are searching for identity, belonging and purpose, particularly if they have struggled academically or are uncertain about their future.

Drawing on his own research, he said gang membership often comes with financial obligations that push young recruits into crime.

“In one of my findings, each of these gangsters or these boys have to find a certain amount of money to produce as their commitment to the group,” he said. “When you see youngsters robbing during daylight, they’re robbing because they have to get their quota.”

He warned that some young men are committing increasingly brazen crimes simply to maintain their standing within criminal groups and ensure their survival within those circles.

 

(SB)