Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Lynette Eastmond is charging that Government needs to do more to find the causes of gun violence in Barbados.
“We have to try and look and see what the underlying causes are for the rise in crime in Barbados. I think that is what we have to do. We have to look at the causes and as a nation we have to decide how we wish to live. There are some Barbadians who would have said for decades that ‘Barbados would become a place where people would run around shooting people’ and therefore it has come to pass,” Eastmond told Barbados TODAY.
Her comments come on the heels of the shooting death of 42-year-old Daryl Harris who was shot and killed yesterday morning at his Barbarees Hill, St Michael residence bringing gun-associated deaths by guns to three so far for the year.
The UPP leader said that Barbados has to decide what kind of nation it wants to be.
“Are we going to be a peaceful non-violent country, or are we always going to be winking at things that are making it more unsafe for people to just walk around. There is the possibility of walking into Bridgetown and getting shot. It was not like that before, we do not have to live like that,” she said, adding that gun violence in Barbados is a societal problem which cannot be solved solely by an increase in legislation.
“We probably have more murders than some developed countries. So, I think we have to look at what the underlying cause is and the underlying cause is not going to be found by implementing more legislation. We are just looking at the symptoms of what is a real severe underlying problem in the country.
“I think we need to do the difficult things. We have become a people who want to do the easy things. It is easy to lock up people, it is easy to hang them I guess. It is easy if you have possession of a gun you lock away that person for 25 years. But where do they get that gun from because we do not manufacture them here,” Eastmond said.
The practicing attorney and former government minister said Barbadians needed to put an end to the persons who were enabling others to commit gun crimes and the government needed to go after those ‘further up the food chain’.
In fact, Eastmond echoed the comments of Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith who last year charged that there was intelligence that indicated that guns were entering the island through ports of call.
The UPP leader said there should be a shift of port workers at the ports of entry every six months to discourage corrupt practices.
“When you have people working in sensitive areas as a matter of policy you should shift them around. If you implement it as a policy no one would feel as though you are attacking them. They find a way of circulating people so that they do not become entrenched and persons begin to know them,” she said.
Eastmond also charged said that persons working in all areas including lawyers, doctors and the police had become “slack” and desperately needed to improve.
“We are not following the highest standards anymore. In Barbados from top to bottom, from east to west, everybody needs to improve the delivery of service. We have become slack, everybody,” she charged.
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“…gun violence in Barbados is a societal problem which cannot be solved solely by an increase in legislation.”
Tough legislation or more laws do not address the root causes of the “gun violence” problem. It just satisfies the “lockup-and-throw-away-the-key”, “flog-them-in-public” and “hang-them-high” brigade that punitive measures are on the Statute books. When we impose all these punishments and the problem still exists, what next? One Brasstacks caller even suggested cutting off the fingers of shooters as a deterrent to others.
The reality shows that when accused persons reach the courts, they are either placed on remand for an extraordinary length of time, granted bail (now on production of a new address in a another parish) or the case is not heard for the next five or more years. In other words, the judicial system is in shambles.
While every killing by the gun is shocking and instills fear in Barbadians, a brazen shooting today does not mean that violence is any worse than before. People who dislike empirical data or facts will continue to “shoot from the lip” (no pun intended) because it suits their purpose, whatever that may be. What does the latest police statistics say about serious crime on the island? The following is an extract from the “Crime down” article in Barbados Today on November 24, 2018:
The crime mix of offences remains predominantly as offences against the person and offences against property. From that mix we have seen DECREASES in what we call major crime . . . murder, robbery, rape, aggravated robbery, theft from the person and commercial burglaries,” acting Commissioner [Erwin] Boyce announced, flanked by his senior officers.
The statistics also reveal that there have been four fewer murders than last year. Boyce told reporters that to date, 24 people have been murdered (28 for all of 2018 — the same as the previous year). With respect to robberies, these are down by two, while aggravated burglaries are seven fewer than this time last year.
“The other crimes are showing a three per cent decrease when compared with the same period in 2017. If you look at drug-related crimes, assaults with intent, assaults occasioning actual bodily harm . . . we are seeing figures of 5,551 in 2017 against 5,349 in 2018,” he added.
The top cop said that in their efforts to rid the country of illegal firearms, the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) has been able to recover 69 compared to 73 last year.
Boyce said crimes which involved the use of guns have also seen a LARGE DECREASE this year (2018).
“We are registering 166 firearms-enabled crime as compared with 245 for the period last year. Firearm-enabled crimes includes murder, robbery, assault with intent to rob, aggravated robbery, endangering life and shooting with intent,” he disclosed.
So for all the hype about gun crime, the evidence shows that as at November last year, major crime was down versus 2017. We must therefore ask ourselves, what is an “acceptable” level of gun violence than can be tolerated since it is unrealistic to expect total eradication? We would all agree that one killing or shooting is too many.
The proverbial elephant in the room rests with those who benefit financially from the illicit trade of guns and drugs, reportedly aided and abetted by persons in “high” places. Hence there is a proliferation of more illegal guns in the hands of thugs than 25 years ago and genocide of young Black men on the streets. Anyone who wants a firearm in Barbados can get one. And with bail for gun crimes so easily handed out by judges and trials taking in excess of five years to be heard, criminals are emboldened more than ever and making a mockery of the system.
People know what is going on and who are the major players in the illegal business, but the network is so tightly woven that law enforcement concentrates its efforts on getting guns “off the streets” and not at the points of entry. Such tactics will only see the arrest of a few poor, uneducated and knotty-haired fellas from largely impoverished neighborhoods. Even the Commissioner of Police is on record stating that illegal guns and drugs enter Barbados via “legitimate ports of entry”.
Once certain people with influence benefit from an activity or system, do not expect for there to be any significant changes in the short- to medium-term. What you will get is a lot of “long-talk” by officials, cloaked in eloquent speeches that are filled with posturing and platitudes. In other words, more “window dressing” of the issue.
Lynette Eastmond has now joined the bandwagon like the rest of us who talk ad nauseam about the gun violence on the island. She too, like everyone else who suffers from “implementation deficit disorder”, is complaining about the problem at hand without a clue what must be done to bring it under control.
Liz Thompson wants throwing in jail for treason.
Everyone remembers that nasty article that appeared in the British Daily Telegraph on March 15th, 2018 entitled “The stench of economic decay is overwhelming Barbados. It was written by Business Editor, Julia Bradshaw who I believe is a friend of Liz. Shame on the former Barbados government Minister.
Barbadians, playing the blame game will not solve the gun/crime situation in Barbados. Those in authority need to do what is right: act fairly with those who are responsible for breaking the law, whether they are black, white, red or yellow: whether they are rich or poor. Young black people are thrown in jail for minor offenses while privileged persons are given a slap on the wrist with a smile. We must show our young people that we are fair in our judgments otherwise the crime situation will get worst.
Got to admit she makes some good points like catching those high up the food chain the real importers of weapons,block cats just using them.
For some unknown reason, crime in Barbados is being treated as a strictly Law and Order issue.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/24/violent-crime-cured-rather-than-punished-scottish-violence-reduction-unit
Why do you think that WHITE BAJANS AND INDIAN MUSLIMS dont do any of the shooting???
They have too much to gain!!!!
Dope sales and gun Sales keep them smiling all the way to the Bank. Million dollar houses they live in, million dollars yachts in the Careenage, driving the latest v8 Mercedes Benz, free gas and free diesel, loads of money in their pockets. Playing 18 hole golf at Sandy Lane. Best to eat, best to drink.
On the other hand the people who make up 97% of the population of Barbados sucking salt. Bitter, angry, disenchanted, disillusion, cruel, living in the worst houses imaginable, hardly have anything to eat, can barely buy a bicycle. Targeted by the WHITE BAJAN AND INDIAN MUSLIMS Barbados Private sector to buy all the RUM , BEERS, BRANDY, VODKA, they have to sell and get drunk and useless.
They have to stand idly by and watch all the minority races in Barbados reap all the sweet. BLACK BARBADIAN POLITICIANS absolutely no help to them. They work on the behalf of the minority races of Barbados.
Lynette you are one of the only people making sense.
The WHITE BAJANS and the INDIAN MUSLIMS weren’t doing the SHOOTINGS during the period 2008 t0 2018 EITHER….why do YOU think so?…too much was GAINED.
Those people who make up 97% of the population up were TARGETED then by the WHITE BAJAN AND INDIAN MUSLIMS Barbados Private sector to buy all the RUM , BEERS, BRANDY, VODKA, they have to sell and get drunk and useless.
They had to stand idly by and watch all the minority races in Barbados reap all the sweet.
BLACK BARBADIAN DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY POLITICIANS were absolutely of no help to them then and that JERK one CARSON C CADOGAN getting on as though that started after MAY 24th 2018
Well she is not saying anything new.. and it has more to do than legislation, but we need to start with the home first and look at things absent of father figures,community involvement.We also need to look at our schools which tell our young children they are failures when they do not go to our top schools because everyone is not academically incline but more technical which means our schools needs to geared some of their programs to the children in this area.There need to be more mentor ship in our society to give back to the communities they came from to help many of our young men and women to go on the right path.Our churches also need to help returned to the communities and help with many vulnerable young people and give them direction.The court system must stop making first offenders hard earned criminals but give these young men a second chance through many of the government institutions that can offer assistance.The time has come for everyone to put their hand to the plow and stop pointing fingers because soon no one will be immune from the crime wave that reaping havoc in our communities.The time to act is now and not to score political points or point fingers but society,government,churches, the home need to all work together for the betterment of Barbados.
Lynette you r wasting time. I am seeing a political trend where the people who talk a little sense r the ones who r either in opposition or on a back bench sitting somewhere. U Lynette, franklyn,
atherley etc. Pure foolery of the masses.
And the ones in the hot chair ain’t saying or doing anything. This can only be a set up.
Unemployment breed gangsters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cGgFdtCRBQ
Currently the entire earth is being deceived by him. Why is it that black people r bearing the Brunt of the problems? Lke the sick child of the earth? Is it because blacks r more vulnerable? OR is it because we r the only race of people who have been given a ready made jacket of systems mimicking another race of people like a twin.
The very first priority is to remove the guns, and all of those people who are responsible for the importation of these weapons ,as well as those who facilitate the entry of.
Then any other number can play. Lets stop spinning top in mud over this issue.
If it is the opinion of those in charge that our police force does not have the necessary experience to deal with this matter of this magnitude, let’s bring in outside assistance from TTPS, JCF or the PSNI .
HARRY TURNOVER
The WHITE BAJANS and the INDIAN MUSLIMS weren’t doing the SHOOTINGS during the period 2008 t0 2018 EITHER….why do YOU think so?…too much was GAINED.
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I do not know about the Muslims, but the white Bajans have been doing their share of shooting, all be it in a different form, at their almost exclusive gun and Clay pigeon clubs. While we are so busy in the ghettos decimating ourselves , these people with what amounts a private army, are making preparation for the day, if ever, the 26/27 of July 1937 is revisited,or as we have seen in the past,if one of their own is deemed by them to be in trouble.