Corey Lane, the minister responsible for crime prevention, has urged patience about the crime prevention strategies amid a current uptick in violent crime.
At a National Peace Programme event in Christ Church over the weekend, Lane suggested that the full impact of some initiatives may not be visible for up to 15 years. But he also likened direct interventions among warring gangs to a game of whack-a-mole, where resolving issues in one area often leads to new conflicts emerging elsewhere.
And when pressed for specifics about existing gaps in the crime prevention strategy, the minister remained cautious.
“I can’t say what those holes are. Those holes relate to intelligence and the strategic action that needs to be taken by law enforcement. I’d be totally out of place to say what those holes are.
“The real impact and measurement of the National Peace Programme – some of the programmes – you won’t be able to measure probably for the next 15 years,” Lane explained.
He cited the parent programme as an example, which currently involves 470 parents, some of whom do not yet have children. “When will you know when that part of the programme is successful? After they have children and they’re going into the teenage [years],” he said.
The minister also mentioned a programme targeting pre-primary and primary school children on emotional intelligence with consultant Tony Olton.
“We’re working with four-year-olds. When will you know that the programme is successful and impactful? We won’t know the full impact of this until these children mature,” he said.
While acknowledging the long-term nature of some initiatives, Lane highlighted programmes designed for more immediate effect. These include the Flip the Script initiative, which operates in Barbados’ 11 most vulnerable communities.
“We have change agents working, pulling out these people that are right on the brink of committing crime, and we have them in the programmes. They’re with mentors all day, all week,” Lane said.
Emphasising the importance of integrating community-based efforts with law enforcement, he added: “Crime prevention involves working closely with law enforcement, intelligence, and tactical units.”
Lane also discussed a direct intervention programme operated in partnership with NGO Inspire Leadership Solutions, which focuses on conflict resolution. The programme has successfully brought together former rivals.
“They have trained mediators,” he said. “What The Barbados Police Service has done is provide us with the homicides and suspects for the last five years. And what that group does on a full-time basis is to go and find out who has war with who and who got beef with who, and seek retaliation. I can tell you that there have been a number of successful cases, and that’s where he brought guys that were warring together at the barbecue grill. That is the pinnacle of the programme. When you give that full forgiveness and they hold a barbecue, I’ve been invited to two such barbecues so far.”
Advocating for a more comprehensive approach, Lane proposed creating a clearing house for parents and at-risk youth.
“If we have 10 000 at-risk youth in Barbados, we need a programme that can accommodate 15 000 to ensure no one is left out,” he said.
Lane favours a model focused more on therapy than traditional disciplinary measures: “We need to identify at-risk youth early and provide comprehensive support. This requires a proactive strategy rather than a reactive one.”
The minister was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the National Peace Programme’s Elevate the Peace community
pop-up and cook-off at the Wotton Hard Court, Christ Church. (RG)
