Young Dems chair urges proactive anti-crime stance

Amid a surge in violent crime, the chairperson of the Young Democrats has voiced deep concerns over the crime wave, urging measures addressing the root causes of crime, rather than reactive solutions after offences occur.

In an hour-long live social media post, Trotman lamented the loss of young men to murder, gang-related activities, migration, and imprisonment. Her call for proactive solutions aims to curb crime before it escalates to the point where legislative measures like bail act revisions become necessary.

“It saddens me deeply that we live in a country where every single day, if not every other day, you are hearing about shootings, murders, violent crimes, stabbings, and those are just the ones that we are hearing about,” Trotman said. “There are so many others that do not make it to mainstream media.”

The attorney expressed scepticism about the current administration’s strategies, highlighting their reactive nature. “I’ve heard about the establishment of a serious crime unit that’s supposed to tackle crime. I’ve heard about revisiting the bail act and making it mandatory that you spend at least 24 months in prison on remand before you are given your right to bail,” she recalled, noting similar discussions from a year ago during another crime surge.

Trotman observed that while measures such as rotating judges and fostering Caribbean cooperation have been proposed, these fall short of addressing underlying issues. “The trend continues to be reactive solutions. Meaning solutions that come into play after a crime has already been committed,” she said.

Emphasising that her perspective transcends partisan politics, Trotman said: “This is not a BLP or DLP issue. Y’all think everything is BLP or DLP. This is coming from a young person who has been around some things.”

Drawing from her legal experience, Trotman highlighted systemic issues faced by the accused. “This is coming from an attorney-at-law who has to sit down with these alleged criminals after the crime has been allegedly committed, and I have to represent them to the best of my ability,” she explained.

Trotman identified four key root causes of crime: lack of opportunity, lack of education, mental health issues, and the need for prison reform. “Where there are high poverty levels, there is high crime. Automatically guaranteed, it’s a fact. Not only in Barbados but all over the world,” she asserted.

On education, Trotman noted: “Not in the sense that we do not have free education in Barbados because we do, but because of what happens to the opportunity, and it’s not always; it’s a two-sided story.”

She stressed the importance of addressing mental health issues, which are often overlooked in society. “Mental illness is a real thing, and it is not addressed. Just like how people love to run to the doctor for every physical ailment they have, you also have mental ailments, and nobody addresses them,” Trotman said.

Regarding prison reform, Trotman emphasised its necessity in preventing recidivism. “The reformation of criminals in the system so they don’t go back,” she said. (RG)