One bloody week; it’s time for less talk and more action

While our neighbouring countries are busy picking up the pieces due to the destruction and aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Barbadian homes and families have been shattered by senseless killings.

For the past four days Bajan families and friends have been plunged into mourning following brutal and bloody acts of violence.

On Monday after several shots rang out in the 1st Avenue, Forde’s Road, Clapham, St Michael area, the body of a young man was discovered.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. The victim was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in a private vehicle but was pronounced dead on arrival.

On Tuesday, pregnant 20-year-old Joanna Ariella Safia Branch of Hopewell, Christ Church was found deceased with several wounds to her body in a house at Work Hall, St Philip.

Assistant Superintendent Carolyn Blackman-Alleyne, in charge of operations in the Southern Division, said officers responded to a call from ambulance personnel at approximately 3:40 p.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered the motionless body of a female, ASP Blackman-Alleyne said.

Authorities took a person of interest into custody in connection with the incident. However, no further details about the suspect or their relationship to the victim have been released.

On Wednesday, a 48-year-old man was chopped to death with a cutlass in Little Diamond, St Elizabeth, St Joseph.

Deputy Divisional Commander for the Northern Division Acting Superintendent Roland Cobbler reported on the incident.

“Our preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased was involved in an altercation with another man. He received several chops to his body and succumbed to his injuries. Our investigations are continuing into this matter,” Cobbler said.

The loss of lives this week is enough to describe the situation as alarming. Without intending to cause alarm or to be sensational, as media houses are often accused of, the recent murders should cause all right-thinking persons to sit up straight.

There is no other accurate way to paint a picture of the current state of affairs than for an island, with such a small population, to record one murder a day back-to-back.

Barbados continues to struggle with violent crime amid a Government-sanctioned truce between warring gangs. The success or failure of the National Peace Programme continues to be a hot topic each time someone dies during gunplay.

On the first anniversary last month the programme’s director Alison Roach Plummer insists that the initiative has empowered 1 000 young men and women to be more positive and productive citizens.

“Community engagement has picked up significantly from before. In the past when there was all of the shootings and the violence, people were not keen to come out of their houses. We didn’t have young people who were engaged in wholesome, meaningful engagements. They were no longer coming out to see family members. A lot of things were buttoned down,” Plummer explained.

However, on the other hand, Opposition Senator Ryan Walters urged Government to carry out analysis to determine if the programme is indeed reaching the intended objectives.

“What we need are the actual results of the programme after a year. It would be interesting also to see if there will be any adjustments going forward … tweaks to make it better. Has the goal been met? They have told us that it will reduce crime, that is their position. Has it reduced crime? How has it reduced crime? We need some sort of analysis because of the relationship that the Government has placed between the peace programme and actually solving crime. According to them, that has been the basis of the formation of the programme”, the senator said.

While there has been much talk, and rightly so about gun violence, the cause of death in two most recent incidents are not due to gunplay. While we tend to equate gun violence with the block culture as we continually lament the younger generation, we should pause and ask ourselves: Where do we go from here?

So much emphasis has been placed on the gun, how do we start to analyse the brutal stabbings and slayings? Is there a larger issue at play? It is about the basic lack of care for each other? Have we generally lost respect and regard for human life? Does our justice system play the vital role it should in curtailing crime?

At this stage, and without knowing what lies ahead tomorrow or over the weekend as it relates to crime, what is clear is that commentary, asking questions, and Peace Programmes are not enough.

When those in authority set about to tackle the scourge, action must be at the forefront. Action by the lawmakers in Parliament, action by the police to enforce the law, action by the legal system to carry out the law, action by the judiciary to adjudicate, action by the average Bajan to be individual peacekeepers. At this critical juncture it is time for less talk and more action.