Firearm-linked robberies fuel crime shift

Robberies are emerging as one of Barbados’ most pressing crime concerns, with new data showing they account for an increasingly large share of major offences.

Senior Research Analyst with the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit (CJRPU) Kirt Goodridge said the trend was particularly worrying because of the increase in firearm-related robberies, even as overall crime levels remained relatively stable.

Speaking during Tuesday’s online programme, IN FOCUS | Crime Trends 2026: Tracking Criminal Activity & Justice Issues in Barbados, Goodridge said 490 major crimes were recorded across the first three quarters of the year, with quarterly figures showing little variation.

What changed, however, was the makeup of those crimes.

Robberies accounted for 41 per cent of the 170 major crimes recorded between January and March. That rose to 49 per cent of the 160 crimes recorded between April and June before increasing to 52 per cent during the July to September period.

“We’ve seen the crime trends being the same as last year. However, what has jumped out is the composition of crimes,” Goodridge said.

“While the crimes have remained steady compared to the same levels as last year, there’s been a significant increase in robberies and firearm-related robberies.”

The increase came against the backdrop of declines in some of the island’s most serious violent crimes.

Murders fell from 14 in the first quarter to 13 in the second before dropping to seven in the third quarter while serious bodily harm cases decreased from 55 to 39 and then 33 over the same period.

Goodridge said those figures suggested that efforts to reduce violent crime were having some effect but warned that the rise in robberies remained troubling.

He also pointed to the continued role of guns in deadly crimes, noting that firearms were used in more than half of all murders recorded during each quarter.

In the first quarter, 79 per cent of murders involved firearms. That figure rose to 92 per cent in the second quarter before falling to 57 per cent in the third.

“Firearms continue to be the predominant weapon of choice,” he said.

While firearm use in murders declined during the third quarter, Goodridge noted an increase in killings involving knives and cutlasses, suggesting that conflicts were continuing to escalate into serious violence.

“The proliferation of firearms has significantly increased this year,” he said.

Drawing on research among prison inmates, Goodridge said many offenders indicated that obtaining a firearm was easier than many people might expect.

He said interviewees were often reluctant to explain how they obtained weapons but consistently suggested that access was relatively straightforward.

Recalling conversations with repeat offenders, Goodridge spoke of what he described as a troubling pattern.

“We’ve spoken to persons who have been arrested several times… [and] arrested for a gun charge, and [they] have a gun within a week of [getting] out,” he said.

He said the findings raised important questions about the availability of illegal firearms and the challenge of preventing repeat offenders from quickly rearming after their release.

(SB)