KUDOS TO COPS

By Colville Mounsey colvillemounsey@nationnews.com

Attorney General Dale Marshall is hailing a “major breakthrough” by the Barbados Police Service following the arrest of five men linked to a series of shootings, and warned about the alarming number of young men at the centre of the violence crisis.

The men, aged 18 to 43, have been slapped with a staggering 91 charges, including two counts of murder and multiple firearm-related offences, in connection with a spate of incidents that included daylight shootings at Nelson Street in Bridgetown and St Stephen’s Hill in Black Rock, St Michael.

“These are individuals who have been wreaking havoc,” Marshall told the Sunday Sun, praising the police for their relentless pursuit of justice.

“We should be grateful to the Police Service for the hard work, long hours and sacrifice that led to this success.”

According to Marshall, Barbados currently boasts a crime-solving rate of 66 per cent, well above the global average, which typically hovers between 40 and 50 per cent. He attributed this achievement to the dedication of law enforcement officers who have intensified their operational tempo, often giving up personal time to stay on the front lines.

“You don’t just wake up and solve crimes. It takes rigorous detective work, long hours and sacrifice,” he said.

“These officers have even given up one of their offdays each week to ensure the work gets done. That is not something we can take lightly.

“Some of these young men are just 18 and 19 years old. That means just two or three years ago they were in school, sitting in a classroom. Now, they are out there with high-powered weapons. That shift is happening too quickly and it should concern every Barbadian.”

Marshall said Government had consistently warned about the growing involvement of youth in violent crime and was working to strengthen social programmes aimed at prevention. However, he stressed that no Government intervention could replace the role of the family in steering children away from destructive paths.

“For the longest time, we’ve been pointing this out, yet we still have too many young men slipping through the cracks. People want to point fingers at the Attorney General, or the Government, but the Government does not raise children. Our responsibility is to put systems in place – law enforcement, social services, safety nets – but the primary responsibility lies with families and communities.

“If we are going to turn the tide, we need to get serious about the root causes. We must reach our young men before they spiral out of control and we must do it at any cost. This is not something that can be solved with policing alone.”