Police Commisioner and Deputy urge citizens to be more aggressive in fighting crime
BVI News correspondent - Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 at 8:42 AM
Deputy Commissioner of Police David Morris
Deputy Police Commissioner David Morris believes that the public needs to be more active in condemning shootings which occur in the territory.
Speaking at a police meeting held at the Sticket in Long Look, the Deputy Police Commissioner updated residents of the investigations into the shooting death of Keri Harrigan and thanked members of the public who came forward with information.
Morris also spoke about the shooting of Robert Pickering which took place at his Service Station about two weeks ago and further said it had to be done by someone living in the BVI.
“We need the support and the help of the community if we are going to deal with these types of offences. You are all aware of the shooting of Bob Pickering at the Domino Service Station. We know it is being done by a local individual on a local businessman.”
“These are not people who are coming into the territory specifically to commit crime. These types of crimes are being committed by individuals who live here and who are sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.”
“We need your help to stand up and say, ‘no more’, and that is not just for East End but the entire BVI to come forward and give us that information. I understand that it can be hard because you are giving information about people you know; people who live next to you, people you to whom you are related. But I have to ask the question, is this what you want for the BVI?”
“Do you want communities in which people come out of their day’s work to face people with guns shooting indiscriminately? There were people at that service station filling up their cars, there were other people in vehicles who could have easily been shot and that is what we are going to end up with if we don’t start saying, now this is no more,” Morris said.
Commissioner of Police Reynell Frazer
Police Commissioner Reynell Fraser speaking at the meeting also called for the support of the people in solving the crimes committed in the territory.
“I am indeed troubled as are all of you. We are in a society and a community which should be civilized. One which is God fearing for the most part. We have churches in the immediate area but yet we having killings in the same communities. The word says that we are our brothers keeper and believe it or not something must be done,” the Commissioner said.
Fraser also spoke about the number of guns ending up in the BVI and he called on the public’s support in helping the police in locating these weapons.
“Only people commit crimes and in many cases they use instruments to do so. We see where guns are used in the criminal activity happening. We don’t manufacture guns in this country, they are imported. We know that people know, young people know, older folks know something about these guns.”
“In some cases they are kept in the homes. In some cases they walk with them on the street and they hide them in places. People use guns to kill people that’s what they were made for. We do not want to live in a society where this is the way we are going to go, everybody wants to have a gun, everybody wants to use a gun on somebody for their own selfish reasons. That cannot continue,” Police Commissioner Fraser said.
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10 Comments
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if d police wud stop protectin dem friend, den we the public cud do more.
@peace,
Well stated. The writer, “Enforcement if the key” is the primary reason why crime is growing in the BVI. It astounds me that persons would choose to protect their bro’s & sis’ that need to be set straight and “face the firing squad” in order to protect all others. Honestly, I would say to the writer that he is responsible for every recent killing. He is responsible for the young man being killed executioner style on the streets of East End. He is responsible for Bob Pickering having a bullet lodged in his head. He is responsible for every murder and robbery that takes place in the BVI from this day forward!!! He is an accessory to the fact by choosing to withhold information from the police in order to protect and harbor crime. He is, by doing so, enabling criminal actions that put me and other innocent people in harms way.
I ask “Enforcement is the key” why he(she) feels the need to protect those in his family that choose to step on the wrong side of the law and be a part of activities that affect others negatively? Why is it more important to protect the “evil-doers” than the innocents? The truth is that the “bro’s and sis’” don’t care for him(her) or anyone else in the community, in society. These persons are the bully’s, thugs, lowlife criminals that deserve no protection. Look what happens to children that are never reprimanded and allowed to roam streets and do as they please with no parental guidance or schooling. These uncaring, selfish adults who want things there own way, who are too lazy to work and rather shoot off a gun to steal a few dollars and risk shooting an innocent bystander, a child perhaps; who burglar our homes for the items we worked hard to earn the money to purchase and cannot replace; who in a fit of rage or jealousy choose to take their anger out by taking a life; who take their perverted ways out sexually on our innocent children…. they DON’T NEED PROTECTING! These derelicts of society must face punishment so that they can recognize that they cannot continue to hurt people to get what they want. They need to be taught that crime does NOT pay. They need to do time for their crime and realize that being locked up in prison without the freedom to roam and touch the ones they love, is not where they want to be for the rest of their lives. If there are no penalties given as retribution for their offences then they learn that their behavior is acceptable. They learn that persons like Enforcement are weak and that they can be controlled and bullied.
Please, I beg of you all to stop protecting the thugs in your circles. One day karma may come back and bite you because you failed in your basic civic responsibilities. For those religious souls, it is equivalent to ignoring Gods basic laws. If crime continues to grow, which it will with this common attitude, someday a rogue “bad seed” from outside your circle, who has been ignored and protected by his “bro’s and sis’” will come strolling into your circle of friends…hopefully his crime is not to take a life of one of your loved ones.
@Change of Attititude is Desperately Needed, I completely agree with you – that is why I wrote in the vein of apathy from the 2nd person narrative. For too long BVI Islanders protect each other and do not talk to the police when they should. Facing the firing squad means police, whereby the street squad means the East End/Bellevue Posse’s. The jist of my comment was; “Start enforcing from the Upper Echelons Gov’t and Police and the people will then not be so afraid to speak up”.
Got me now? Peace out!
Agreed the community should unite against the criminal bullies in our society but the plea for help falls flat when policing fails from within. How can it be right that businesses should be paying cash to individual policemen in uniform for night time protection and security? What is behind the refusal to investigate individuals who have been identified as perpetrators of crime? It seems that it’s not just the one blind eye but two that are being turned here. Something stinks and it’s not the sewage . . .
it is obvious that these people bring in these firearms by boat, think of it to be exact, when people sleeping they out their on speed boat all 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning bringing them in and the police dont have the thought of that. Oh well… do what you guys can do..
@hmm,
i agree with hmmmm alot of illegal stuff coming in on them speed boat.
@hmm,
I said years ago that the police need to watch for those purchasing the glow sticks from the local stores. These are what you see on the boats coming into CGB late at night under the cloud of dark. We all are witnesses to the cars pulling in, the boat coming in, the glow stick alight, the cars departing and the boat speeding off. I mentioned it to the local police years ago, stating it was obvious they were bringing in some kind of contrabande. The police shrugged and said people need to make a living. Really, if the police ignore it, how will it ever be stopped?
Come on people of the BVI, stand up and be counted, keep this beautiful Island safe to live in and around. If you do nothing you only have yourselves to blame. Look at the rest of the Caribbean, do you want to live like this?
Protecting your child or relative who has done wrong is not the way forward, think of the lives he or she has destroyed.
COMMISSIONER: Please help us to do what is right. We don’t really want to put our bro’s & sis’ to face the firing squad. On top of that, IF we were to do it, we would face the street squad and so we are apethetic and do nothing. We like to get away with our ways because it has been allowed to go on for so long. With no enforcement we are free to do what and when we choose. The poilce feel it and know it is about our elected officials and leaders to enforce the action plan and we will follow.
@Enforcement is Key,
Follow like sheep, for once in your life be the Sheppard. Stand up to the thugs, the cowards that hold guns. In my day a fist fight sorted out problems, back then the strong survived, nowadays the weak freak with the gun is ruling the streets.
The BVI is in a sorry state and until you the people stand up to it instead of blaming everyone but yourselves it will not get any better, the police are powerless without your help.
He who takes a life does not deserve to live their own.
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