BVI crime problems aren’t unique, says UK Minister
Minister Mike Freer from the UK Justice Ministry has stated that the crime challenges in the BVI are not unique, adding that the territory must work with Britain to handle them.
Minister Freer visited the BVI between November 5 and 7 to get an understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the BVI justice system, and to identify areas for further partnership with the UK.
In particular, the minister said the UK is committed to offering more support to assist His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) at Balsum Ghut, which has had some serious security breaches in recent times.
“I am grateful for the warm welcome I have received in the BVI. The challenges that law enforcement agencies face are not unique, and we must work in partnership to deal with them. The UK Ministry of Justice is committed to supporting HMP Balsam Ghut. Over the past 12 months, we have provided training, personnel support, and equipment,” Minister Freer said.
On Monday, Minister Freer met the Premier, Dr Natalio Wheatley, and discussed overcrowding in the prison and the rehabilitation of offenders. He then visited HMP Balsam Ghut with the Minister for Health & Social Development, Vincent Wheatley, to see the facilities and hear from prison staff.
Minister Freer also met the Commissioner of Police, Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Prison Superintendent and members of the judiciary.
On Tuesday, Minister Freer visited the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Marine Unit to see the UK-funded Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs). There, he learned about the challenges in dealing with drug and gun trafficking due to the BVI’s porous borders.
Minister Freer was part of a UK delegation that was invited to offer support to local law enforcement agencies amid a spike in serious crimes. While the delegation was here, the community was rocked by another murder – 26-year-old Julio Rivera – who was gunned down on the morning of November 6.
Though the territory’s murder count is fewer than 10 so far this year, residents continue to express concern about the spike in shootings and burglaries that have been plaguing the community. The police say they are doing their best and continue to appeal for more residents to come forward with information about crimes in their communities.
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it’s not unique because one of yours who doesn’t know what he is doing is running the force. The question has to be answered how this place got so overruned with drugs for the past 10 years.
And rumors are it’s not locals who running the show. These people are allowed by authorities to come in and set up shop like nothing. It’s the source for 99& of the violent crime. Meanwhile stations are been closed and officers are hardly seen.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE PERPETRATORS ARE KNOWN BY THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND ITS KEPT A SECRET EVEN THOSE WHO GETS CONVICTED ARE GIVEN A TAP ON THEIR SHOULDER AND ARE THEN RELEASED AND TOLD TO ( GO AND SIN NO MORE ) EVEN WHEN THEY COMMIT THE SAME OFFENCE , OVER & OVER , SO WE ARE ONLY GOING IN CIRCLES , THE SO CALLED JUSTICE SYSTEM IS ONLY A NAME . WE ALL KNOW THAT
I hope he was taken to see the barges.
Let’s hope that the Minister also discussed the equality issues with this backward BVI Government, since he is happily married to a man.
fiya
What, may I ask, is this minister’s experience of the BVI? If he had the slightest clue, he would know that the problems are completely unique to the BVI, especially where we have soo many UK officers on payroll and a UK commissioner of police. Try again. What is not unique is the politicians thieving people money, flying all over the darn place then taking photo while their only accomplishment is having young people cut bush. Foolishness!
Two victims shaking hands lgbq…binary whatever and a pan Africanists..so woke its cute.love it
Sorry Minister the smuggling crimes in the BVI are unique due to the close proximity of the USVI and PR. Simply all the indictable crimes in the BVI are directly related to smuggling.
However he is correct that support from the UK will eventually stop the smuggling.
Suddenly everything is in partnership with the UK, you all missing it again. Check the big picture. Partnership = take over!!
Barges..lordo DA father know bout importing sand from Guyana..de old needle in the haystack trick..worked great before folks took notice.no longer
As the crime problems are not unique, let’s just embrace them and move on with our lives. Brilliant.
I’ve seen many lemurs,but never one in a blue suit lol google what a lemur looks like.
Why not talk about education and programs to help the root cause of the problem
Money to help young parents with programs on parenting skills
Money to send young people to train as counselors in the UK
Money to train
young preschoolers administrators with day care to help mould yiung minds
See where tge money going at the Prision
Not solutions
When the acts are already committed
Our Black leaders because of greed and self wealth is not making it bettetv
I saw a comment on the other news site where some asked why the Deputy Premier have to accompany the Premier on Fridays trip to the UK. PLAIN AND SIMPLE, 1. She have to babysit him. 2. To keep him in line. 3.No flying and P on this trip. 4.No laying up in first class seats this time. 5. No five star accommodations this time.
12 murders in 10 months. In a 30 thousand population. U right its unique. Its 0ne out of every 15 hundred people getting murdered..sit and ponder and imagine that..
Sharp suit, Big smile, Look at me!
Look at that smile. He’s so happy to hear that he’s not the only leader screwing things up.
Salt Fish, out of all the comments here has postulated the only sensible solution to the problem.
1) UK’s representative thoughts and solutions are still stuck in 1200’s and colonialist method of keeping the island on the cutting edge of modernity.
Included within the post and speeches are commitments to economic, infrastructural, educational and sociological development, in order to keep a Black population in order.
In truth, since the beginning of colonialisation of lands, seas, people and resources, building and maintaining the prison has been the only UK policy from then until present day.
That policy, to this day, is influenced and sustained primarily and directly by prejudices, racism and hatreds for human color, the Blacks race. To deny those truths are to deny the availability of oxygen in the atmosphere.
If truth is to be told, no “Overseas Territorial” policy of the colonializing UK has ever contributed any tools toward the BVI, or other “Overseas Territorial” countries that have contributed to the growth and development of the country that world have led any of those into the 21st century with all the elements of modernity..
Instead, since the colonial era, all that history has illustrated are prisons; and in the modern era, interference into and policing of the financial Industry and the creation of a modern day slave whip in the form of a document referred to as a The Order of Council. Which is to whip the so called subjects into shape by relieving them of their legal democratic, human, sovereign, economic and living life rights.
No one should have to think along those terms where one’s freedom, future, human rights, economic, general means and ways of living and existing are always under treat by a force that has no modern legitimate rights, beyond colonial prerogative, privilege and entitlement.
Otherwise, the UK has no legitimate birthright claims to these or any other islands. If so, why has it not yet reclaimed India and others as its own?
The BVI will have to make the ultimate decision towards full freedom and self-determination and individual sovereignty sooner or later.
Nothing last forever, even rocks are worn down over millennia. So to will the notion of European supremacy over lands seas, and resources.
Crime was not as high as it is now when I was on the force. Evidence did not go missing and we the force did not get cases for putting our hands on the countries youth. I left to chase a more majestic life.
BVI is regularly amongst the top ten countries in the world with the highest % of its population imprisoned . Ridiculous
And, the USA and England/UK are the top two countries in the world that have the highest percentage of incarcerated (racially motivated) Black women and men in the world, all due to institutionalized and personal racism.
In thos countries, racism against the Black man is abusiness.
Which is worst “Incarceration ratio?”
Hypocrisy of all kinds always smells worst than an out house!!
Prayers for
MERRICK Aries