‘Come forward’, witnesses of latest murder told
Armed officers patrolling Road Town.
An appeal is being issued to witnesses of the fatal shooting that rocked the British Virgin Islands nearly a week ago.
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) made the appeal as they continue investigations in the matter.
“Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or have any information that can assist police in identifying a possible suspect in this matter is being asked to contact the Major Crime Team at 368-9342 or the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339,” police said.
The August 10 shooting claimed the life of 25-year-old Pasea Estate resident, Jerry Castro.
‘It has to stop’
His death has moved to the newly-crowned Miss World BVI Yadali Thomas Santos to condemn the killing.
“It (these killings) just keep hitting home every time. Sometimes it’s a neighbour, sometimes it’s a friend of a friend, this time it was the brother of a classmate and it has to stop,” she said.
As local youths appear to be the subject of these murders, Santos said she has hopes of using her Beauty With A Purpose platform to help steer youth towards positive activities.
Santos’ platform of choice is ‘youth development’.
Castro, in the meantime, is the fourth murder victim in the territory since the start of the year.
The other three victims are Michael Stevens, Clevaughn Sweeney, and Trumayne Daway.
They were all killed in shooting incidents.
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Every time the police arrives on a crime scene they always chase away the witnesses
BVI police generally have a contentious aggressive relationship with the young males they meet on the bloc. Never respectful towards these guys.
Problem is, it’s these very same people that knows how the street works. They ride on them as though they already guilty and don’t take time out to build rapport or even partnerships.
If you deal with these guys fairly, many of them actually don’t mind assisting them to improve the community. But instead they act like bullies and intimidate to have their way. They refuse to acknowledge there rights, and look down on them.
So quick to arrest for simple things, when instead more value is in working with the person to solve major crime. If you rough me up and lock me up over some simple stuff am not gonna be in no mode to tell you what’s going down.
Just remember the streets knows before you get that call at the station!
That’s REAL TALK, but people don’t like the truth!!
Good observation and commentary. Perhaps the RVIPF should think about what you just stated as they interact with the community.
Hiss teeth. Lame excuse.
Stop all playing the victim. stop all bitching about UK Gov, Stop banging on a about oppression by the white man, Stop listening to bigoted religious views. Make the difference and save BVI before its too late and start being true BVI . communicate with the police, take community responcibility and do the right thing BVI. As past investor in BVI Ive had enough. I love BVI but there are better Islands now . You need to compete and it is in your hands. Clean up your island of the rubbish , crime, racism entitled attitude and corupt management of your Gov. Accept outside help with open arms and not with contempt. Without it and with your attitude BVI is going into a spiral of failure.I LOVE BVI but start really loving BVI yourselves and doing something about it.
Sometimes you have to say it just how it is!
This begins and ends with community policing. Get out of your patrol cars and walk the streets of our communities. Learn the names of the shop-keepers, the customers and local residents. Stop the “us” and “them” mentality. Lend a hand (help the elderly cross the road or the person struggling with their bags, volunteer at community events and clean-ups). Make your reassuring presence known. Earn respect, get respect and get the assistance you need to catch the criminals. (And introduce an annual fitness test and get rid of those officers who are too out of shape to actually chase down a criminal, there are too many officers who are overweight/obese).
@Jane – I herd you loud and clear. I fully endorse your comment.
heard not herd
I agree Jane! Beat policing is the brainchild of any successful force because it enhances the visibility of police to bring them closer to people on the ground. Police officers need to have a sixth sense which is built up over time by being around the people they serve, if the force doesn’t enhance this there is a chance the we risk turning officers into out-of-touch, over-educated technocrats that no longer have anything in common with the people they are policing..other than to arrest them and serve notice when a loved one has died and we are far better than that as a community.
I agree Jane but don’t get too hung up on the fitness issue of chasing crooks down it’s not that bigger an island so with community links and intelligence just go round to their house latter . That is a slightly tounge in cheek comment but it’s logical when you break it down . One of the constant arguments I hear is the police are too involved in the community to be effective and is a small place where everybody knows each over that is a problem . Address it by imbracing the close community . Have none BVI police possibly UK managing police targets . Break down the island into ar as and appoint a lower tier of local police to manage designated areas . Base community funding for projects from government on areas and those areas win additional funding when crime detection and prevention targets are met. In short community responsibility with rewards. And finally pay police better wages but in return set targets they must achieve and inact and in force codes of conduct for police officers
Thank you! So right, you are spot on! Change of approach is so badly needed!
So many good ideas right on this thread. The best way (the only way) to change someone’s behavior is to change yourself first. You can WANT community members to help solve crimes. But you have to make the members WANT to help solve crimes. Pay decent rewards to anonymous people who help get crimes solved. Look what they do in the USA. It works for them. It would work for us. I’ll guarantee you a $5K or $10k reward would put those criminals in a heap of mud. Money talks..
I believe this was because he also pass riding loud scooter at night.
So this was a warning to others