Crime surge linked to economic inequality in BVI?
Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn has linked the rising crime rates in the BVI to economic challenges, emphasising the importance of tackling unemployment and inequality to address the issue.
During a recent press conference, Penn expressed concern about the increasing number of young men committing crimes. He highlighted a direct connection between economic inequality and the surge in violence, particularly gun crimes.
“There is a direct correlation in terms of economic inequality and crime,” Penn said while pointing to unemployment as a significant factor. Penn revealed that many young people in his district struggle to find jobs, whether in government, the private sector, or programmes such as the government’s RATED initiative.
He underscored that the current economic stagnation exacerbates the issue, as underemployment and poverty create fertile ground for crime. In 2023, the government failed to spend over $50 million of its capital expenditure, funds that Penn argued could have revitalised the economy and created opportunities.
“In 2023, we had over 50-plus million dollars unspent of capital expenditure that should have gone to develop the local economy,” Penn noted.
He insisted that the government must work to improve its resource management capacity and create better strategies for spending on capital projects. “I am seeing in my constituency things that I’ve never seen before,” Penn remarked. “Persons of middle age and certain age groups now are in difficult situations, find themselves in places where they’ve never been ever before. The government is not doing a good enough job of managing the resources that the country has at its disposal.”
According to Penn, the entire economy in the territory will struggle because of the lack of economic flow into the economy. “The government is a big provider of the BVI’s economy, over $400+ million. If that’s not going into the economy, it’s going to have an impact on the social fabric and on crime,” he added.
The issue of crime has taken a toll on local communities, with residents increasingly alarmed by incidents of gun violence. The tragic shooting of a 20-year-old man in Purcell Estate was among the incidents Penn referred to as examples of a worsening problem. Penn also criticised the government for failing to develop a comprehensive crime strategy.
He called for an inclusive approach to address the issue, advocating for a National Security Council that involves opposition members, civic organisations, and social groups. “I’ve asked for us to expand the National Security Council… where all of us can put our heads together to develop a comprehensive approach to address the issue of crime in our territory,” he said.
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The surge is crime is a result of a belief that the DPP is so incompetent that it is worth the risk of being caught and prosecuted – virtually everybody is acquitted because of her lack of competence.
Why are you putting this on the DPP only? Is she having these wannabe gangsters and encouraging them in crime? Why aren’t you blaming those who know about the crimes but refused to cooperate with authorities and allow these hooligans to run wild?
@Happy is correct. Whilst there is a civic ‘duty’ to report lawbreakers to the authorities, there is no legal obligation.
However, the DPP has legal obligations – but does not seem capable of fulling those obligations.
I suspect that most law abiding citizens are in despair – there is no point in reporting crime because the DPP does not seem capable of securing a conviction.
Park a British Navy Ship in our waters, and let the UK military police patrol our streets and see how much crime will decrease.
lol in other high crime areas they could park a tank and CCTV’s in that community and that wouldn’t deter crime.
The BVI is not a high crime area. It is a low crime area compared to other places even with all the cocaine that smuggles thru here.
Give the opportunity for gangs to grow and they will. The youth are astray, and they are not afraid of their friends in the RVIPF. UK military is not the same. Kill the gang while its young.
They never post the pics and the public does not know who got arrested with 200 rounds of ammo avoid when they get out. When they get arrested in the USVI the picture is up.
No it’s not economic inequality it’s you turning a blind eye on the drug trade and illegal guns in your district. You are a part of the problem sneaky Smurf. Pigs will be pigs.
Having a hardly functioning high school for so many years after Irma has contributed to this; along with the examples of lawlessness from people like Andrew Fahie.
Now there are guns everywhere. It is very hard to see how we can come back from this.
crime in the BVI due to steady decrease in economic activity. The successful crackdown on smuggling just shows how many people in the BVI were dependent on this crime and are now economically suffering.
“The government is a big provider of the BVI’s economy,… .” And therein lies the problem.
In today’s economy, any sociologist will posit that, there is a direct correlation between unequal distribution of societal wealth, jobs and crime.
Any contrary opinions of the issue are just that, contrary none sense.
Therefore, the disadvantaged and left out will seek any alternative to feed and support itsekf.
No fly over the moon science, just plain common sense.
How much does an elected politician make? Something like $ 6k/month + allowances. Minimum wage (after hike goes through) barely $ 1,300. No allowances.
People struggle to find jobs. Why?
1. Lack of marketable or useful skills
2. Lack of understanding that you got to pay your dues
3. Lack of motivation
4. Communication skills
5. Lack of opportunity. BVis is a difficult place to do business in
And, as Capitalist who… points out, govt is major employer of Belongers. Too many, as studies have shown.
Not really if y’all interact with the youths that got arrested and see who them parents are everything adds up.
Them actually don’t care to get a job a finish school they in love with the street life and crime lifestyle . It’s like the hippiest thing to do for them.
Includes females as well chasing those same type of dudes. Rinse and repeat.
But I still don’t deny that our economic difference is getting bigger and dividing the middle class and upper even more
People don’t want to work. They want money fast and easy. Plus we live in a society that glorifies the dollar. The dollar is king and anything to get the dollar right? Legal or not
The new and c revised BVI was and continues to be built by the massive importation and installation of criminals and those of criminal proclivuty,DNA,culture. Directly from countries with the highest crime currently past and present with the distinction of being the highest crime and crime producing in the Northern hemisphere. At least two of those countries are in the top10 of the World. Thus is glaringly obvious as 99% of criminals in these USVI and BVI originates directly or arechildren of those from the
offending countries. Most of the UzsVzi gained access via the deliberately unmanned and open borders of these BVI.
This effort of crime is ok,has been in my guess,a means to enable some BVIslanders such as Gov elected members themselves and other locals to participate in the illicit drug trade, almost undercover. The USVI drug crime and criminals are arrivals via the borders of these BVI and indeed conduct dual business here and also there and even Puero Rico. We know this. The hushed hushed and failure to publicly identify apprehended criminals by name and photo,including deportees suggests a triage of crime criminals as an industry in these BVI. So obvious it has become a comedic tragedy.
the BVI police and media enables wide open network.
facts are, the drugs, cocaine and others, that cross these waters are not meant for BVI consumption, but are bought and paid for by Europe, United Kingdom and America, the countries with the huge noses and bank accounts.
The smoke screen that BVI is a drug cartel of destination point is a farse and a distraction designed to continue hidding the actual facts and making the real dirty look clean.
When the politicians own clubs and so forth..promote street life..role models?
Why not just say greed?…Inequality is something totally different.