Premier calls for community-based solution to crime
Following last night’s murder of Le’Shaughn Smith, — the second homicide victim in the BVI for 2022, Premier Andrew Fahie made an impassioned plea to the public to not only assist the police but to also look at a more community-based approach to solving disputes.
Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Fahie said his government denounces all forms of violence and people need to understand there are different ways to settle disputes aside from violence.
He also said each person in the community has a role to play in raising awareness about criminal activities happening.
“We have so many good parents raising their children and going well but we can’t turn a blind eye to anyone that’s not doing that with theirs. We have to understand now as a society that each parent must do even a more direct job with their children,” Fahie said.
“We are a Christian community, but we are drifting from it. More and more we see some people going to church and getting into their religion, but the child is home. The parent who already has a foundation is getting more and more and the child is getting none. We cannot turn a blind eye that as a society we drop our value,” he added.
Fahie said regardless of which government is in power, they cannot stop someone from committing a violent crime. He noted the burden cannot be laid only on the police force and the Director of Public Prosecution’s Office.
The Premier said each citizen has to say ‘enough is enough’ and hold young men more accountable regarding whereabouts just as they do with young women.
Fahie said his government will continue to put strategies in place to help fight the growing issues. He said the Deputy Speaker Neville Smith has offered a solution of a gun amnesty which he supports.
“The Deputy Speaker said publicly, and we champion his cause, a suggestion of gun amnesty and he wants it for a month and some other measures we have taken to National Security Council and recommend them. So, we wait. The police commissioner and the governor are looking for it over and we are going to also hear some other measures we are going to put in place,” Fahie said.
“We now have a bigger role to play as a community to push more programmes and community-based activities to make sure that these things don’t happen. We find a way to settle our differences rather than eliminating each other because the more we kill each other in this country the more we are opening the doors for persons who we say we are protecting it from to come and take it over from us. We are contributing to our own demise because we are not sitting down and realising that there are other ways to solve our differences,” the Premier continued.
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wishful thinking
Continue to waste money and full your pockets instead of getting CCTV’s and trying to look out for your citizens rather than just YOURSELVES.
Not anymore my good friend, it stopped being Christian when persons started naming drug traders “businessmen’ and happily accepting payment for storing drugs, transporting drugs and buying homes and goods with drug money. Every single person knows all the “businessmen’ in the territory but happily sits in Church singing hymns and praising the Lord ignoring the real evil in our society..
Amen!
They even get the blessings from Rotary
God wills it
The statement shouted through the ages of every “religious” enterprise.
We can be a better community. Religion adds to the betterment but to force it on people also serves to divide us.
Less government involvement in our lives, better and more business opportunities, and education for our people is the way forward. Give that to the people and we all thrive.
Attempting to fix this demonic problem will take more than throwing asphalt in a pothole. What we are dealing with here is a spiritual problem. We are educating empty vessels that are quickly becoming a habitation for demons. We see it every day on our streets and ignore it. When we see former beautiful young ladies raving mad talking to imaginary persons and literally out of their minds with drugs we show little or no concern.This is evidence that others who are involved in this (pandemic) whether as dealer or user are under the influence of demonic spirits. This is why it is so easy to take up a gun and take a life. Unless we begin to educate our young people to have a sense of self worth and to value life, we can expect more of the same. If we continue to support those who fight against the truth and insist on promoting this false reality of a matrix we are laying the foundation for this reality. Why are we acting all surprised when we continue to give our power to the BEAST…what do you expect. Unless we are willing to make some fundamental changes to our lifestyle and philosophy there is no use in talking…tinkling brass and sounding cymbals is all that we are. What does it profit a man to gain the world and loose his soul(sense of awareness of who he is.) This is the elephant in the room. Deal with it.
the years of complacent presiding over industrial violations of the rule of law are coming home to roost. Notice how it’s all our fault again!
Yes, they reaped all the benefits when life was easier and allowed all the rules to be flouted.
Rules for everyone else, but not for them.
Of course the territory is at risk of being taken over, you want to have your cake and eat it too.
Well, have fun when your kids have to clean up the fractured society you’ve left just so you could drive a big car and have several houses and have “respect”.
With great power comes great responsibility eh?
Wickedness will prevail but only for a little while
that it’s not the UK / JASPERT OR CIN*Y’S fault ? none of those pastors or bishop or any ministers are saying anything on the guns / murder or drugs untill it happens , then they acting like they are si concerned ? JAWS ain’t got nothing on these odd fellows
Our reactive government at it once again. We hear this after every murder… “Things are going to be different. We are taking it seriously now”. So much hot air from this government. We believe in results. Talk is cheap.
Offer a life changing or decent monetary REWARD and you see how fasf good, solid information comes out. What else is there too lose.
Mr. Premier, denouncing these horrible actions is just not enough. For years we have been watching this ravishing tornado gain strength and the only thing that we have done is offer lip service. Your police department is corrupt. Your customs department is corrupt. You turn a blind eye to it. There are tons of illegal guns coming into our territory and on our street but very little is done about it. The drug dealers are legitimating their illegal gains by opening various businesses. Again, we turn a blind eye. Mob bosses are running their enterprises from behind prison walls but we turn a blind eye. Lip service won’t fix this mess. We need a serious anti crime strategy that includes more legal opportunities fir our youths. We need our curriculum to better cater to the needs of all students. We need to ensure that residents see potential in working fir honest gain. Right now, things look grim as working people can hardly make ends meet.
You can start with locking down the Russian accounts here in the BVI. Be a leader tubby and act now.
See what is going on and you want to leagize gambling and medical marijuana.
When that happens. It would get worse!! Why is the church silent ?
Where is the island Christian council voice?
Did the stimulus for churches silence their voice of being the voice in the wilderness?
We are heading down a slippery slope
Time to open the secret Russian directors and shareholders names in all these BVI companies for publication in the world press then seize and freeze all their assets in the BVI including their megayachts in BVI waters.
They only have company names registered in the BVI, they don’t have any assets here besides maybe a mega-yacht passing through.
Bunch of BVI companies with russian shareholders own villas here.
The Governments of these Virgin Islands are not interested in getting a handle on crime. They see some crimes as small (leave alone crimes); remember a child that steal a lollipop will be a man that steal your car. In every community the police know where drugs are being sold but no one does anything. Look at the bar off F*** F+++ (every police know what happens there). Government need to deport her, she is an unwanted, Belonger Status or NOT. She and many others are not good for this country. #Ungrateful
I’ve heard Andrew make some pretty odd claims over the years but this is the most ignorant, hypocritical, naive bulls**t i’ve ever heard him say and here’s why.
He stated and I quote “ We have so many good parents raising their children and going well but we can’t turn a blind eye to anyone that’s not doing that with there’s. We have to understand now as a society that each parent must do even a more direct job with their children,”
Did you hear the part where he talked about not turning a blind eye? Alright then, moving forward.
He then went on to state “We now have a bigger role to play as a community to push more programmes and community-based activities to make sure that these things don’t happen.”
A programme??? Community-based activities??? What are you talking about??? These young men are in the drugs-game sir. You know, the one that is usually associated with violent crimes such as the one we just witnessed.
I mean what the h**l do you plan to have them do?? Play softball with each other over a dispute that has to do with handling large quantities of cocaine???? So once they settle that dispute they could continue to push drugs together and run into the sunset huh?
Andrew that was and is a very ignorant solution to all of what’s going on. I starting to think that you just want to come on stage and make some bs statement every time a homicide occurs to put on a show and act like you give a rats a**, no more than that, I starting to think that you yourself are benefiting from the *** business.
You really want to stop turning a blind eye Mr. Premier? Then give them a good reason to not commit the crimes they do. It’s not just about calling them out because we all know who they are. It’s about setting harsh examples out of them so the other aspiring “business men” could REALLY understand that we as a community will not stand for this.
that was well put/ especially the running Nintendo the sunset part ?
Andrew you are largely responsible for creating a community the largest community in the Vi consisting of criminals. The majority of these crimes are committed by newly imported and installed additions to the community and/ or children of that segment of the Community.
Your record shows that you are overzealous in the granting of status to those from places where crime is culturally and traditionally a birthright. Why,is a no brainer.
Reading his comments, it seem to me that this is all about using the murder to try to mannipulate the population against the upcoming COI report and its recommendations. Simple as that.
Historically, Christianity has not stopped any of the world’s evils like slavery,racism and war. Some might argue that it was/is Christianity that is responsible for all those things and more.
It’s funny to me just reading what Andrew has to say when school children say he is very much involved with the drugs across the territory.
So many crime has taken place through this island and all Fahie did was show support to his people.
this man uses his speeches to throw out words against his enemies and show blatant support with wrongdoing.
In the land where the code of silence rules, this will never happen. Too many people, probably some well connected ones, have their hand in the transhipment of Colombian products from which they earn a healthy sum that others benefit from. Secondly, too many people are related so no one is going to turn in someone who is a relative, no matter how distant. Thirdly, criminals have guns, and don’t seem afraid to use them. There are somethin like 60+ unsolved murders in the Territory over the last 30 years. Fourthly, look around you. There is no accountability here. There are millions missing from the public purse yet not one ever had to face the music. And, more recently, two belongers were dismissed from cocaine traficking charges after being seen dumping bales into the sea, running from law enforcement, and bein caught with something like 175 lbs of cocaine. From a public perspective, what would the point be of turning someone in? Notwithstanding of all of this, the code of silence ultimately means that most people here (at least voters) are OK with the continued malfeasance in the Territory.
Not LaShawn. Get it right when reporting
Start with boats – get each boat owner to justify the origins of the finances to buy their boats.
Next, look at large cash transactions, especially property. Again what is the origin of the finances.
Those which are not legitimate can be dealt with.
Increase patrols, surveillance and cameras and make sure sentences are long for drug/violent crimes.
Is the same man who didn’t want the Navy patrols in the covid lockdowns to catch those breaking the covid restrictions? As for this country being Christian – There are clubs that employ girls to lap dance or strip or worse and brothels. How come no drug dealers are ever charged and murders go unsolved? Those guys who had $800k cash in boat were not even convicted of anything. How they get that money? Did they save it?
Community based solution for crime – who is going to tell? They would be next.
I remember when Andrew blamed NDP for not addressing crime. You have the opportunity now ns you still not dealing with it. We need to set stiff penalties to send a message to curb crime. More lit areas with CCTV cameras.
More police presence in the night. More stop and search.
Sorry it took me all the comments to stop laughing.
Maybe get rid of all that cash money floating around the BVI and through West End and less murders will take place.
Then start giving money to the programs trying to keep the kids off the streets that aren’t run by pedos.