Premier disappointed over brazen Aladdin robbery
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has condemned the recent robbery at the Aladdin store in Road Town, calling the perpetrators selfish and part of a wider problem in the territory.
“I’m extremely disappointed of course that you know such a brazen criminal act would have taken place. Our thoughts and prayers are also with those persons who were affected by that traumatic experience,” Premier Wheatley said.
The Premier underscored the need for individuals and families to critically evaluate their approaches to parenting and instilling values, to cultivate an environment of integrity. He also stressed the need for upholding ethical standards within law enforcement agencies and firmly stated that promoting any notion that tolerates criminal behaviour is unacceptable.
“I think that these criminal acts are extremely selfish; extremely selfish acts by individuals who’ve lost their way, individuals who want the fast money. They don’t want to work hard for a living,” the Premier said. “There are many persons in here working hard for a living, busting their behinds to put food on the table for their families and there are some individuals who want to benefit from others’ hard work. They just want to take what others have worked hard for and it is something that we cannot excuse as a society.”
He continued: “So I think we have to examine our own values as a society; how we value material, possessions, how we value some of this flashy image that persons are celebrated for in many instances. This materialistic ideology we’ve adopted; we’ve really gone away from values of community, selflessness, compassion, respect.”
He urged introspection from the community and said young persons are inculcated with these poor values and are then influenced to take these selfish actions.
Dr Wheatley promised that an anti-crime strategy would soon be unveiled by his advisor, Kevin Smith, and said there would be consultations with various bodies once this happens.
“I can say that crime is a complicated and complex issue and the reasons why many persons commit crimes are complex. So, there are a lot of things that we have to do,” the Premier remarked.
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IF HE WOULD TURN LOOSE SOME WORK THRU THE PLACE NOBODY WONT NEED TO ROB
Follow through on mandatory ten year sentence for firearm possesion with no bail, parole, etc., and see how quickly guns start disappearing!!!
Sorry that was a weak statement. He is a part of the national security council. There was what 30 million unspent in his office?
The solution is to make these events impossible to get away with unless they pull up in a helicopter and fly off.
Where are the strategic permanent police street positions, equipped with drones for unsafe pursuits? The conflict in Ukraine has probably widespread day and night capable drones.
Where are the road/intersection cameras?
UK is responsible for security you are a partnership where is the satellite imagery? Don’t act like their not watching us from the sky.
Raising children right was 20 years too late. Now children need to witness real security using all that money and modern technology and punishment is the solution. It only takes one harsh punishment to make an example.
Legalize cannabis already stop treating people like criminals & idiots as if we don’t have access to scientific studies and you won’t have such a culture of youth – elder hiding from the law for nonsense to begin with. Prohibition fuels crime.
I’m so happy “Premier”, that you talked about family values, and their perhaps aiding,in the curb of crime.
But you see, it’s going to take brave mothers and fathers, searching in the rooms of their children, to look for drugs, guns, and the loot from these brazen acts!
I implore our citizenry to do just that: Begin today, to SEARCH the rooms of your children to see, if they are, indeed, contributing to the criminal elements within our society
..Let’s see how BRAVE our parental citizenry truly are!
Those look like really serious firearms to be in the hands of low grade criminals.
God knows what the serious organized criminals have access to. It’s really frightening.
Those idoits didnt even take cash from the video I saw. Do we have pawn shops in the BVI? Where will they fence all the gold that they stole? Stupid crime by stupid people.
They are probably taking them off island. I wonder how the borders were surveyed on that. Those guys were in that store long enough for police to be at every junction if they were prepared for the job.
Natalio is disappointed in criminals, yet he has never publically distanced himself from the biggest criminal the BVI ever had.
Natalio, with your hypocritical statements and policies you will keep dragging this territory backwards.
That guy was carelessly firing off shorts. I am sorry he did not hit one of his cohorts.
I am disappointed that S!0w W@nde doesn’t resign after finding out that his party reportedly received $87000 of drug money from FAHEY. Where is the FSC as the VIP party is a not for profit and regulated by the FSC. Someone needs to look into this illegal payment as S!0w W@nde is living up to his name
Guns are illegal here and these were not small they were automatic weapons. This was done in broad daylight with automatic rifles. Great advert for tourism with the tourists walking round. There should be cameras in Road Town. Why are there never any policeman walking round town ever – where are they? Probably sitting in the police station to afraid to come out. There was a murder last year in the Village Cay car park. I just don’t feel safe at all.