Senseless deaths must stop, Premier pleads
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has urged that much more must be done to stem the rising tide of gun crime facing the territory and has called for an action plan to be prepared on how to address this challenge.
Dr Wheatley’s comments come in the wake of the latest shooting death to occur in the East End/Long Look (EE/LL) community, where he disclosed that the victim was a cousin.
“These senseless deaths must stop,” Premier Wheatley said. “It is imperative that we remove illegal guns from our Virgin Islands now. It is time for action and your government will make this a top priority.”
Following the shooting, Dr Wheatley said he attended a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) — the latest in a string of several such meetings called after similar gun murders in the community. During the meeting, the premier said he requested an action plan to confront the challenge of violent crime facing the community
“I’ve pressed for an action plan, but that action plan must include border security,” Dr Wheatley stated. “Because we know that illegal guns are coming into the territory.
He added: “We’re surrounded by water, so they’re coming in by sea and I’m pressing the National Security Council, as well as my own Ministry of Finance to ensure that we get radar so that we can detect any illegal vessels entering into the territory. According to the premier, these illegal vessels may be engaged in smuggling guns, drugs, and even human trafficking.
In the meantime, Dr Wheatley promised that a joint statement will be issued later today alongside Governor John Rankin, which he said will be making a firm commitment towards tackling crime and preserving the territory’s security. “We are resolved that more must be done to arrest crime and solve murder cases,” Dr Wheatley stated.
The premier urged everyone to do their part, including providing information to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF), which can be done anonymously and to report suspicious activity taking place in the various communities.
Premier Wheatley also promised to engage Education Minister, Sharie de Castro, in the fight against delinquency in schools which he suggested could also lead to a life of crime. “When you detain criminals and you have new criminals popping up every day, it is certainly a challenge,” the premier said.
“The fight against violent crime cannot be won without the support of the community,” Dr Wheatley added.
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That is all we get. People will remember the victims for a short period of time and some will get their 2mins in the spotlight and then everyone forgets about the victims. Think about it, how often are the victims & cases for unsolved murders,highlighted??? The police does even forget them on the anniversaries SMH
What are you doing about the increased number of murders in your district? Those envelopes that you had his brother allegedly giving out cant solve anything
Lorna gave us back this waste of time as our premier. That woman!
So here is the first step of your plan, no charge, no consultancy fee required – pure pro-bono work for a better BVI.
1. *Significantly increase the sentences for unlicensed possession of fire arms and/or ammunition.
2. Upskill RVIPF and DPP so that when they catch someone the case will stick and the mandatory minimum sentence will be imposed.
3. Run road blocks and traffic stops at all hours of day and night, stop everyone and search everyone.
*Significantly = a period of time in jail and a financial fine both of which are so large they will truly act as a deterrent to possession of a gun. Add non-simultaneous sentences for each additional weapon or piece of ammunition.
Rising crime is a biproduct of a failing economy; a failing economy is usually the biproduct of poor leadership. When too many people still cant afford anything despite trying to do things the right way they gonna try the wrong things instead. So instead of giving speeches after every crime happen make the BVI a place where bvislanders can actually survive doing the right thing. We can pretend all we like that everything is fine and dandy and our economy is ‘robust’ and all of our problems were just one man but the rising crime says otherwise.
put the cameras up in the district the hand out spots but dont use it as a tool penalize youths for smoking remember you soon trying get the weed legal but it will help ii the event that things get heated
Brother, Diego, Collingston and much more
I wish I could like 1 billion times. One of them better do the right thing and go to the other side so the chosen coalition government can lead because it is high time for the real hard back leaders to run this darn country! Kai dont look too happy, he look like he ready to make that move. These young men in the community need to know what true father figures and true leadership look like. They need role models to look up to. Not a joker.
While you are busy going to crown the king, your district is a mess. Be humble enough to send your regrets that you can’t attend, pull a set of competent persons together and come up with a plan to clean up your district and secure your constituents. Place working cameras on the Sticket roof, all the utility poles, the churches, Nottingham and everywhere thy can be placed. Request the police presence on their feet in your district, and they can take frequent drive-thrus.
deal with it and put down the fancy speeches. We seek ah all the nothing-ness coming out of politicians
Mr Premier, Talk is talk, and talk is cheap!
breaking the law has to have consequences. Right now it dosent. few weeks ago a person was aprehended with a loaded gun on a scooter, he is out on bail????
search cars and scooters, confiscate vehicles and dont give them back.
more police presence.
Go after unexplained wealth, that will stop the trade. Easy to do if you dont pay taxes yet have a 200K boat or a house worth a million????
Stop unlicensed scooter/no helmet, use of CCTV, stop and search/harass gansta gatherings, intelligence/target BVI’s most wanted list.
Mr Premier, the minimum sentence in the UK for unlicensed / illegal gun possession is 5 years, and, that’s the minimum, there’s no discussion, excuses etc, it’s straight to jail. That legislation should be introduced into the territory after a 3 month firearm surrender period allowing guns and ammunition to be handed in without prosecution. There should also be no chances of parole, that’s the only way you will get peoples attention.
I completely 1000% agree with this statement, its funny how, for a territory where guns are supposed to be ILLEGAL that u rarely ever read or hear of ppl who are caught with illegal fire arms, actually being charged for it! Are these discoveries ever investigated? where did the gun come from? who sold it to them? is the weapon linked to any other incidents? has that individual been charged or will serve any real jail time? or do the cops jus take the guns and throw them in a back room somewhere and call it a day? More needs to be done to make these ppl feel the brunt of the consequences of these things!!!! All the higher ups wanna do is sit and bump they gums, until of course, someone from their immediate family gets cut down, Then and only then will they be in uproar. another instance of a REACTIVE rather than a PROACTIVE country! this is so exhausting.
is lucrative and eventually fatal in the BVI and all other islands on this planet. Smugglers proceed with life at their own risk. All the talk, laws, raids, arrests, incarceration, etc. will never stop smuggling. There is always a young inexperienced smuggler ready to take the place of a dead smuggler.
What purpose have/are the UK police officers and investigators to us. They’ve been here for months now and how much better off are we? Are they teaching typing lessons at the station?
Would really like the governor to explain why they are here, what they have done and where they have been a benefit to us because from the outside, I ain’t seeing nothing better out here. Make it make sense
Senseless Crimes Must Stop! I Agree 100% Start with all those the Government are KILLING in the First District with that incinerator. That is a CRIME in itself!!!!
That same song has been sung everytime a life is taken out for one day and absolutely nothing is being done ( well I guess pthe undertakers got to eat too ) God forbid ~ perhaps only when one of their family members gets taken out , these pretenders might wake up / somebody got to be involved or know something , someone got to have taken over the coach’s position , notice •¿• only the small fry getting taken out , and it’s ” BUSINESS AS USUAL ” blood on some people’s hands and the devil got their souls ?
That’s is just how u is just talk come on here pretending you care for the youths you really need to stop your a liar I don’t believe in nothing you say the 7d is yours you have your district in a mess also you know what is going on fix it stop blaming the youths and its you your a leader strupes!!!! I forget you don’t have time it’s a petty
look at $400m budget. You mean to tell me that we don’t have money to put 12 solar powered cellular connected cameras for 1000 each on the 12 beaches that are 99% of all smuggling Stroops as stroops can be and perhaps proof that there’s still foxes in the henhouse
u need pressure the population with inconvenience to get the sheep here to speak up, otherwise, this sht only mess w the family of who shot and thing go on