Three-day summit to target crime’s root causes
The BVI will host a three-day anti-crime summit from September 24 to 26, 2025, bringing together government, law enforcement, community groups and residents to address the root causes of crime.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said the event is about “full participation from every corner of our society in saying collectively no to crime”. He added, “Prevention of crime is not just the responsibility of the police or the government. It’s our collective responsibility.”
The summit will be preceded by a youth rally on Friday, August 15. The rally will feature a march from the Road Town Police Station to the Huntums Ghut basketball court, where young people will declare their stand against crime. The event will include performances, a theme song launch, and a three-point shoot-out between youth and elected officials.
Sandra Ward, Cabinet Secretary and co-chair of the planning committee, said, “Everybody looks to government to address the crime situation. And really, is it government’s responsibility alone? … It’s a partnership with government and various key stakeholders for us to form this collaboration to really help to combat and reduce every category of crime.”
The planning committee includes representatives from the Ministries of Health and Education, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Social Development, His Majesty’s Prison, and non-governmental organisations. The summit will feature panel discussions, roundtables, and testimonies from former inmates, parents who have lost children to crime, and overseas guests.
Premier Wheatley stressed the need for early intervention, particularly with young people. “We are seeing some trends among our young persons, and we don’t want those trends to continue… Our young people are our future, quite literally, so if we don’t pay attention to our young people, our society is going to be a place where we’re not going to want to live,” he stated.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kenrick Davis said most serious crimes in the territory are committed by young people, with offenders as young as 13.
“It has got to be a situation where each of us in this community considers why is it in my interest to support an anti-crime summit, to support anti-crime endeavours? … It’s not just about the monies that are allocated to the police… It’s about the other secondary costs which affect all of us,” he explained.
Ward said the summit’s main goal is to deliver a clear government strategy on crime, with commitments from all sectors to make communities safer.
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The “root cause” talking point is just that – a lame excuse used to avoid the real issue, which is that parents are not raising their children properly. It’s not “the entire community” that is responsible; the “it takes a village” phrase should be finished with “to raise and idiot.”
People, if you bring a child into this world, accept the responsibility for raising him or her properly. It’s not up to teachers (or anyone else for that matter) to be surrogate parents, so send your kid(s) to school with a stern attitude that any foolishness will have severe consequences when they get home. Problem solved.
3 days talking. That will do nothing.
3 Days taking tint off windows.
3 Days stopping scooter riders that don’t have helmets.
3 days stopping scooter riders and cars who go through red lights.
3 days stopping scooter riders driing dangerously and weaving through traffic.
3 days printing airport reports
3 days preparing Government accounts
3 days police interviews with Lorna the Wheatleys, and the cheque writers and authorisers of the BOA transfers.
3 days stop and search
3 days enforcing the laws we have.
NOT three days and then nothing.
3 days with a team in DMV and find who the corrupt public officers are that are passing vehicles including Government pickups and vehicles with heavy tint.
3 days in this country enforcing laws that are in place.
Including you going through security Ronnie.
How long you think they took to thief that $5M?
Jobs, jobs, jobs of all sorts and jobs that are appealable to the youths to include easier access to entrepreeurialship fundings for up startings.
The greatest antidote to youth crime is the reduction of unemployment.
Watch them thumb this common sense comment down, as usual.
Furthermore, if you do want to embrace this “root cause” theorem, consider how this Territory’s government SPONSORS and PROMOTES some of the music festivals and concerts where profane descriptions of women and young girls are routinely a part of many songs’ lyrics, not to mention some of the on-stage behaviour that normalizes violence, including sexualizing it.
A civilization that accepts this kind of behaviour will inevitably have its young males grow into adults who see violence as a natural consequence. It’s so hyprocritical to see this public hand-wringing about crime, while (and I’m purposefully repeating myself so that the point is not lost) at the same time this government’s “Festivals and Fairs Committee” is actively PROMOTING and SPONSORING events that lay the goundwork for those very “root causes” that seem to bewilder you.
Root cause? How about just ‘the cause’
All the men spread they seed and walk away from any parenting.
How is it that no one talks about this? It is a big mess. Everywhere else in the world: 1) man and women get married. 2) have baby 3) stay married until child grow up.
In the BVI it is all ‘Baby Daddy’,’Babby Momie’ (husband and wife only for non-belongers).
This is just political theatrics, when the large catering service is over and the hosting venue get paid, it will remain the same that money going into the hands of the few friends or family business and the ordinary BVI people still struggling to survive, do you think the consumption of finger foods and probably fine wine at this event will stop crime?
The premier really learning the art of colonialism by creating this benign atmosphere that crime is been addressed. If he instead take that money and put it into a small business development fund to get people employed and become productive then that would be effective, but no! It’s going to be the same few rich people with property being paid to use that venue and the catering service of a rich well established restaurant or cook shop provide the meal and the water supplier business and chair rentals.
Parents need to raise their children instead of social media and peers. Parents need to train and raise their kids to be happy with whatever they can afford rather than trying to keep up with the latest trends. Set of them with brand name thus and that eating bread and cheese everyday trying to keep up!
I am busy racking my brain on how to create these appealing desirable jobs that will get the youn gentlemen off the street . Basic requirements are not to start before 10 am so they can amply recover from a late night .
Minimum of $20 / hour as we don’t have slavery anymore
Work facility must be air conditioned.
Good internet so they can get TikTok and FaceTime their baby mama .
Ample break periods so they can have a smoke .
No drug testing.
Any more suggestions.
It is a problem, but not a big mess.
Most men stay with their family.
“All men do not walk away from their children.”
They often will walk away from hostile and cheating and hostile women relationships though.
Steve posted a line up of everyone he ever bought to the BVI to sing. Look at the list of the people he brought in – what can anyone learn from those people? What they will be reminded of is drug, money, fast life. When we continue to play the fool we will always win stupid prizes. Stop bringing artists who have 9 guns songs vs 1 decent song. Stop being pressured by a certain group of people to have criminals coming to entertain us.
Head coach and the glorious example he sets , you too can be Premier & a gangster simultaneously, running your country while bleeding it dry wonderful and still his picture hangs in the HOA.