Where is the government’s promised anti-crime summit?
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy ‘Buddha’ Mather has intensified calls for a swift response to the territory’s escalating crime crisis.
Despite a promised anti-crime summit and a comprehensive crime report, the territory continues to grapple with a surge in violent crime, including a concerning number of homicides in 2024.
Last year, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley pledged to convene an anti-crime summit in the first quarter of 2024 to address the growing problem. While the summit is yet to materialise, the issue has taken on even greater urgency, with the territory experiencing a disturbing number of murders this year.
“One thing we’re going to be doing – and I’m aiming for January – is to actually have an anti-crime summit where we can bring together various stakeholders and exchange ideas about what we can do about the growing problem of crime,” Premier Wheatley stated last October.
Mather echoed these concerns, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive crime strategy. He expressed deep frustration over the lack of pre-emptive police investigations, questioning the effectiveness of the police force’s intelligence gathering.
“Their intelligence isn’t where it needs to be” Mather questioned. “You telling me what happens with them is, when they hear something happen is when we hear something happen too?”
The first-term legislator also demanded answers regarding the influx of illegal firearms into the territory. “When last you hear about a bust in the territory when we get a shipment of guns?” Mather questioned. “Where we making them, in the bush?”
The government recently released a comprehensive law enforcement review that was commissioned by the Governor and conducted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. The report outlines the territory’s challenges and proposes potential solutions. However, the effectiveness of these recommendations remains to be seen as the community continues to reel from the impact of violent crime.
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Stopping crime entails changing the generational lawlessness, which starts by enforcing the “lesser” laws, all of them! Parking tickets for all vehicles parked on public roads, monitoring stop signs and issuing tickets to ALL who don’t stop, changing speed limits to realistic speeds; 20 on the 4-lane is absurd, enforcing child safety seats in vehicles, helmets for scooter riders.
Or get rid of laws which are unenforceable, because not enforcing some laws results in disregard for all laws!
Where is the government’s promised anything? We haven’t had a set this less in a long time if ever.
As someone posted on a previous article….
“Voting has consequences”.
“One thing we’re going to be doing – and I’m aiming for January – is to actually have an anti-crime summit where we can bring together various stakeholders and exchange ideas about what we can do about the growing problem of crime,” Premier Wheatley stated last October.
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With all due respect Mr. Premier, you have got to do better than that. It’s over 10 months since you made that statement, and so many crimes have occurred since.
You have to show stronger leadership here. You are fiddling while Rome burns. If you don’t know what to do about crime already, then something is really wrong.
This is no way to run a government seeking answers from every Tom, Dick, and Harry, so called “stake holders” to make a decision on what you need to do as the Premier of this country to address the escalating crime in the territory.
This is demonstratively weakness and bordering on cowardice. You Sir need to put your big boy pants on, execute a plan in this moment, and show us that you mean business.
Demonstrate that you are going to be responsive to the concerns of the real stakeholders of this country..i.e the people who call this place home. This needs your attention now; not some distant date.
Your government should have had a plan to combat crime in place already from the time you were elected. You do not have to consult so called “stakeholders” to figure out what to do about crime. You are governing from behind and not the front.
You were elected to lead, and you have a position whereby you should be doing just that. If you have to consult everyone before you can make a decision, then you are not up to the job.
Territorial At-Large Representative Stacy ‘Buddha’ Mather is right. There is an “urgent need for a comprehensive crime strategy.” Beyond that, action is needed now. Less talk, more action.
I recognize this is not your problem alone to solve but you need to step up and lead. The Security Consul and Government House needs to work together here to come up with some actionable plan to address this growing problem.
Silence and delays is no longer acceptable any more. Failure to act has a predictable outcome: more crime and a ruined economy which will affect us all.
It’s beyond time to act.
Tell him to ask ChatGPT for information on how to run a government and how prevent crime
On other words: we going throw another party/bash so ayo forget that the ministers do not really do any work for the people!!!
Stakeholders = party planners
How much did the fireworks cost US taxpayers again?
the original message of the lord jesus christ is all we need. if we can go back to the teachings of the lord, restore our families which in turn restores our communities then you wouldnt have to worry about crimes being committed as much as we do now. funny how nobody want to call on the lord until its them who get hit or a loved one so why not give the lord access before hand and see what happens?
I confused,
Didn’t a Police Commissioner put forth a comprehensive new and revised set of revisions additions et al to deal,as he saw fit,with the crime and it’s escalation
Wasn’t this new revised and proposed bill rejected by the elected members???
These elected,not only the one historically convicted are hand in glove with these clownish looking destroyers of humanity and country, The elected able and enable with the stroke of a pen and then put on a suit and go church and push out dem chest and go funerals.
“where are we making them in the bush”
Wow that really made me realize this place has more guns than sun grown weed. How can that be possible for there to be no gun shipment busts.
If you know your child /friend/family is a criminal and own guns illegally, turn them in to the police! No need for govt summit. That’s where the problem is.
Plenty females in the BVI know their significant others and men that they hang out with a clubs,bars, parties etc they fully know that these guys have firearms…
These are the same women working in office attire at Government, insurance companies, cooperations and some are definitely from our little Ms BVI contenstants as I’ve seen them around some very questionable looking males during this festival period behaving scandolus and you would think that they would have a bit more class
Check their social media status when they are out on fast boats with these guys on weekends or during big party events
And a reminder to the public check out West bank records on YouTube they a not too long ago made a music video in the BVI where several local women were seen in the video dancing half naked. The same video had these guys flashing guns and claiming that they are props lol y’all really think them is props? And don’t forget the same violent lyrics as well in that video.. we are truly lost
I have strong feeling that a lot of these women that enjoy the night life are aware of these guns and who have them… So the community is also part of the problem and the culture that we encourage with these parties and certain songs does not help the youths and younger females..
I realise more and more younger females are getting into this distasteful culture of wanting a bad man who is into certain kind of lifestyle and they also want to be part of that lifestyle. They sing the same songs. Some of them are best of local rap videos with guns and a lot of them truly enjoy jueve where the throw back on their friends and other grown men. Orginially it was the younger boys jumping into this lifestyle but now the females are into it as well
Oh Boi…
N* have the police and government officials pay off he is the only one saying he killing he living big in jail. I never see this before he has so much money and want to be in jail. I think by now he getting sex from A J
But premiere Wheatley already did his crime convention, lots of none stop party.
The premier says we will do a lot of things, whatever happened to the referendum he went on about us having. he is all hot air and follows through on nothing.
So at this summit all you gonna do is get together and talk about how bad crime is and that it should stop? We don’t need no summit and we don’t need to give the police free reign to do whatever they please with no new police bill either. we just need the police to actually do their job and investigate instead of responding only when they get a report or anonymous tip. The next problem is even when we catch them it seem like our less DPP will find a way to lose the case. End result is Criminals being caught and released like we sport fishing.
I like Mather but this is political pandering & posturing. What can a group of lawmakers talking about crime do to stop it? Absolutely nothing. Yes Smith & Wesson, Glock, & Ruger don’t have factories here but what makes here any more special than Jamaica, Haiti, or St.Kitts? Absolutely nothing. Parents need to parent their children so that they don’t become public nuisances. Programs need to be in place so that the youths aren’t idle hands & idle minds. Most of these youths that end up as career criminals just lack structure in their life and focus. A basketball league would help. A book club. An arts & crafts group where they can express themselves. Many of the youths just need to be heard, so they do crime to vent and get attention. How about a performing arts program where they perform plays in the park? Give them hope and and sense of meaning. Just my2cents.
How about self discipline
Family structure is the necessity..
The mothers ifcthese wayward let loose children more than likely are being raised by an unmarried mother whose lack of self discipline and repeatedly has
created a young man with no sense
Of structure,purpose and responsibility.These VI has become a microcosm of the Caribbean IslNd chain of poverty,poor education,violence,crime,turbulent households and understandably so. We created a mini Jamaica,Trinidad,St Vincent,Dominican Republic etc ,the worse and with intent and purpose fully conscious of what the only possible result will be..
all smuggling completely!!!