BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Nov 13, CMC – Attorney General Dale Marshall says crime statistics alone cannot capture the full scope of the crime challenge facing Barbados as the authorities report a significant surge in murders this year.
Figures show that 45 people have been killed so far this year, as compared with 20 last year.
Marshall said that while crime crime data is invaluable for understanding trends, it falls short of capturing critical societal influences that drive these results, calling for urgent action to address deep rooted social issues, particularly within family environments.
“Statistics that also need to be looked at are our societal statistics,” he said, adding “look at the dysfunctional families resulting in our young men and women committing criminal activities, and in this context, we have to look at domestic violence, because our young people live what they see, and as they say, ‘hurt people, hurt people’.”
On Tuesday, criminologist in the Attorney General’s Office, Kim Ramsay, presented the findings of a study that noted the increase in killings comes amid growing concern over the increasing involvement of children in serious violent crimes.
“We have 16-year-olds committing murder, fresh out of school and obviously with no guidance. These young people are not only perpetrators but increasingly victims of violent crime as well,” said Ramsay, adding that the age of offenders is “significantly decreasing” with many individuals between 11 and 15 years old being charged with serious offences like murder and robbery.
In 2019, Barbados recorded 50 murders and Ramsay said “we’ve just come out of one of our lowest rates of homicides in 10 years, and now we’re at 45 murders, and we’re not even finished the year yet. That’s deeply concerning for us.
“We must address this young population who are becoming involved in and affected by crime with various social programmes that provide structure, guidance, and alternatives for these youths,” she said.
The report noted that firearms were used in 70 per cent of murders, though violent crimes constitute only seven per cent of the average 6, 400 cases reported annually.
Ramsay said also concern are property violations, particularly theft and burglary, which she notes remain the most prevalent, accounting for a substantial portion of reported cases.
Whilst overall crime resolution stands at 64 per cent, Ramsay presented findings that the police struggle to solve property crimes effectively, with only 17 per cent of residential burglaries being solved.
The findings also revealed widespread assaults across all police divisions, often resulting from unresolved conflicts that escalate.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Irwin Boyce said the rise of cybercrime and violence stemming from perceived “disrespect” are emerging as critical threats to law and order in Barbados.
“Crime has changed over time. What used to be offences many years ago are either consolidated into particular offences, or they are emerging as new threats, crime threats,” Boyce said, expressing concern about online harassment, describing how it creates “harassment or annoyance at the expense of an individual using the media”.
He also spoke of the troubling trend of violence linked to perceived slights.
“We are seeing a level of violence coming out of that word, ‘disrespect’,” he said, calling for a more collaborative, evidence-based approach to policing, emphasising that law enforcement cannot operate in isolation.
“Policing is not to be seen in silos. It has to be seen as a collaborative activity,” he said, noting also that “the reporting mechanisms or the type of crime that you see in certain areas, you might not necessarily see in others”.
Marshall said young people were also exposed to illicit activity within their own homes, recalling disturbing instances during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
“The police will tell you that there are some households in Barbados where children, during COVID, were going to school online. They’d be sitting at the dining room table in classes while [a family member] would be in front of them handling weed (marijuana) to sell.
“Where does this child see his future? Does he see his future on the computer screen, or does he look beyond the screen and see what a real-life situation is?,” he questioned, urging Barbadians to view crime through a wider lens, advocating for a shift beyond a narrow focus on law enforcement and judicial measures.
“We have a tremendous opportunity in Barbados to turn things around. When we talk about the criminal justice system, we have to stop focusing so much on what the police are doing – they only get called after the crime has been committed – and what the government is doing. We have provided more resources to the police than ever before; they’ve been trained far better than they have ever been.”
Marshall said that every “predictable, logical” measure required of the government has been taken, “and yet we see the [crime] situation continuing”.
“We’ve covered off the police, we’ve covered off the court system, we have increased the number of prosecutors. The government has been checking off those boxes that can easily be measured,” he said.
CMC/ag/ir/2024