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Looks like I’m not the only one August 19, 2006

Finally! Someone else who feels like I do about violence. I’m referring to Wayne Furberts comments made in the wake of Alex Scott’s vague national address on the issue of increasing violence in Bermuda, which lacks all of the specifics of “Who”, “What”, “When”, “Where” and “Why”.

I like what Wayne had to say as it’s about bloody time that we started to get tough and crack down on the violence, the drugs, the crime and the hate. It reminds me about what I wrote to a friend of mine if given the choice of what I would do if I called the shots on this. I came up with 11 steps which I think needs to be done, some would have immediate results, while others won’t mature for a few years. One thing is for sure, we need to start to do something and the time for pussy footing around with this is over.

1. We need to get the ministers off their collective asses and legislate
something worthwhile, nothing else should be discussed until the issue of
violence is dealt with by laws and enforcement that actually work.

2. The police need more regular patrols as well as more effectiveness. We
should hire a good 20 overseas cops, to come down for about a year or so, at
the same time, about 20 of our cops should go overseas for cross training on
another police force.

3. The Crime Prevention Unit of the police force (Made up of mostly
retired police officers) should be more out in the public and work with the
neighborhoods and setup a neighborhood watch scheme that is effective.
Along the same lines as regular patrols and a better way for the various
neighborhoods to communicate with the police or at least the CPU.

4. The police need to reassure the community that they will be protected
if they speak out against the crap that is going on. The biggest problem is
that the police have lost their ears and eyes (The community that is) and
are operating blind (or nearly blind) as they don’t get any support from
the community.

5. We need another operation along the lines of Operation Clean Sweep.
This time to go after the various gang ringleaders and bust up the gangs
causing most of the issues.

6. New laws such as anti-loitering laws, where a neighborhood can register
against loitering on various streets with known issues, as well as an
anti-gang law, yup make being in a street gang illegal and then enforce
these laws like crazy. (This one wasn’t my idea, however I firmly believe that this would help reduce the number of places that a gang can congregate on the streets).

7. We’re in the age of technology, we need more cameras and detection
devices, make every street in Hamilton have a camera on it. The more eyes
the police have the more effective they will be.

8. Beef up and utilise the regiment. If it weren’t for the JDF in
Jamaica, Jamaica would tear itself apart. Utilise the regiment for various
harbour and coastal patrols on the water, as well as additional security for
many public events. They are already being trained in riot suppression, I
say we use them in areas that call for it should the police need additional
backup. The Regiment already have powers above and beyond what the police
do, all that needs to be done is for the Governor to declare an embodiment
and these powers will come into effect. The regiment should also be used in
the above mentioned clean sweep and out of the blue take this Island by
storm, with road blocks, search and seizures, etc. Sure it would be a pain
for about a day or so, but imagine what we could do with catching the gangs
and drug rings off guard with the full force of Bermuda’s internal security
and police. This is a war after all, and it’s time we started to treat it
as such.

9. The prison is a joke. Make manual hard labour mandatory for most
inmates (Exempted are the really bad prisoners, murderers, etc). There are
plenty of road works that need to be done, walls repaired as well as
buildings. Make them do it. Also make the rehabilitation better there.
They are there for a reason, to rehabilitate to reintegrate back into
society as well as reparations to the society they took away from. The
biggest problem is that the prison is not a place to be feared anymore, but
rather only gives the gang members “street creds”.

10. The Courts need to support the police. Tie up any loopholes and lets
dish out punishments that are deserving of the crimes committed. Also the
politicians need to keep their hands out of the judicial system, no way
should we have a political senator as the head of the attorney generals
office, this should be a completely independent and non-partisan office,
same goes for the DPP.

11. Education, education, education! Education is the single most empowering tool you can provide any Man, Woman or Child. Our graduation rate in the public schools should be up around 85%. With a better education, better choices are made. Make more government scholarship programs and give them better publicity. Ensure that attendance is well maintained and that the parents ultimately will face the courts if their child is truant. Force the parents to get involved in their children’s lives.

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