Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce says Barbados “will not be held to ransom by a tiny group of violent men”, as he assured the country that the Barbados Police Service is escalating its crime-fighting response following a spate of firearm-related incidents.
Speaking on Thursday during a wide-ranging press briefing at Police Headquarters, Roebuck Street, The City, Boyce stressed that while the recent shootings have caused unease, the service has a firm grip on the individuals involved. He noted that the public must not allow fear to overshadow the fact that these crimes were driven largely by a small and identifiable set of offenders.
“A small number of armed men must not and will not be allowed to run rampant over Barbados or to intimidate the Barbados Police Service. I want to be very clear. As Commissioner of Police, I am saying to those with illegal firearms and those who carry, traffic or abuse them, that we are coming for you. There will be no leniency for persons who illegally arm themselves and put communities at risk.”
He insisted that Barbados was not “under siege”, despite the intensity of recent events.
Serious incidents
“These incidents are serious but they remain concentrated among individuals in conflict with each other. Barbados is not under siege and Barbadians must feel comfortable to leave their homes.”
Boyce made it clear that while the country had every right to be shaken by the murder of 27-year-old Jabarry Stephen Carrington and the subsequent shootout, Barbadians should not interpret the incident as evidence of national decline or a society losing control.
“These incidents are disturbing and understandably they have raised concern but I want to reassure Barbadians that this is not a situation where this country is under siege. We have a very small number of individuals creating violence and they will not dictate how the rest of us live.”
Carrington was gunned down around 11 a.m. outside Chester’s Tyre Shop along President Kennedy Drive in St Michael when two masked assailants on a motorcycle opened fire at close range, killing him instantly. Minutes
later, police intercepted the same motorcycle along Goodland Main Road in the same parish where the gunmen turned their weapons on officers before crashing and fleeing on foot. A suspect was found soon after hiding among the tombs in Westbury Cemetery.
Detailed breakdown
The Commissioner provided a detailed breakdown of the most recent statistics, showing that the service seized 79 firearms and 2 754 rounds of ammunition from January to November, figures he said demonstrated the effectiveness of operations.
“These include AR-15 rifles, AK-47 rifles, MAC11s, shotguns, pistols, you name it,” he said.
“The public must understand that we are removing weapons every single month. There is no letting up. We are aggressively targeting firearms, ammunition and those who facilitate their movement.”
As the island moves into Independence and Christmas, Boyce outlined an operational plan built on three pillars: hotspot enforcement, rapid response mobility and joint operations with the Barbados Defence Force.
“You will see and feel a stronger and more visible police presence. We will be in the communities, in the commercial districts, in the nightlife corridors. Our officers have undergone specialised motorcycle training and we now have new units, including electric bikes, to respond faster and move through congested urban spaces,” he said.
Boyce said the biggest obstacle to defeating gun crime was not resources, but fear among citizens.
“What is beating us now is that too many persons are living in a state of fear,” he said. ( CLM)
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