Gang Rumours: Ag Show A No-Go For Some

We have heard that some people are avoiding this years Agricultural Exhibition out of safety concerns, following a chain of emails being sent around with various stories.

One major rumour is that gangs had buried guns at the Botanical Gardens to get through the security gates undetected.

We spoke with a person on the fringe of the gang world, who informed us in no uncertain terms the likelihood of that being true to be extremely slim.

His point of contention was not a moral or ethical one per se, but one of logistics. As he said “those things are expensive, no one is going to go round burying it, plus many guys borrow guns so they are not trying to lose someone’s gun, may as well shoot yourself if you do that“.

Minister Glenn Blakeney had previously spoken of the rental of guns in Bermuda.

With the difficulty of obtaining firearms in Bermuda, and the expense involved [said to be $2,000 - $3,000] he said it is unlikely that a person in possession of a gun would take the risk of burying it, and potentially losing it through the possibility of Parks staff or security discovering it overnight.

Not an especially comforting thought, but as pointed out by one of our Facebook members, securing the entire perimeter of the 36 acre Botanical Gardens will not be an easy task, and the individual we spoke with pointed out “guys won’t bury guns, they would jump the wall with them“.

The individual we spoke with also pointed out that “no one is trying to get caught“, and that shootings are normally committed as drive-bys. Within the Botanical Garden grounds, the ability to commit a drive by is drastically reduced, leaving the potential shooter to have to escape on foot – which he perceives as an almost surefire way to get caught.

He also expressed another reason that gang members wouldn’t want to bury a gun, as the risk of being seen digging about in the grounds to retrieve it is too high.

Updates:

1. 1:45pm: Police Media Relations Officer Dwayne Caines stated there is “nothing to substantiate these rumours”.
2. 2:45pm: We posted a set of 10 photos depicting the extensive security procedures.
3. 4:10pm: Minister of the Environment Glenn Blakeney officially responds to the email rumours
4. 4:45pm: Police confirm some officers at the Ag Show are armed

As admitted by the Police at the press conference yesterday, they have 14 open murder cases, and 21 open attempted murder or shooting cases.

In an unspoken admission of the recent crime wave, the Department of Parks issued a notice detailing the security procedures that will be taken at the popular Agricultural Exhibition this year. They include having visitors passing through metal detectors, closed circuit television cameras, police stationed at all entrances and through the grounds as well as private security guards.

The Ag Show starts today, and will run for 3 days ending Sat, April 17. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for under 16 years, and children under 5 years old are free.

#AgriculturalExhibition #CrimeInBermuda #Emails #Shootings

Category: All, Crime, News