Armed Robberies: Tourist & Taxi Driver
Police are investigating two armed robberies last night [Mar.5], one occurring in the Lolly’s Lane, Smith’s parish area while the other happened at a Southampton guest property.
At around 7.30pm last night a taxi driver dropped off a fare in the Lolly’s Lane area when he was accosted by two men, one brandishing a firearm. They stole a quantity of cash before escaping on a motorcycle.
One hour later two men — one brandishing a gun — gained entry into a at a Southampton guest cottage and stole a quantity of cash, a laptop and two mobile phones before escaping. The occupants of the cottage, American visitors to the island, were uninjured.
The suspects in both incidents are described as two dark skinned males, and police have not ruled out the possibility that the two incidents may be linked.
The full statement follows below:
Police are investigating a reported robbery that occurred around 7:30pm on Monday March 5th in the Lolly’s Lane, Smith’s parish area.
It appears that a taxi driver dropped off a fare in the area when he was accosted by two unknown men, one brandishing what appeared to be a firearm. The suspects stole a quantity of cash before making good their escape on a dark & red coloured motorcycle. The taxi driver, a 34 year old Devonshire man, was not injured.
Police are also investigating a reported robbery that occurred around 8:30pm on Monday, March 5th at a Southampton guest property. It appears that two unknown men gained entry into a residence on the property, one brandishing what appeared to be a firearm.
The intruders stole a quantity of cash, a laptop computer and two mobile phones before making good their escape. The occupants of the cottage, American visitors to the island, were also uninjured.
The suspects in the Southampton incident are described as two dark skinned males, approximately 5’8” tall of slim build. One of the offenders was wearing a black hooded jacket while the other was wearing a black jacket.
The suspects in the Smith’s parish incident are described as two dark skinned males, approximately 5’9” to 5’11” tall; one of slim build and one of medium build. Both were wearing black hooded jackets.
Area searches were conducted following both incidents; however the culprits were not located. Inquiries are ongoing and detectives have not ruled out the possibility that the two incidents may be linked.
Detective Inspector Dave Greenidge is leading on these matters and any witnesses or anyone with any information regarding either incident is encouraged to contact the Serious Crime Unit on 247-1185 or the independent, confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.
Welcome to Bermuda! Feeling the Love yet?
Bermuda sucks.
..so BERMUDA sucks because of the actions of a minority? Get a grip.
bermuda does suck. its a crime ridden banana republic.
clearly your not bermudian. if you dont like bermy then leave bermuda does not suck. things just arent as good as they should be. thats the world we live in
im bermudian, and it does suck
I am Bermudian too and this place certainly does SUCK!
And don’t give me that “crime happens in the rest of the world” bullsh*t because the “rest of the world” doesn’t claim to be a wonderfully safe tourist spot where one “Feels the Love!” So stop comparing Bermuda to the rest of the world – it is not comparable. Syria and Bagdad don’t claim to be tourist hotspots. South Compton, CA doesn’t claim to be a tourist destination either! If we are going to say that “Bermuda’s crime is no different than anywhere else in the world then we need to stop marketing ourselves as a tourist destination where one can “Feel the Love. Plain and simple. I’ll bet the woman and her daughters that had guns held to their heads while trembling on the floor of their guest house don’t consider Bermuda a tourist destination any more…. Ridiculous! Call us what we are, “a crime-infested, gang-filled island with pretty sand.” Market that!
You’re a xenophobic idiot.
It’s quite ironic that when a Bermudian says something negative about a foreigner they are labeled xenophobic & ostracized. On the other hand when a foreigner says something negative about Bermudians no matter how much of a fallacy it is the crowd cheers them on.
How’s this for being xenophobic. The most atrocious homicide ever committed in Bermuda was done by a foreigner. May be xenophobic but true.
This is disgraceful…
I heard the robbery was at the Reefs , did they target this place a few months ago?
It wasn’t at the Reefs, it was at a private cottage near the Reefs, that the Reefs sometimes uses for overflow purposes…according to RG last week.
I agree as Im sure everyone does. I hope these good for nothing punks get caught soon and rot in jail! They should not be afforded the right of freedom. Lock them up and throw away the key so that their victims and the rest of our guests and countrymen can live without fear.
Like I said earlier, “Feel the Love” huh? We are wasting our time and money with tourism efforts. This ‘Bermudian’ mentality of getting things the easy way, or in this case the illegal way has to stop. We must control criminal activity first!
Please tell me at least one country that has all of its criminal activity under control? All you people are acting like this can’t happen anywhere else around the world.
So typical – we have a problem and there are still those who remain in a state of denial….. just like the PLP who said we do not have a gang problem some while back! Next we will have the Minister of Tourism saying again that the RG / Bernews should not be reporting these incidents – or at least not on the front page where the report might be noticed!
I am NOT in denial. I am aware of what is going on. But people are on here talking about the crime like if they went to another country there is no possibility of it happening. I am just trying to make it clear that this can happen anywhere!
Yes, but those places don’t market themselves as “the place to go to FEEL THE LOVE!!” If we are going to brush this off as “eh, it happens all over” then we need to stop marketing ourselves as we have been doing. Maybe something more like: “Feel the cool metal of a 9mm upside your head or the sharp point of a knife at your throat in the comforts of your own hotel room.”
@ hmmm… I totally agree..THERE ARE SHOOTINGS AND ROBBERIES WORLDWIDE..YET WE AS BERMUDIANS STILL TRAVEL……and as longtail says…THERE ARE STILL THOSE THAT ARE IN DENIAL…wake up….BERMUDA IS NO LONGER “another world” WE ARE PART OF THE REAL WORLD……….AND THIS CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD………..I AM NOT SAYING THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE…BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS,,,,,,
I agree with you to an extent, but here is the alarming difference in Bermuda. The police don’t carry arms yet you have thieves brandishing them on our residents and visitors whom aren’t even allowed to defend themselves legally with pepper spray. I am not saying everyone should bear arms, but it is a little unnerving knowing that the thieves and gangs have more leverage than the police service and us law abiding citizens.
It’s simple to clean up our streets. Cups need to think like them… Drive around in taxi’s and rentals just like a tourist all hours day and night…
Visitors, come to Bermuda and “feel the love”.
This is just the beginning ….wait until the season starts .
Feel the love huh? I wonder what the summer descriptions will be…dark skin, dark helmets, sark visors, dark vest, dark bermuda shorts on a dark bike?
Ban dark skinned males and jackets.
It would have been nice if they had named the guest property.
Why ?
Why not?? I can recall incidents over the past year when robberies or assaults have happened at other properties large and small alike and the place was named. Why not in this instance?
But since you ask “Why?” I say mainly because residents living in the area might want to know (and have a right to know) that a robbery took place in their backyard; perhaps they saw/heard something/someone that could be of assistance. And from a personal safety standpoint, if a robbery happened in my neighbour I WOULD WANT TO KNOW regardless. Furthermore, as we know many of these crooks are dumb. Some of them go bragging to their mates about what they’ve done and where they got stuff. With any luck someone may hear something and be able to report it. And finally, from a tourist’s view, if you knew the place you were planning to stay had just been robbed, would you want to stay there? I don’t think so.
Need another reason why?
Its 24 miles long ….its all your backyard….idiot !
RME is not an idiot .. I happen to strongly agree with him. As lovely as it sounds that Bermuda is all of our’s back yard , I’m always annoyed when I hear that (for instance) a Middle Road Southampton residence was burgled .. Well , Middle Road Southampton is about 3 miles long .. Exactly where ? Or two Paget homes were broken into today … Huh ?
Like RME said , if we knew where we might be able to recall something unusual.
Besides , would it worry you any less , or more if you heard the report that ‘a house in Bermuda was robbed today’ , or a house 2 doors down from you ?
Oh , and we’re more like 20 and a bit miles long , not 24 .
what he said
Check out crimestoppers site they have the answers there. A bit of a warning to brace yourself because the media doesn’t have the ability to cover every crime so it may be a shock how many & how close to you they are.
Not to seem cold or callous but maybe BPS should put more manpower into finding these robbers than into the shootings. It’s bad that people are getting shoot but less than a handful of the ones shot are non gang related. It’s worse when people get mugged that have nothing to do with gangs. It seems very possible that most of these muggings are being done by only a few individuals but the rest of Bermuda will get the bad rep for it. All the while the police are doing a better job of protecting gangsters from violence than regular citizens & tourist.
Please find these guys BPS if your not too busy tackling young ladies to the ground to peep in their purses.
Shame a small bunch of cowards are ruining our island reputation even further.
Tell these punks to go to NYC, NJ, LA, London and Asia to see how tough REAL gangsters are…
tourist compounds are just around the corner…no one in or out without a security check…and all tourist are escorted when outside of the property…oh yea they have these already don’t they? I think they call them tours in third world countries?
Time to bring back the Police (Force).
Pretty damned obvious that the resort was being staked out or it is thieves acting on inside info. Come on BPS do some legwork.
Can you please stop editing my posts.
i would think the opinions of the island of people who live there, bermudian or not, is quite relevant and important. They do leave eventually….and become Bermuda’s ambassadors…with plenty of stories of Bermudians telling them to leave if they don’t like it. quite welcoming when tourists ask tim how they liked living here. It sucks for anyone who has lived anywhere else ….
And now we’re back in the room! After the stories about the large pink bus and the trumpeted arrival of the first tourist cruise ship, we get this….yet again….Welcome to Bermuda!
Instead of “Feel the Love” how about a more truthful strapline.
“Feel the end of a gun against the side of your face as we rob you”
Happy holidays!
Hmm. Two dark skinned males, black hooded jackets – but no dark visors and no mention of a dark motorcycle. Perhaps we’re banning the wrong thing.
Fools the lot of you . Bernews has in the last few days put wonderful stories of our youth doing fatastic things in sports , and not one of you idiots would post a word of congrats or well done to encourage good behaviors .
Cyber-world notices how you fall over yourselves to post crap when simpletons go around doing unreparable damage to Bermudas’ social fabric . I bet the perps of these crimes cannot wait to read Bernews just to see how well and effective they have disturbed the peace .
So let’s bury the real crime stats like BPS already does???????
Here’s a true story for you.A major Canadian Realty firm cancelled their 2012 company awards event scheduled for Bermuda.Two hundred and fifty quests for 5 days,gone.The CEO has friends who vistited Bermuda recently and they were mugged.This is the tip of the iceburg and it is true that everyone in Bermuda will suffer because of this crime which is now taking over the island.
shame when these guys get caught we can’t chop them up and use them for chum!!
why isn’t this NEWS!!!
The cruise ship season has started with a bang! Almost literally! Crime is everywhere yes, but if you add in the Nazis at immigration, the barren wasteland that is Front Street on Sundays, rude taxi drivers, rude salespeople, rude…almost everybody and insane prices….the last thing tourists want to deal with in addition to all that is a gun in their face. Tourism will be completely in the toilet in a few years if it isn’t already.
I think you forgot the part where the sky is falling?
How is the immigration nazis? Their are thousands of foreigners given work permits last year & the years before that. The only people I see pushed into ghetto type neighborhoods are Bermudians. The immigration does what all other countries immigrations do. Actually that last sentence is not so correct since immigration here doesn’t do raids like America’s immigration.
For those of you who were curious about the location of the robbery. It was at a property which forms part of the Reefs inventory. it was not on the Reefs property but a separate cottage. Does that help?
The cottage belongs to the Reefs. It is an extension of the hotel property…
Wrong, it is privately owned, and according to Royal Gazette, the owners were the victims. Direct quote: “…took place at a private cottage at a Southampton guest property where the owners were forced to lie down with a gun placed to their head.”
Seems to me Bermuda is living up to its name: The Isles of Devils.
Yup! We’re all devils here all of us are dark devils with dark clothing, dark helmets & dark visors. How can ve stup all dees dark devils.
It’s almost easter so why don’t you go fly a kite!!!!
blame the economy
Woman and two daughters, all tourists robbed while laying on the floor with guns to their heads.
http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20120307/NEWS03/703079940/0
Meanwhile, W&E are getting fancy new jeeps with surround sound from BOSE.
http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20120307/NEWS/703079942/0
Maybe for kicks they can add some shiny spinning wheels and fluorescent lights on the bottom
Beaches in Bermuda are nice though.
Have you seen what the top construction company’s owners in the private sector drive around in? You complain about immigration but they give the permits to these construction companies. The people the construction companies bring in make the owners enough money to buy these supposed “CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES” All the while labors & masons get scraps. If what’s good for the goose is made good for the gander than there is no room to complain.
Hey dude… it’s a totally different story if a private company wants to spend their money on WHATEVER… when it’s the Government and they are using PUBLIC funds, there needs to be accountability.
REALLY!!! How about when a private company is hired by government or is helped by government to build their business. Do you think these perks are paid through the ministers pockets or without pulling a few government department strings? There have been many private businesses that have made it big through the times of plp’s rule. I guess I must be delirious because there is no one in plp that owns a hugely successful private business thats done government work. Right?
It would be good for the Minister of Tourism to weigh-in on the matter of our visitors being held at gun-point by our home-grown thugs… at least it would seem to me like you really care. I don’t think you need to wait for a reporter to ask you for a comment, you could simply submit something that conveys your disappointment… or even OUTRAGE!!
Any time the cops want to stop me in a road block, they are welcomed to. All of us have to do what we can to assist the police in their investiations even if it means disrupting the lives of innocent people! I’d LOVE to see more road blocks/inspection of vehicles taking place. It would certainly make me feel more comfortable!
Tommy Chong! You’re wrong!!!! Stopping generalizing! You have no idea what you’re talking about and furthermore, you’re posting on the wrong article. LOL!!!
When people post statements about Bermuda being full of devils is that not generalizing? I’m not posting on the wrong article I’m relating what’s going on in Bermuda to the topic at hand. If you don’t think it all relates think about what Bermuda was like 10 years ago to how it is now. This does not come about just from a group of people calling themselves gangsters. People have been calling themselves gangsters for over 20 years now in Bermuda & its been less then 7 years that its become a problem. Just look at what’s happened in Bermuda in the past 7 years & maybe you’ll see how it all relates.
Everything is relevant! OK Einstein!
Bermuda Needs Prayer……..
God Help us All (The Good The Bad and The Ugly)
The BPS can’t stop or deter violent thugs all by themselves folks!! They need the information certain members of the public could provide and some assistance from the Judiciary–who except for Justice Greaves, simply are not doing their jobs! For example, a gang of 4 assault and injure a victim outside Docksiders and Magistrate Tokunbo simply extends their probation!! Disgusting!!!
TheRe was also armd robbery in cayman march 6
This is what the US Dept of State has to say about our crime:
BERMUDA
CRIME: Bermuda has a moderate but growing crime rate. Recent crime statistics can be viewed at the official website of the Bermuda Police Service. Examples of common crimes include theft of unattended baggage and items from rental motorbikes, purse snatching (often perpetrated by thieves riding motorbikes), mugging, and theft from unsecured hotel rooms. Valuables left in hotel rooms or left unattended in public areas are vulnerable to theft. Criminals often target visitors on rental motorbikes and at popular tourist attractions.
The back streets of the city of Hamilton are often the setting for nighttime assaults, particularly late at night after the bars close. Travelers should exercise caution when walking after dark or visiting out-of-the-way places on the island as they can be vulnerable to theft and assault, and because narrow and dark roadways can contribute to accidents. In the past, there have been reports of sexual assault and acquaintance rape and occasional use of “date rape” drugs.
Travelers should note an increase in gang presence and illegal drug activity in Bermuda. There have been no reports of gang violence targeted towards visitors to Bermuda, although gunfire between gang members has occurred throughout the island
Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, you may be breaking local law too.
LET’S COMPARE IT WITH CAYMAN:
CRIME: The crime threat in Cayman Islands is generally considered low, although travelers should always take normal precautions when in unfamiliar surroundings. Petty theft, pick-pocketing and purse snatchings occur. A few cases involving sexual assault have been reported to the Embassy. Police in the Cayman Islands rigorously enforce laws against illegal drugs. U.S. citizens should avoid buying, selling, holding or taking illegal drugs under any circumstances.
Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.
AND BVI:
CRIME: Theft, armed robbery and other violent crimes do occur in the BVI. Take common-sense precautions to guard against petty crime. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash and use hotel safety deposit facilities to safeguard valuables and travel documents. Do not leave valuables unattended on the beach or in cars, and do not leave them in plain view inside rental properties or hotel rooms. Always lock up boats when going ashore.
Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States,you may be breaking local law too.
AND FRENCH WEST INDIES:
CRIME: Petty street crime, including purse snatching, occurs throughout the French West Indies. On occasion, tourists are injured during the commission of these crimes. Visitors should take care whenever traveling to safeguard valuables and always lock hotel rooms and car doors.
Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may be breaking local law.
OUR LIST IS NOT AS LONG AS JAMAICA’S LIST BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE….WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER VACATION…WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS? IF YOU HOLD A GUN TO SOMEONE’S HEAD, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR ARMS CUT OFF. YOU CAN’T AIM VERY WELL WITH YOUR FOOT!!! THESE ARE THE DETERENTS BERMUDA NEEDS TO CONTROL THOSE THAT ARE OUT OF CONTROL!!!
The US Dept of State is full of !!@#!*&$^(#^$#*%(^#%)!&#^($%%#$$!##&$%^!#$
http://caymannewsservice.com/headline-news/2011/02/08/tourists-mugged-beach
http://caymannewsservice.com/headline-news/2010/02/15/child-shot-dead-2-arrested
http://caymannewsservice.com/crime/2012/03/04/victim-fights-gunman
http://caymannewsservice.com/crime/2011/09/19/gang-war-spreads-gt
http://caymannewsservice.com/crime/2012/02/05/cops-seize-gun-2-arrested
http://caymannewsservice.com/crime/2011/04/17/man-stabbed-bag-snatch
So… this is what we have to look forward to in Bermuda? Sounds like then we are on par with the rest of the Caribbean!
Everyone in Bermuda should read this article … this is how we can change our small community…
http://library.smu.edu.sg/subjects/CrimeControlSpeechIndia(Final)24Nov06(4).pdf