Team Arrives To Start Gang Mediation Programme
Minister of National Security Wayne Perinchief today [June 25] announced a team from StreetSafe Boston has arrived in Bermuda to facilitate a gang mediation programme. This announcement comes on the heels of another murder this past weekend, with a 31-year-old man shot dead while at a barbershop on North Shore.
The programme is being facilitated independent of the Bermuda Police Service so that mediators remain neutral when engaging those involved in gang activity, a spokesperson said. Training for local mediators is set to begin today.
Minister Perinchief said: “This weekend’s tragic events speak to the clear need for this initiative. Solutions to these problems do not achieve results overnight and so we renew our efforts on all fronts; committed to reversing the destructive lifestyle that is the gang culture.”
The Minister continued: “This week’s training has been planned for some time as we sharpen the Ministry’s strategic focus and meet the issues in the community head-on. Strong community involvement is a key building-block for a safer Bermuda and together, supporting initiatives like this one, will ensure safety and security for all.”
Funding for the programme will initially come from the Ministry of National Security, and potential private and corporate donors have been invited to an information session on Thursday, June 28th.
Last week Minister Perinchief tabled an amendment in the House of Assembly which makes provision for additional jail time when crimes are proved to be committed as part of unlawful gang activity. At that time, he Minister said he concurs with the Commissioner of Police when he says “we cannot arrest our way out of this problem”.
“This Government promised gang mediation,’ said Minister Perinchief. “We embraced this concept because a path out of the gang lifestyle must be provided. We cannot consign a generation of this country’s citizens to the criminal justice system and its natural conclusion of incarceration. Where there is even a glimmer of desire to make lifestyle change we must harness it and encourage that change.”
Why didn’t anyone think about this before?! We just talk to them and ask them nicely to stop and go get a job in international business, problem solved! Sorry buddy but I think the drug trade brings in far more revenue than most IB companies, plus I’m not too sure how many of these guys have masters degrees. So I’m going to stop selling drugs and shooting people to get a legit job with far less rewards? I think not my friend…but we’ll see.
Great – more money being wasted on some make-shift program that will be ignored and not funded in the next 4 months. How about you go out there and start arresting the parties involved. Find any way to arrest them even if its flicking a cig into the street for littering.
boy dont make me roar!
You got to be kidding me…..no hope just no hope for this island…
It’ gotta be US Marshalls with coded name “Mediators”.
“Funding for the programme will initially come from the Ministry of National Security, and potential private and corporate donors have been invited to an information session on Thursday, June 28th.”
Funding from this should come from the Government – period! Oh, but wait, this government has bankrupt us. Oh, ok, then…let’s ask those pesky people in IB to fund this. We hate them and don’t want them here but let’s see if they’ll give us some money.
Bermuda is a pathetic mess.
Haha, this will stop crime..
Until the profitability of being a criminal is removed crime will stay, and the violence that comes with it.
I do not think gang mediation is a horrible thing… however, I can’t imagine what good it will do if there are no alternatives available. This, however, can only be one effort in many. There needs to be more well led youth organisations, there needs to be life training for young mothers and fathers. Very little is going to impact those already in the lifestyle, but those coming up can be reached.
Now Minister Perinchief can sit back. His work is done. He embraced the concept. and an expat to point fingers at when nothing happens to boot. Nice work.
GOVERNMENT IS SOOOOOO BANKRUPT THAT BERKELEY INSTITUTE(GOVERNMENT AIDED) IS NOW REQUIRING A REGISTRATION FEE WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LAPTOP I MUST PURCHASE FROM THEM …..BUT WAIT I ALREADY HAVE A LAPTOP AT HOME YET HE CAN’T USE IT BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO PUT THEIR NETWORK ON IT….OUR GOVERNMENT IS SINKING US AND WE MUST COME TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY TO STOP THIS MAYHEM!!!! OUR PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THEIR TRUE POWER…A REVOLUTION MUST TAKE PLACE NOW!!! THERE IS AN ORIENTATION MEETING TONIGHT AT THE BERKELEY INSTITUTE @ 5:30 AND I HOPE THERE ARE ANSWERS TO WHY THERE IS ALL OF A SUDDEN A FEE TO ENTER A GOVERNMENT AIDED SCHOOL..BERNEWS I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.
I can just see it now. All the mediators are trained and in place for the very first mediated meeting .
Mediators addressing the ‘gang members’ who have decided to come (probably a ridiculously small number)…..
‘Good morning gentlemen , guys , boys , men , (pick one) we’re here today to discuss the issue of gang activity and it’s impact on our small island. We want to resolve this problem and look forward to your input and working with you.’
Gang members …
Completely puzzled looks and silent blinking all around because they didn’t understand a word that was said.
They do not speak or relate to our language. The first lesson that needs to be learned.
All these shoting ank over money !!! They ank making more money cause they shoting ppl! Lol they about taking money not makin it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is this true Government? Your charging the kids to go to Berkeley? Are you serious? Who is next? Cedarbridge? Prospect Primary? This Government makes me soooooooooo angry!!! Bunch of hypocrites!!! If you are looking for my vote, welllllllll think again. COME ON DARN IT HOLD A FREAKIN ELECTION!!!
While we expend resources at tax payers expense to deal with the so called gang related issues,are we really bringing solutions to the table using the public purse or are we waisting money trying to cover with a over sized band aid,I do not use these words to be little the minister or anyone directly but would love to see a real war on drugs in these Islands and to set a bench mark of what we will not tolerate any longer. that sounds good but in reality the drug trade does not begin to get the true recondition that it really has on these shores. we concentrate on the gang violence and murders on our streets and say we must put an end to this and stop this madness and that even sounds politically correct, when the truth of the matter is that the shootings and the killings is the bottom of our problem and the smaller part of the entire picture.
Our young black man are being labelled as the greatest culprits in these acts of violence against humanity and society but in actual fact this is a far greater crisis that is heavily funded by those that don’t carry guns or even frequent these troubled areas. over the last five years we have seen an increase in crime and needles to say the height of these crimes escalate during our summer period and most definitely when we have the Newport to Bermuda boat race, I just wonder if there allegedly could be a connection.we concentrate so hard on the importation of drugs at our airport and freight shed and even through our docks but what is the most ever seized in either one of those ports.
See I live in the real world and understand that our sea bed has many blind spots and is very carefully seen as the best way to import any thing illegal and that while thousand of dollars worth of illegal drugs have been seized through our airport and docks,just think about the millions of dollar worth that goes un-detected on our sea bed, no this is nothing new and I don’t speak something that has not been already said but I do say until you take out the real culprits to this menace picture we see in society you wont even put a dent into the situation.
We claim we saw a calm and now we see the ugly head of murder coming again, it never left us and until we realize that criminals don’t take a vacation or go on retreats,they just keep ahead of law enforcement and sometimes and unfortunately they are sometimes one and the same.so this is why I speak because we like to focus on what looks disgraceful,when most times the disgraced is coming from the very ones who seemed to be a part of bringing solutions.
We in this country are so close minded that we still see drugs and murder as a black problem but don’t want to accept that it is a billion dollar industry and as in main stream every day life, whites still capitalize the work market in the legal jobs in these Islands and they do the same in the illegal trade in these Islands also,that is why you see blacks getting caught with thousands of dollars worth of drugs and whites getting caught with millions,when you see blacks involved with the million dollar level,it is because they have connected with white money and old money. you can only get rid of the likes of Colin Coxall because what he really stumbled on and this other gentleman that we have bought in here to help solve our gang situation will be sent back also if he gets to close to the flame,just keep arresting the young blacks and shining the spot light on them and all will be fine
Keep bringing in special task force to address the spilling of blood on our street and the constant torment in our neighborhoods and don’t look at our counter parts who don’t look like us,then it will be business as usual and plenty of employment to all who would put their hand forward to take the race against death. I wish the minister and his team the temporary success that they are looking for but hope they can produce something a lot stronger before the greater starts to take place on these shores and at this point it is just a matter of time. P.L.P claimed the U.B.P did not have a real war on drugs and now they are in control and seem like they are still in boot camp and that is not to say that there have been no successes but to clearly point out that we have not seen a dent put into the bigger problem and that is clearly marking the top branch of the problem and not putting so much spotlight on the outcome of a situation that really starts around a round table.
To catch a rat you don’t set a trap, you have to poison it according to our pest control and most rats that they poison are fat rats,not lean ones. the lean ones get run over by cars.
Let me please also ask Mr. Perinchief if you have included C.A.R.T.E.L in these training process of local mediators as I do still believe that they have worked hard on the front line but continually get overlooked by this Government in the expertise that they also bring to the table but we would spend money on more overseas expert to deal with a local problem.
If you are really serious then call a Royal Commission and lets really see what the results are from there
and take and do what we must to slow down the situations we are presently faced with or bring it to a real halt if we have enough political clout to do so. put the damn referendum on gaming off and secure our shores first and put our tax payers money to better use.
Look people Government has to start somewhere because further down the road there’s trouble, brewed from loss of lives. I am really afraid of what’s coming next, seriously. These crimes committed has bred courage for revenge.
And YES I will bring up lack of Religious Knowledge in schools, you know why? Ask the hurting ones what happened and why are you contemplating killing. They will answer, “Im doing it for my brother, dad, uncle etc who is looking down!” If RK was in schools and taught properly most youth would know the dead knows nothing. If I can take time to listen and understand a complete strangers pain, so can others, but you must be sincere.
Mr. Perinchief keep doing what your doing. Along with that this island needs committed, honest, seasoned and alert law enforcement officers, teachers, social workers, grief bereavement counselors to work together. Any shady people must NOT be on your team, weed them out!!!.
Spending money on mediators…really? Aren’t we already in debt? When in reality we should be on a “Ramen Noodles EVERYNIGHT type budget” we’re sending money!!! REALLY??? We have PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND THAT CAN MEDIATE!!!!!!!!
Typical,,,,,”Champagne taste with Beer money”
Boston and BDA are 2 different animals!! As I re-call quite a few “experts” have been brought-in to assess the situation, including an English police *gang specialist* who is still here – and yet the shootings/murders still go on!!