Police Group Dispersal Authority Reinstated
The police will continue to exercise powers under the Criminal Code Amendment Act 2010 to disperse groups in the White Hill area of Sandys, Acting Chief Inspector Robert Cardwell said today [Oct 4].
Acting Chief Inspector Robert W. Cardwell said, “The Bermuda Police Service is announcing that the authority to disperse groups in the area commonly referred to as White Hill in Sandys Parish, specifically: Middle Road between Spring Benny Road and Farmstead Lane; Spring Benny Lane, Spring Benny Drive, Spring Benny Road, White Hill View, Rockywold Drive, Rockywold Road, Butterfield Lane, Woodlawn Road, Fairhaven Lane, White Hill Lane, Farmstead Lane and any public place contiguous to any of these roads, has been re-issued under the authority of Acting Chief Inspector Robert Cardwell, the current Western Area Commander.
“The period of this ‘Authority’ shall be between 8am on Saturday, 6th October, 2012 and 11:59pm on Friday, 19th October, 2012.
“It is necessary to exercise these powers to combat incidents of playing loud music, using offensive language, distributing illegal drugs, consuming alcohol in public and other criminal offences suffered within this community including burglary, theft, robbery, and the willful damage of private property that have caused residents to feel intimidated, harassed, alarmed and distressed by the congregation of groups.
“The exercise of police powers under Section 110 of the Criminal Code Amendment Act was recently the subject of a defense challenge in the Magistrates’ Court.
“The Bermuda Police Service has taken legal advice in relation to that challenge and is equipped to continue to exercise police powers to disperse groups who participate in anti-social behaviour.
“The Bermuda Police Service is committed to bringing relief to the residents of this community and others. The public are reminded that under this ‘Authority’ police have the power to instruct persons who are congregated to disperse, and to not return to the areas designated under the ‘Authority’ for the duration of the ‘Authority’.
“Any person who refuses to comply with an instruction to disperse is liable to immediate arrest and will be detained until the next sitting of the Magistrates’ Court. The penalty for such an offence is a fine of up to $2,500 and/or 3 months imprisonment.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police David Mirfield said, “The Bermuda Police Service is working with other area partners and intends to announce shortly that the ‘Authority’ to disperse groups is likely to be issued in other areas.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police David Mirfield went on to say that, “the Bermuda Police Service will always take into account community voices and will respond accordingly.
“Measures such as the powers under Section 110 may not always be the appropriate response; that will be determined by looking at a range of solutions and deciding on what is right for that particular area of concern.
“But I want to reemphasize that the powers under Section 110 have and will only be used following full consultation with the affected communities.”
better not bother round de plumbin shop, dats de hang out!
How bout instead of dispersing, you give these men something to do! Oh I dunno… A job. SOMETHING. We are going about this in totally the wrong manner.
That is not the police’s responsibility. We all have the ablility to go out and seek emplyment, and to work hard to keep that job. Whether it be a in hospitality, IB, painting, construction, etc.
It is up to these guys whether they want to put in that effort or sit on a wall. Come on man, you’re encouraging the entitlement mentality that is rampant on this island.
he’s not asking for the police to give them a job..he’s asking for the law makers, who in this instance looked for the easiest and least effective way of dealing with such individuals, to create jobs for young people. Lots of people don’t understand that not everyone is cut out for business and sitting in offices all day..Bermuda and the rest of the world need to begin to realise this…CREATE JOBS PEOPLE WANT TO DO!
Even when the college had free tuition, did these guys take advantage of it?
NO.
No matter how many “initiatives” the Government has put out directed to these young men, they still didn’t utilize them.
Jobs that people actually want to do?
Well the Government let foreigners come in to do the crappy jobs so that Bermudians can hold respectable jobs.
There’s already too many people working for Government.
We need more people working in the private sector.
We can’t continue to pay these Government workers to bledy well sit on there @sses all day for the sake of “Giving a guy a job”.
How many jobs can Government give?
How many workers do we need to pay for just for the sake of “people need jobs”
What Government has done is hired so many people just for the sake of a “Low unemployment rate”
That’s just putting dirt under the carpet.
Now the Government can’t even downsize their departments because then the big bully BIU will start striking, again, and put the country at a stand still, yet again.
All in the name of “Giving a man a job”
These young guys have so much opportunity out there, but they can’t seriously expect to get anywhere if they let their mama’s write up their resumes, fill in applications for them, go to the interview for them, then expect a job.
People working for the Private Sector CONTRIBUTE to our GDP (Gross Domestic Product – the market value of all final goods and services from a nation in a given year)… people working for the PLP Government GOBBLE UP GDP! The Civil Service cannot be a Make-Work Program… it needs to be reduced by at least 25%! 6,000 or 7,000 people working for Government is way, WAY too many! Bermuda is like a 60,000 population small town anywhere else… it’s Civil Service has just gotten out of hand! It is an easy way of dealing with unemployment, seeing as the PLP are completely out of ideas and asking the OBA over and over for their ideas. Sheeeesh!!
Precisely
All these guys want is a paycheck. A job where they will actually have to work is the last thing they want.
HOW BOUT THEY GO ON COURT STREET!!!
isnt this the “wandering abroad act” renamed?
No. It’s the “behaving like an obnoxious idiot” act.
Suck it up.
Book em Danno.
Boom Bye Bye, read the Act. Then re-act.
Why are the police still worrying about these little White Hill boys who just act like normal bored teenage boys when we have wanna-be gangsters such as Parkside, MOB and 42 running around killing eachother? Or wait, is this their way of showing that they have some sort of authority? Because when I see the police in action in areas such as Court St or St Monica’s Road the police look like they are scared.
a lot of the people who hang around there aren’t young. Personally i hang around there, the plumbing shop and I along with many other go there after a long days work, so it’s our little hang about to kick sh!t and have a few laughs. Never any problems stemming from that…police would rather arrest and disrupt groups who pose no problems..same with cannabis users, because they won’t shoot back and the paper work is much easier.
So what if I am hanging on Whilte Hill lane just to kick as you said bothering no one and the nthe police come and say I have to move or be arrested? Like you, no problems stemming from me being there.
Where do you think these guys come from?
You thing these “Little teenage White Hill boys” do when they’re not teens?
Become CEO’s?
Be real.
I never said they were CEOs. But a lot of them(the older ones), notice i’m defending the older ones not necessarily the young ones, who, yes of course they sit around all day doing nothing and its pathetic that most do so, but the older generation do a lot of hard labour, the jobs you wouldn’t want to do when sat in your comfy office chairs.
The older cats grew up in a different Bermuda. They are very hard working and have good work ethic.
This new generation is wasting a lot of time sitting off and won’t get very far in life.
They may even have a kid somewhere down the line. Stressed beyond belief trying to make ends meet or dealing drugs just to survive (Exposing the child in the criminal world at an early age), then the cycle starts again.
Each generation will continue to get worse than the one before on the track we’re heading.
And I know all about working hard in the hot Bermuda sun. I did 5 years of construction before heading back to school and now working in an office.I wasted a lot of my time, but I worked. I worked my ass off at every job I’ve had and had no problem keeping a job even when the company is going through tough times. Most of my former bosses want me back and offer me a job every time I see them. Even in this economic environment. it’s hard to find hard working youths these days.
Is it better working in an office? Not by much. Work is work. You either have the ethic to work and make sh!t happen or you don’t. That’s the reality of the world.
@Where they come from? : Instead of getting smart why don’t you be real and tell me the last time you heard of White Hill being involved in Bermuda’s major crime?? My point is that instead of focussing on a crew that does not cause as much trouble, they should go to the crews which are causing issues to our island.
You’re right. They should be focusing on all “crews” on the island. No matter how much or how little “trouble” they create.
What about that boy those “white hill boys and girl” killed a him for a chain!
My Mama said to me “U are who yours friends are!”
Well if they hadn’t destroyed that white hill club, they would be hanging out there out of everybody’s way. I say put the club back.
Its true they need too build the recreation club for these young men cause they are not bad people they are idol n just happen to be idol on peoples private property .. As for the plumbing shop its not a Hang out its a black mans business u all are sh!ting on ..go do that in your own yard n not underneath or outside peoples home and windows. (No respect) and u probably live no where near there. Go the Hell Home u n ya friends!
Remember this law only applies to those persons under the age of 17!!