“Zero Tolerance” To Gang Members Using Field
The police have informed football clubs that going forward they “will operate a zero tolerance attitude” to people they have identified as “involved in gang and criminal activity utilising the Police Field.”
A police spokesperson said, “On Tuesday, November 8th 2016 following a meeting with Mr. David Sabir of the Bermuda Football Association, Acting Deputy Commissioner Martin Weekes wrote the below copied letter to Mr. Sabir, for distribution to the various football clubs.”
In a letter sent to the clubs, the police said it is their position “that the dangers caused to the public and to the footballing community by the practice of Teams fielding persons that are identified as being actively involved in gang and criminal activities, outweigh any benefits that their skill on the field can bring to Bermuda Football.
“It is time for Teams and Clubs particularly to recognise the liability issues surrounding the continued practice of travelling to ‘away’ games with gang members on their teams when violence, which could otherwise have been avoided, ensues during or after games.
“To this end, and with a view to setting standards at our own Club premises, the Bermuda Police Service wishes to inform you that, going forward, we will operate a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to persons we have identified as persons involved in gang and criminal activity, utilising the Police Field.”
The full letter is below:
Dear Mr. Sabir
I write to you formally to consolidate the messages that have been delivered in recent weeks by a number of our officers including Assistant Commissioner of Police Daniels, Superintendent Howard, Inspector Devine and Sergeant Raynor on the topic of team members who have been identified as being involved in gangs and/or criminal activity.
It has been the Bermuda Police Service’s position for some time that the dangers caused to the public and to the footballing community by the practice of Teams fielding persons that are identified as being actively involved in gang and criminal activities, outweigh any benefits that their skill on the field can bring to Bermuda Football.
It is time for Teams and Clubs particularly to recognise the liability issues surrounding the continued practice of travelling to “away” games with gang members on their teams when violence, which could otherwise have been avoided, ensues during or after games.
To this end, and with a view to setting standards at our own Club premises, the Bermuda Police Service wishes to inform you that, going forward, we will operate a “zero tolerance” attitude to persons we have identified as persons involved in gang and criminal activity, utilising the Police Field.
Officers will be in attendance at games played at Police Field going forward and will work with Club Officials to identify these persons and to inform them that they are not welcome to play at the Police Field.
I wish to make it clear that the Bermuda Police Service is not targeting any Club or Team in particular and will apply this policy to all Teams and indeed all sports currently played at Police Field, with a view to making sure that the Police Club is a safe place for families to come and watch football and a place that Police Club members and their families can enjoy at the weekends.
Additionally, in furtherance of our aim of ensuring that Police Field is a family friendly environment and due to complaints from Police Club members and their families using the club of open drug use by spectators at BFA fixtures, we will also be enforcing a zero tolerance policy towards the use of illegal narcotics within the Police Headquarters complex. Police Officers will be on hand to enforce this policy during this weekend’s game.
Unfortunately in the event that we continue to experience complaints from our members on not being able to utilise the club due to the behaviour of spectators at football games or if it is found that our aim of recreating the family friendly environment at Police Field is not compatible with the continued use by the BFA, then we will be forced to rescind our permission for the BFA to schedule fixtures at Police Field.
Read More About
Category: All, Crime, News, Sports
Good move.
Would be better if they ran for politics, it worked for de other guys.
Typical idiotic comment
I vote for Onion Juice as the number one @@@@@@@! in Bermuda. Always has to be first to comment, lots to say, more to complain about. and nothing to offer.
Just lots of I want, I should have, Give me, I want more…but I don’t want to do anything for it.
Go away, or go away often Onion Juice. DELTA has a seat sale on $98 to NYC, I’m sure we would have no problem finding 98 people to pitch in $1 per week to get rid of the negativity.
LMFAO
Gotta love it.
Took them 50 years to do this.
Fact.
They wanted to make money the “Club”.
Now they feel threatened in their area along with the street.
Shalom.
This dumb S!@# only started no more then 15 years ago, Dreamer.
If you are a gang member and known to be a gang member (by the police) would it not be a logical deduction that you are involved in criminal activity? If you are a coach or committee member of one of these clubs wouldn’t it be easy to say any gang members are not allowed to represent or even be a member of our club? We have long known that the violence at these games is gang related….and you wonder why the games are so poorly attended? Good people do not want to be subjected to or exposed to this nonsense.
Money Wahoo.
Can you not read?
And don’t misdirect comments to suit yours.
Shalom.
accross the board…
Too little too late…
good move by the police, will be interesting to see which of the other clubs makes the next move and does likewise. Our fields should be used by our young people as a safe haven and a place to have fun. Just go look at the police field on a Sunday morning with that rugby or Saltus and BAA fields with those kids football programs you won’t see that at the community clubs because people don’t feel safe there.
if these lot put as much time in legit work they would be well off and no worries…
Very good move. I hope however the same energy is used at the Actual Police Club to ensure they and their friends do not leave under the influence. If we are going to enforce let’s not just attack the easy targets. I go to the police club regularly with friends and I don’t drink. I am appalled at the amount of officers and other patrons who drink and then get on bikes and in cars and drive.
It is engrained in the culture. At the police Christmas party last year there was over 600 people up at the club and most people drink themselves silly and then get into cars and go home. The Police Sherry Party held every January 1st police and their guest drink then leave. All in their own cars and or bikes. Hmm
The Bermuda football Association,,,,,the Bermuda cricket Association,,,,,,The squash association,,,,All clubs that charge entrance fees,should enforce the rule that ,,,,,on the acceptance of entrance fees for any member of the public it becomes the responsibility of that club charging an entrance fee to provide at least two Police Officers at all events to enforce or prosecute any club officials that do not abide by the rules.Gang members as well as drug use on their premises also is liable to result in prosecution by law.Peace.
Gangstas are watchin and playin squash? Really???? Who knew?
The police may have zero tolerance but that judicial system has a 99% tolerance which will defeat the main goal.
The police are no longer going to allow open drug use on their premises! Imagine that, I mean why have they allowed it up to this point? I go to football games, so I can speak to this issue. It has harder to find a place to sit at the police field where there isn’t someone smoking to left, the right, in front and or in back of you. In fact it is one of the more difficult fields to not be exposed. The police stand there and they don’t blink an eye. The security at the gate don’t blink an eye. At least at the other fields, I know where to sit if I don’t want to get high. Last week I watched the police sit in their van. Did they get out, no. Did the announcer say no drug use allowed on the premises? Did everyone in the stands laugh, yes. Well I guess if the police did their jobs there would be hardly any spectators at the games, football or cricket. Well I think the announcement is ironic but I’ll view this as a step in the right direction.
1. no gangs
2. no drugs
(at police field)
if this is surprising or in disagreement with your morals either jump headfirst off a bridge or call me
When the government made those two big public school…that’s when this Gang stuff started happening more aggressively… Should have kept it the same…now everyone repping where they come from…what you think gonna happen…thank the system!
UBA ~ United Bermuda Alliance
Making Bermuda Great Again
Why dont you people grow a pair like a real man should and REPORT whoever is a gang member, so the police can go DO THEIR JOB and arrest them for gang membership and activity.
You people make me sick with your laziness, apathy, slothful attitude towards gangs. Pathetic.
If it was illegal to “be in a gang”… LMAO the police can’t just make up laws to suit themselves!! Due process people, you’re jumping up and down about nothing. How do you prove that someone is in a gang without any legislation? You sheeple need to educate yourselves or maybe this is too much for your little pea brains to comprehend.
Umm,umm dumb, dumb. News bulletin! Some gang members, no actually most gang members are stupid enough to get tattoos identifying themselves as a member of a certain gang. Others wear colors, use gang signs and even advertise who they are by using graffiti in the very places they hand out as. The one that makes me laugh is how many of these idiots have facebook pages, Instagram accounts and publically post pictures of themselves or rap about what they have done.
Furthermore, guess what? They hang out together “in a gang” day and night which is kinda why we call it a gang. Many have been arrested and are known as gang members, a quickly squeal on each other when they are caught to save themselves. You see, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out wo the dumb ones are.
So “its not illegal” Do you comprehend?
So tell me we than have to pack our families up and relocate when we have to testify on the stand.
The judicial system stinks point blank. That’s why things out of control
Who’s ‘you people’? lol
I would hope that police,government and private citizens would be tired of this gang thug mentality, start sending them to real prison someplace else, it will save us money and certainly teach them something of the real world that they refuse to live in.
late is better then never…
for it is all to soon not now becomes never… welcome aboard.
Lest we lend far too much creedence…