Column: Minister Weeks On Safety & More
[Opinion column written by Minister Michael Weeks]
There’s something we all want—no matter who we are or where we live—and that’s to feel safe.
Safe in our homes. Safe on our streets. Safe in letting our children go to school or hang out with friends. And when that safety is threatened by violence, by tragedy, or by the loss of a loved one to a crime that remains unsolved, it shakes all us to our soul.
I’ve been in enough homes where families are still waiting for justice to know that no speech, no headline, and no political back-and-forth will take that pain away.
What people want is real action. What they deserve is real results.
That’s why I was disappointed to read the recent editorial from the OBA. Not because they raised concerns, every Bermudian has a right to speak up, but because instead of offering solutions, they offered political rhetoric.
Here’s the truth. The election is over.
The people spoke. Loud and clear. Now it’s time to put the politics aside and get to work. Because crime doesn’t care who you voted for. Violence doesn’t ask what party you belong to. And the people we serve deserve more than political games. They deserve real collaboration.
In this Government, we’ve been focused on doing just that. We’ve invested in strengthening the Bermuda Police Service. We’re supporting violence intervention teams and expanding access to mental health and youth support. And we’re working closely with families, communities, and the courts to deliver justice.
Is the work finished? No. Are the challenges real? Absolutely. But we won’t stop until every Bermudian feels secure, and no one feels forgotten.
We welcome constructive ideas from anyone, anywhere. If the OBA wants to come to the table, meet with the Bermudian men and women fighting this issue everyday on the frontlines and help build something better for our people, the door is open. But if they just want to throw stones from the outside, they’ll be doing a disservice to the very Bermudians they claim to represent.
This challenge and this moment demands more than sniping from the sidelines and political games. It demands partnership. It demands compassion. It demands leadership.
- Michael Weeks, Minister of National Security
“We’ve invested in strengthening the Bermuda Police Service”
Clearly not enough has been invested in order to allow the BPS to enforce traffic laws!
I am sure you know that operational control of the BPS is not under the remit of the government.
And you agree then that the people who blamed the OBA for the pepper spraying are all wrong ? Please set them straight once and for all .
Ah yes, the standard excuse. Blame the Governor of the day. The Government tells the Governor to jump. The Governor says, how high?
The taxpayers finance the police. We have always had a Minister whose job it is to oversee the police. It is the Minister who presents the police budget every year.
Nothing will change until we get an effective Minister an a useful police Commishioner.
I do know that. But money is, and political pressure can be brought to bear if things do not go the way the Government wants.
Does the name Colin Coxall mean anything to you? Do you remember the fallout from Operation Cleansweep?
The reason why people display belligerency and disobedient conduct to the orders of authority regarding trafic laws, not nessessarly when they are intoxicated the posibly could exist as many are just very simply angry.
They we promises fair and got fare.
I was always of the oppinion the the Governor is the commander in chief of the police and the army here. In Bermuda.
You are correct on that, Pac Man.
Let me see if i can get trough this with out my computer botch this up.
Mr . Bloogs I have carefully read many of Mr Week publications.
Regardless of his party affiliation I have come to find my self to have great resrect for the man and the work which his is doing towards his goal for peace an tranquility as the island or ours deserves .
Mr Weeks is not the only one who is distressed in his vain atemps to keep the pease . i cal him Mr and treat him the man to man with respect althogh I have never met him.
I am the elder of all of you by a long long way.
I has a been through the good and have seen the bad in wars and destruction i have done my service in the army .
All we ask for is change ,the yellow brick road is a long and hard road to travel just get on it !.
Mr Weeks options are two fold rule with the feather or rule with a hammer the right way, is the former .
We can not suceeds by fighting violence with violence , just give up the guns because they hurt people and destroyes their families.
I worked at bank during the day and drove taxi at night what is so wrong with that , there is no shame.
I started with nothing and will leace here with nothing at the other end of the yellow brick road .
There are many opertunities with far reaching benifits availble .
Mr. Weeks wants to save the people from thier own destruction as every job or ocupation has merit and deserves the up most of respect.
Become the better man !
“What people want is real action. What they deserve is real results.”
- Agreed. So remind us what specifically have you been doing all these years collecting a pay check as the Minister of National Security in absence of action and results?
“We’ve invested in strengthening the Bermuda Police Service. We’re supporting violence intervention teams and expanding access to mental health and youth support. And we’re working closely with families, communities, and the courts to deliver justice.”
- Okay, and what are the results of that? You can’t expect people to praise you for doing the bare minimum and not even have statistics and data to back up that what you’re doing is having any material impact.