Column: King On Road Safety, Violence & More
[Opinion column written by MP Robert King]
One death is too many. One preventable death due to gun or knife violence, or unsafe roads, is one too many. And, it must no longer be tolerated.
Most Bermudians remember life on this island when gun violence and motor vehicle accidents were rare occurrences. It was not so long ago. According to Bermuda Police Service figures firearms incidents increased sharply in 2024, rising from 10 incidents in 2023 to 32 incidents in 2024 – more than tripling in a single year.
These are not just incidents. They are lives. The most recent a father shot and killed in cold blood in his yard. The resulting trauma for the family, including two young children who have lost their father, and for the community, is unspeakable. And, it is devastating lives and damaging our island community. This can no longer be accepted.
With every death, a part of Bermuda disappears.
This year’s budget for National Security stands at $137 million – about $2100 per resident. Funding is directed at policing, corrections, border security, emergency services and violence reduction initiatives. And, when funding for these critical investments increases significantly, Bermudians deserve to see clear evidence of results.
The men and women who serve in our uniformed services protecting the public deserve the resources necessary to do their jobs well. We need the infrastructure and technology to prevent guns and crime from being imported onto our island. We need support for our victims and our communities. We must have not just rehabilitation services for those caught up in crime, but we need a national strategy to prevent criminal engagement, through education, opportunity, affordability, homes and health care, including mental health care. Initiatives that help steer young people away from crime play a critical role in ending the pathway to violence before it begins.
Road traffic fatalities remain one of Bermuda’s most persistent and preventable public safety challenges. Driver training is sorely needed for every person on the road. Speed and road rules must be strictly enforced.
Bermuda cannot afford a system where spending increases year after year without the desired results. And, the results don’t require a lot of analysis. They come in simple numbers. One death is too many.
The work to make the dollars we are spending yield the results will take more than we are doing now. It will take all of us saying no more. It will take all of us supporting each other in our neighbourhoods and through meaningful government initiatives to turn the tide. But it starts when we all say no. No more. Not one.
Bermuda must never accept gun violence as part of island life. We must have zero tolerance targets for gun and knife violence. We must employ every measure to improve road safety and prevent road deaths and serious traffic injuries. We must lower recidivism rates and improve emergency response and public protection supports.
We need a national security strategy grounded in honest evaluation, potent policy, and effective implementation. Our police officers, firefighters, corrections officers and border security personnel work tirelessly to keep this island safe. They deserve a national security framework that supports them effectively and measures success honestly. At the same time, enforcement alone cannot solve the problem of violence. Prevention, rehabilitation, opportunity for young people and strong community partnerships must all play a role in a comprehensive approach.
This is not political criticism. This is an urgent call to action. It is about ensuring that every dollar invested in national security delivers the greatest possible benefit to the people of Bermuda.
At the end of the day, Bermudians are not interested in how much the government spends — they are interested in whether their communities are safer. Every parent should feel confident that their child can walk home safely. Every family should feel secure in their neighbourhood. And every dollar invested in national security must achieve that goal.
That is the standard Bermudians deserve. It is the standard to which we must hold ourselves. One death is one too many.
- Robert King, Shadow Minister of National Security
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