OBA’s Richardson On National Security & More
“The Premier’s decision to replace Michael Weeks with Ryan Robinson Perinchief as Minister of National Security does not answer the deeper question Bermudians are asking: ‘What is this Government actually doing to make Bermuda safer?’” Shadow Minister of National Security, Governance and AI Jarion Richardson said.
“No one should question the former Minister’s desire to make Bermuda safer,” Mr. Richardson says. “This is not about one person. It is about a Government that keeps changing faces while refusing to confront the failures of the system it leads.”
Mr. Richardson adding, “Bermuda’s national security challenges are no longer isolated problems that can be solved by a single Minister. Violent crime, unsolved murders, gang violence, road deaths, dangerous driving, weak coordination, outdated technology and under-supported frontline services are connected symptoms of a wider failure across Cabinet.
“National security is not just a police matter. It touches education, youth services, transport, public works, health, justice, corrections, customs, digital infrastructure and the way Government allocates resources. When those services are misaligned, under-equipped or left reacting after the murders have already occurred, Bermudians pay the price.”
He continues: “The Premier’s statement failed to address the hard realities facing families and communities: the fear caused by violent crime, the grief of unsolved murders, the persistence of gang activity and the treacherous conditions on Bermuda’s roads.
“Bermuda does not need another round of political musical chairs. Changing the person at the top of the Ministry may create a headline, but it does not fix the hole in the boat. This Government keeps rearranging the deck chairs while water is rushing in.”
Mr. Richardson is calling on the Premier to take personal responsibility for a whole-of-government national security plan with clear timelines, published priorities and measurable outcomes.
“That plan must include support for the police, modern technology, proper road safety enforcement, coordinated youth intervention, stronger intelligence-led prevention and real accountability for results. Condolences after tragedy are not policy. Announcements are not delivery. Bermuda needs a Government capable of preventing harm before it happens.”
Mr. Richardson concluding: “A new Minister gives the Premier someone else to blame for this Government’s failing policies, while allowing him to keep at arm’s length from the gritty truth: this Government is better at being popular than being effective. But Bermuda cannot be made safer by political reshuffles.”
“What is this Government actually doing to make Bermuda safer?”
Joining CARICOM. Have you not been paying attention?
When the BPS cannot look up a police report on its computer system that you filed under your unique last name, that is sad.
I submitted via email this simple idea to the different Ministers of National Security several times over the years and never had a response.
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Why are drugs not discovered at the port of departure? Now, Bermuda is stuck paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a trial, and if convicted, prison for individuals at Westgate at $100,000+ a year for how many years? Let’s say 5 years, $500,000+.
Bermuda needs to pay (or just ask) local police at departure points for the services of drug-sniffing dogs. The police and dogs are already at the airports. Do a sniff-through on the baggage waiting to be loaded, and then at the passenger departure gate. Let the local police deal with all the paperwork and the huge costs of local criminal justice, including incarceration. Way cheaper in the long run.
“Bermuda does not need another round of political musical chairs. Changing the person at the top of the Ministry may create a headline, but it does not fix the hole in the boat. This Government keeps rearranging the deck chairs while water is rushing in.”
I guess Mr Richardson would agree that changing government’s wouldn’t be beneficial either. And perhaps not even Leaders.
Maybe Premier Burt should run again for PLP Leader.