A stray bullet struck a passing car and lodged in the car seat headrest. What if there was a person sitting in that seat? That person could have been killed? What if the car was driven by a tourist whose passenger was struck and killed? The latter could have some very serious repercussions for our nation's one-pillar based tourist economy.
Gun-totting and machete wielding teenagers does not display a good image as a tourist destination. A police control of the students and the school bus after it was intercepted led to law enforcement officers finding a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver in a girl's schoolbag besides two machetes and three knives.
The tourist vessel Star Clipper announced last week that it was dropping calls to Antigua & Barbuda after one of its cruise passengers was murdered on the island. The 227-passenger Royal Clipper will now visit Nevis instead.
Antigua has been a popular destination for the cruise line and Star Clipper vessels have been calling at Antigua for many years without incident. The CEO of Star Clipper reportedly said that the cruise line will continue to monitor the security situation and evaluate their options for the next winter season regarding returning to the island.
What happened in Antigua where a cruise line pulled out could happen in any other Caribbean cruise destination including St. Maarten. If we as a nation do not get a hand on crime, we are looking at such a scenario.
Bermuda has an on-going gang problem. The Bermuda government has established a number of safe houses for people who want to break away from gangs. The houses have been set up to offer people the protection they need and help them start their new lifestyles. Another option being considered by the Bermuda government is a curfew.
What motivates young people to turn to gangs? This is the crux of the problem, and once you understand why this is taking place, only then can you develop intervention measures to resolve the issues or at least put policies in place to deal with the challenges being faced by young people.
Dialogue with gang members is one option. A Bermuda member of parliament Michael Weeks says, "We must address gang issues to end the violence." Young people who join gangs feel shunned and disenfranchised by mainstream society and are in need of education and employment.
Weeks believes the only way to stop the violence is to listen to gang members. "We have to get them round the table to hear them out and address their issues. They are in an underworld that is separate from the rest of Bermuda – we have to bring them back to mainstream society," Weeks pointed out.
Perhaps this is one of the options for St. Maarten - speaking with persons who are a member of a gang or who have been involved in gang activity. The writing is on the wall, and every incident that has taken place to date has shown an escalation in gang activity on the island. The time for action is now!
Roddy Heyliger
