News

Missing Children Down

Published

12 years ago

September 5, 2014

KINGSTON, Sept. 3 (JIS): The Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR) is reporting a decline of 19 per cent in the number of children reported missing for the period January to June 2014, when compared to the corresponding period in 2013.
This was disclosed by Registrar of the OCR, Greig Smith, during a press conference held at the Office of the Prime Minister, on September 3.
Mr. Smith noted that despite the decline, the OCR is mindful that there is still a lot of work to be done, to ensure that children remain in their homes and feel secure being there.
“The fact that fewer children are going missing means our messages are having an impact. However, we remain conscious of the fact that we must work assiduously to improve the rate of recovery of missing children,” he said.
Mr. Smith also informed that preliminary data indicate that 11,018 reports of child abuse were received by the OCR for the period January to December 2013, representing an increase of 26 per cent over the 2012 period.
“Of the reports received, 8,679 represented children who were being reported on for the first time. Of this amount, 57 per cent were girls, 41 per cent were boys, while the gender for the remaining 2 per cent was not specified,” he said.
He noted that neglect was the most common report received by the OCR throughout 2013, representing 48 per cent of all reports, and that the other categories which featured high were reports of children in need of care and protection and children who were sexually abused, which accounted for 39 and 30 per cent, respectively.
Mr. Smith said that with the exception of trafficking, which remained unchanged compared to 2012, increases were observed in all types of reports, ranging from 20 to 53 per cent.
“Reports of child labour (increasing by 53 per cent), led the increases in the types of reports received. There were 319 reports of child labour for 2013, compared to 209 reports recorded in 2012. Reports of children exhibiting behavioural problems and those in need of care and protection were featured in the top three percentage increase in the types of abuse reported over the period, registering increases of 44 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively,” he noted.
He also informed that reports on the other major types of abuse, such as physical, emotional and neglect saw an average increase of 22 per cent in 2013.
In terms of missing children, 984 children were reported missing for the period January to June 2014 (222 boys and 762 girls), and of this amount, 614 have since returned. However, two of the missing children were found dead and 368 are still missing.
Meanwhile, in order to improve the rate of recovery for missing children, the Office of the Children’s Registry initiated search and rescue training across the island on a phased basis, beginning with the parishes of St. Thomas, St. Catherine, St. Ann, Trelawny and St. James between April and July this year.
The participants trained included nurses, educators, ministers of religion, guidance counsellors, children’s officer, fire personnel, parish disaster coordinators, civil servants, probation officers, members of the judiciary as well as representatives from various non-governmental and community-based organisations.
Mr. Smith also informed that the OCR will be printing and distributing 3,000 copies of search and rescue protocol manuals, developed to provide guidance in finding missing children.
These manuals will be disseminated in schools, residential child care facilities, government ministries, departments and agencies, private sector companies, among others, and will also be available for download on our website at www.ocr.gov.jm, following a workshop that will be held to launch the document,” he said.
For her part, OCR Child Ambassador for Region Four (St. James), Suzanna Hyde, said that children have a critical role to play in the fight against child abuse and missing children.
She urged that children should refuse to divulge private information, such as home address and telephone numbers to others without their parents’ consent.
To make a report of a missing child, persons can call the OCR at
1-888-PROTECT (776-8328) or Police at 119.

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Bahamas News

Royal Bahamas Police Force – ARRAIGNMENT NOTICE

Published

3 days ago

August 27, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.

The individuals and charges are as follows:

An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving

The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.

The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.

The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.

The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.

The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.

A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:

Murder

The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.

A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

Murder
Attempted Murder

These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.

RBPF, PACD

News

Saunders Tells Caribbean Media: Be Seen, Be Heard – But What About TCI

Published

5 days ago

August 25, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”

Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”

Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.

The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.

Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.

Saunders believes AI can help.

He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.

He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.

His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”

For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.

That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us

Bahamas News

Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday

Published

1 week ago

August 20, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.

Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.

According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.

The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.

Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.

However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.

The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band