News
Tougher Penalties for crimes in TCI, how effective has this been as a solution?
#TurksandCaicos, November 23, 2022 – With these acts of wanton violence in the Turks and Caicos Islands, citizens, law enforcement and politicians are all baffled and fed up with what appears to be almost weekly reports of serious crimes.
We can blame it all on gangs but at what point do we draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough. What and who is masterminding this madness is yet to be determined but in either case there appears to be no signs or intentions of the criminals surrendering. 
It’s pretty evident from recent police raids that illicit drugs and turf rights are fueling some of the violence. With that being said, we need to look beyond the obvious such as the narrow focus in disenfranchised communities. With such a relatively small population in TCI, more work must be done by law enforcement to identify the supply and demand from other sources.
This escalating crime should be a moment of national reckoning for TCI. All violence is a serious problem, but in terms of the gravity of the recent murder of a beloved family which left a child maimed, is gut wrenching and should be an inflection point.
Such a despicable and extreme act of violence shocked the conscience of this tiny island nation of TCI, and shows that the violence has reached a new dimension.
With so many lives been shattered by violence this is a pattern that we haven’t seen since the inception of our country and its eroding the TCI way of life and should demand extreme action in response.
As neighboring countries like Haiti becomes more and more unstable, citizens will continue to seek refuge and so will the criminals. With the presence of the British Navy ship that was recently dispatched to our waters, many citizens felt a sign of relief.
Frankly speaking, it needs to go beyond just a show of force. On the back drop of what is happening in our country, we should consider the alternative, this ship should remain in position until the country can stabilize this mayhem and provide adequate border security. More than ever before, our country is at a much higher risk of becoming unstable and in reality, our future depends on it.
A lot of what is happening is a flashpoint for much larger questions over what TCI policing should look like. Law-abiding citizens need stronger protection or we will become sitting targets.
We the people, will have to decide do we just sit on the sidelines or get more involved with demanding viable solutions. We condemn this violence without equivocation, but what’s more important is that law enforcement wins this battle with unwavering support and efforts to maintain law and order especially in those high risk communities. Perhaps we should start with accountability at all levels, foresight and results driven leadership.
Stiffer fines and penalties is the rhetoric being proposed as one of the solutions on gun control. Is this the only way out? In retrospect what have we learned from the previous increase in penalties? Will it resonate this time with would-be criminals or become just another catchy phrase?
Our young people who have hope of a better life are not attracted to senseless acts of violence. Henceforth, more focus needs to be on our youth and find ways to engage them before it gets to that stage or our prisons will only become a revolving door.
Kudos to the law makers on unanimously passing the Anti-gang bill. However, I have reservations concerning the
recent firearms amendment bill which mandates a minimum 12 year prison sentence for the mere possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Based on the trajectory of arrest and charges, it will only lead to mass incarceration. Not only does our prison lack the capacity, but it will lead to more socioeconomic problems for displaced families and also only open the doors to human rights abuse.
Who was this law designed to protect? It’s certainly not law abiding citizens. Although it has good intentions and makes great sound bites, in some cases, it boils down to having a bark without a bite. While in other cases, it could negatively impact the sector of society we are actually trying to help.
We must find other alternatives and long-term solutions. It was very encouraging to see the recent prison initiative that was proposed by Honorable Taylor and Honorable Morris.
Giving prisoners the opportunity to develop skill-based training by partnering with the local community college is brilliant. This will help to prepare them to reintegrate into society upon release, and another chance to become productive citizens. These are the kinds of programs that need steam.
In most cases, hardened criminals are undeterred by stiffer penalties and often times unaware of changes in the laws because it’s not publicized enough or they frankly don’t care or will find work-arounds like preying on our youth. Therefore, more public awareness campaign could be beneficial and maybe we can save a life before other lives are lost.
What this article is intended to do, is to stimulate a much needed conversation about the role of our criminal justice system in creating public policies that are both efficient and effective. Policies that not only have short term gains, but long term positive impact on an ever-changing society.
Ed Forbes
Concerned citizen of Grand Turk
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Participants of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting’s Camp Inclusion, including the camp’s student advocates, recently toured Nassau Cruise Port in a move designed to produce multiple benefits for the children.
Camp officials said the tour was part of the “moving away” from the old tradition of keeping children with disabilities locked away at home, and towards greater social inclusion for persons with disabilities – especially children.
Facilitated by the Community Affairs Division of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting at the Flamingo Gardens Family Life Centre, the camp is a collaborative effort between the Ministry, its Community Affairs and Disability Affairs Divisions, the Bahamas Coalition of Advocates for Disability Awareness and Service (BaCADAS), and the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD). The majority of the Camp Instructors are persons with disabilities.
The Camp is in keeping with the Global Family Day 2024 theme of “Embracing Diversity, Strengthening Families,” and is an extension of the Ministry’s continued efforts to take the lead in ensuring access and inclusion for all — particularly the community of persons with disabilities — in every aspect of society.
Children with different levels and types of disabilities, along with student advocates, participated. Its focus was to ensure that participating youth learn about living with mobility and intellectual disabilities, advocacy, inclusion and accessibility.
Mr. Townsley Roberts, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, said
the visit is expected to have a number of expected outcomes.
“It was very important to get the kids out and for them to see parts of the island that they rarely get a chance to experience,” Mr. Roberts said. “It was also an opportunity for them to feel a part of the Bahamian society because many times they are kept at home or just in the classroom (and) so this gives them a chance to spread their wings; an opportunity to dream. You never know, something they saw today can spark their imaginations and some may become artists, want to work in the tourism field or even just to try and experience a cruise. The ability to dream, to feel a part of society, to feel included, is important to the growth of all children, including persons with disabilities.”
Mr. Roberts applauded officials at Nassau Cruise Port for agreeing to the tour, which he said also allowed chaperones to inform the student advocates of some of the aspects that makes a facility accessible and inclusive.
“We are so happy that the Cruise Port allowed us the opportunity to come and tour the facility. As the name of the camp goes, what we are promoting is inclusion — total inclusion in all aspects of Bahamian society including the culture, and the open spaces. We want to make sure that all spaces are accessible and one of the things we know, because we had the opportunity to inspect the cruise port, is that the Port is accessible to persons with disabilities. So why not bring the children – including the student advocates — here as a means of helping them to understand and to witness first-hand what accessibility means and how it, or the lack of accessibility, affects the lives of persons with disabilities.”
Mr. Antoine Munroe, a Camp Instructor and employee of the Disability Affairs Division of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, said access and inclusion ensures that every person is able to achieve the same outcomes whether in social, educational, or employment settings, and are the best methods of ensuring that persons with disabilities are given the same opportunities to participate in society. He applauded the inclusion of the student advocates in the camp.
“It is a passion of my own to see young people included and exposed to the life of persons with disabilities. Being able to tour the facility gave me an understanding of how I can use my cane to move about with a little assistance and I thought that was very, very smooth. I congratulate those persons who were able to cause this to happen, and also the persons in charge of the Nassau Cruise Port. I think this is a very good step in the right direction,” Mr. Munroe added.
Release: BIS
(BIS Photos/Patrice Johnson)
Bahamas News
National Commission for Persons with Disabilities gauges ‘accessibility’ at ZNS, BIS as part of ongoing inspection schedule
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Inspectors attached to the Inspectorate Division of the Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) conducted assessments of the facilities at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, and Bahamas Information Services, Tuesday (July 23) as part of their ongoing efforts to ensure that all public facilities, and those private facilities that provide services to members of the public, are accessible for all.
Both entities fall under the remit of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting as does the Secretariat.
The team was headed by Mr. Townsley Roberts, Deputy Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and included Mr. G. Michael Ellis, Senior Inspector; Mr. Wesley Paul, Inspector; and Mr. Thorne Clarke, Inspector.
Deputy Executive Secretary Roberts said the inspections were two-fold.
“Today we are inspecting ZNS and BIS which are both a part of the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting to ensure that they are accessible because it is our belief that we cannot ask the public to do the things required by law without first ensuring that our entities are also in compliance,” Mr. Roberts said.
“People need to understand that accessibility to persons with disabilities is just as important as it is to persons without a disability. We want to be able to go about your day-to-day business without any obstacles in our way.
“What makes us disabled is the built environment, the barriers in front of us. If you remove those barriers, then we can do many of the same things persons without disabilities can do, and sometimes better. So this is what we are about. We are trying to make The Bahamas a place for all persons (and) where it will be comfortable for persons with disabilities to be able to manoeuvre through buildings and other spaces with the same ease and comfort expected by everyone else.”
The inspection team conducted assessments of wheelchair ramps, bathrooms, office spaces, and parking and reception areas, and measured doorway and hallway widths, in addition to other spaces to ensure that the requirements as set out in the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2014, are met.
Mr. Ellis, who spent 34 years as a member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force before retiring as a Senior Police Officer and who brings that same knowledge of the law to his new role, said the inspections help to ensure that the community of persons with disabilities enjoy the same rights to accessibility as any other citizen.
“Persons with disabilities, including those in wheelchairs, persons with walkers, crutches and those who use other assistive devices such as canes, should be able to move around just like everyone else,” Mr. Ellis said.
“We were looking to make sure that there were accessible bathrooms for both males and females, to ensure that there are proper ramps and that the ramps are the proper sizes, to ensure that all of the offices are accessible and all of the other areas are accessible for persons with disabilities.
“The Act says whatever we, as able bodied persons can do, a person with a disability should be permitted or allowed to do the same without any hindrance. Our job is to ensure that these facilities are in compliance with the Act.”
Once inspections are completed, Adjustment Orders are sent to those facilities/businesses found not to be in compliance with the Act, advising them of any faults, and providing a time-frame for compliance.
(BIS Photos/Anthon Thompson)
Release: Bahamas Information Services
PHOTO CAPTIONS
Header: – ZNS/BCB
Left to right:
1: G. Michael Ellis – Sr. Inspector (NCPD)
2: Thorne Clarke – Inspector (NCPD)
3: Townsley Roberts – Deputy Executive Secretary (NCPD)
4: Wesley Paul – Inspector (NCPD)
5: Carlton Smith – Chief Security Officer (BCB)
Insert: – BIS
Left to right:
1: Elcott Coleby – Director General (BIS)
2: Wesley Paul – Inspector (NCPD)
3: Townsley Roberts – Deputy Executive Secretary (NCPD)
4: Carlton Smith – Chief Security Officer (BCB)
5: Thorne Clarke – Inspector (NCPD)
6: G. Michael Ellis – Sr. Inspector (NCPD)
***MEDIA RELEASE***
July 23rd, 2024.
Around 10:59 am, the Police Control Room received a call of gunshots at a location along the Millennium Highway, Providenciales.
Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force were dispatched and, based on preliminary investigations, were told that the occupant (s) of a red Suzuki Swift was at a business place when another car pulled alongside it, and the occupants started shooting.
The driver of the Swift drove off while the other unidentified vehicle sped off in a separate direction. 
Officers found the Swift abandoned near Miracle Close, Blue Hills, shortly after.
Based on investigations, no injuries were reported.
This remains an active investigation.
The RT&CIPF is asking anyone with information or CCTV footage of the shooting that may assist the police with enquiries to contact 911, the closest police station, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 and anonymously give any information.
Additionally, persons are being asked to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app.
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