News
Gangs in the shadows; Experts say TCI Police must expose them to disrupt them
By Dana Malcolm and Deandrea Hamilton
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, July 3, 2023 – There are gangs in the Turks and Caicos, some headed by foreigners, some headed by our own locals, trafficking in guns and killing rivals in broad daylight; and the police have a good idea of who is running them but the public has been left in the dark; the question is why?
It was in October 2022 that then governor Nigel Dakin revealed, in an explosive speech to the House of Assembly, that the country not only had well established gangs with clearly defined leaders, but the police were monitoring them and knew of the top ‘lieutenants’.
As recently as June 2023 the force has been able to pinpoint which murders are connected to serious crime hinting at inside knowledge.
These set of facts raise the question of why the public has not been clued in, essentially allowing these people to keep their anonymity as they continue to operate criminal enterprises from the shadows.
No gang names, suspected frequented areas or recruitment patterns have been released to the residents of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Sharing available information with the public regarding any identifying markers, sigils, colours, clothing or signs associated with the gangs in the Turks and Caicos has, according to some experts, the potential to increase surveillance of these criminal organizations exponentially.
“Police officers have unique knowledge of — and access to — individual citizens, including at-risk youth. Although the police are already engaged in a large number of prevention activities, they should be looking for opportunities to collaborate with other agencies and groups in the community,” says the US National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
While many do, not all gangs have identifying markers, regardless, the NIJ explains how gangs are formed and how police (and residents) can throw a wrench in this system even without physical signs.
They say gang-joining is the problem that fuels gangs and stopping this can bring the whole organization to its knees. An effective way of stopping gang recruitment is through ‘collective efficacy’ which is clear partnership between agencies to work against gangs, the NIJ reveals .
“The evidence is clear that neighbourhoods and communities with high collective efficacy have the ability to regulate and control the behaviour of their juveniles,” the organization maintained.
But for that to happen residents must be clued in. This starts with admitting there is a problem and sharing information.
It has taken years for the Royal TCI Police to even declare that gangs have strongholds in the island of Providenciales.
“The police should play a key role in providing a sober, realistic assessment of any gang problem— or potential gang problem — sometimes school and elected officials engage in denial at the early stages of a gang problem. This only allows things to get worse, increasing the potential that more kids will be recruited into a gang,” the report contends.
The gang problem in the Turks and Caicos did not spring up overnight, in fact years prior, authorities had rejected the idea that criminal gangs were forming under their noses.
As recently as 2018, Rodney Adams, Assistant Commissioner of Police maintained that the TCI had no gangs. The TCI Sun quotes him as saying:
“Certainly, as far as we are concerned, there will be no gangs in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Plain and simple—
When you look at a gang from a global perspective, they have leaders, proper networking in place and that sort of thing. In the TCI we have a number of people that gather together as groups and talk about turfs, be it the ‘Wheeland Boys’, ‘Five Cays’ and so on. And as far as we are concerned, they have not developed to that (gangster) stage.”
That spiel ended with a promise not to let these little ‘gatherings’ grow into true gangs. Now 5 years later an anti-gang task force has had to be flown in from the UK after a year of violence so intense it made international headlines. Nearly all of it has been attributed to gangs with individuals like Gari Charles and Brandon Rahming emerging as gang leaders.
The law has also been amended to say that any combination of two or more persons whether formally or informally organised who engage in gang related activity are considered a ‘gang’.
Still the public is walking blind.
Following the killings in 2022 there has been no sustained effort either from the Department of Social Services to educate parents and teachers on what to look for in their children and students that indicate possible growing gang affiliation. The vast majority of victims of violence and perpetrators of gun and drug offences in the TCI continue to be young men, in far too many cases, teens.
Based on expert advice, now is the time for authorities to include and educate the community if they expect to seriously tackle the issue of gangs in the country and stifle any possible recurrence of the deadly 2022 year.
KINGSTON, October 8 (JIS): Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has invited Indian investors to explore business opportunities in Jamaica.
He cited prospects for innovative business investment in tourism, infrastructure development, renewable energy, animation, medical tourism and health.
He noted that, with the island’s extensive harbour and port systems, “We are the gateway for Indian innovation in the Americas. I think the time is right for a trade and business delegation from India to visit Jamaica. I mentioned this to Prime Minister [Shri Narendra] Modi and he welcomed the possibilities of such a trade delegation.”
The Prime Minister was addressing a dinner reception on Tuesday (October 1), during his working visit to India.
He said that his trip is intended to herald a new era of Jamaica-India friendship and partnership.
Dr. Holness said that Jamaica is looking forward to working with the Confederation of India Industry (CII) to explore areas of cooperation.
Of special interest, he noted, is working with Indian companies on joint research projects and technology transfer “to enhance Jamaica’s research and development landscape, particularly in the areas of biotechnology, as well as products and drug development, using Jamaica’s natural resources”.
“We also want to welcome Indian companies providing software development and maintenance, cybersecurity, back-office, finance and accounting services,” he added.
Based in New Delhi, CII is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group that represents the interests of Indian businesses in various sectors, chiefly engineering, manufacturing, consulting, and services.
The organisation works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India.
CONTACT: SIMONE HYLTON
KINGSTON, October 8 (JIS): Some students at Old Harbour High School in St. Catherine, now have reliable transport after the institution received a 29-seater bus, donated by the Japanese Government.
The vehicle, valued at more than $11 million, will cater mostly to students who travel long distances, filling a gap for safe, reliable, and efficient transportation.
It will also be used to transport students on field trips, sporting events and other activities.
Speaking at the handover of the bus at the school on October 4, Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, lauded the Government of Japan for providing the funds through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security project (GGP), to purchase the bus.
Mrs. Williams said that special thanks must be given to the people of the donor country as “we continue to deepen the partnership with
Japan”, adding that the GGP project “has played a vital role in the development of our schools”.
Meanwhile, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Yasuhiro Atsumi said his country “stands together with Jamaica to strengthen the education system, so that all students can pursue their education and lifelong skills training opportunities”.
For her part, Custos of St. Catherine, Hon. Icylin M. Golding, who is also Chairman of the school, told her audience that the bus will enable the students to reach school much easier, and to “participate in more sporting events”.
Principal of the institution, Lynton Weir, said the students will reach school and return to their homes on time, with the acquisition of the bus.
He added that this will also result in reduced cost for parents who used to pay the public transport operators.
For Executive Director of the National Education Trust (NET), Latoya Harris Ghartey, getting the Japanese to fund the acquisition of the vehicle shows the strength of partnerships.
“It also stands as a testament to the deep-rooted commitment we have in providing our children with the tools they need to excel,” she said.
Student at the school, Ashanti Jones, said the “life-changing donation and invaluable gift will aid in students not missing classes due to unreliable transportation”.
Another student, Dormel Hamilton, said the students will have a safe and reliable vehicle in which to travel to school, and appealed to motorists to take care on the roads.
CONTACT: GARFIELD L. ANGUS
RELEASE: JIS
Caribbean News
Sanovnik Destang Elected New President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
Bay Gardens Resorts Executive Director to Lead Organization for Next Two Years
Sanovnik Destang, a respected hotelier from St. Lucia and Executive Director of Bay Gardens Resorts, has been elected as the new President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). His appointment was confirmed at CHTA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, succeeding outgoing President Nicola Madden-Greig. Destang will serve a two-year term, leading alongside a newly elected slate of executive officers.
Destang brings extensive leadership and hospitality experience to his new role, having served as a key figure in the growth of Bay Gardens Resorts in St. Lucia. His commitment to CHTA began in 2012, and he is ready to lead the organization into a new chapter, focusing on people and technology as well as creating stronger linkages with other sectors of the Caribbean economy.
Destang expressed gratitude to his predecessors and emphasized the importance of collaborative leadership: “Thank you all once again for putting your faith in me and my generation. Being CHTA’s first president born in the 1980s, I fully understand the responsibility ahead of me. I’m ready to lead, but, more importantly, I’m ready to serve. My focus areas will be people, technology and linkages to other sectors of our economies and communities. This strengthened advocacy is aimed at attracting more members to our association, bolstering our
collective voice and impact.”
Reflecting on her tenure, Madden-Greig highlighted CHTA’s achievements during a challenging period. She praised the resilience of the Caribbean region as it emerged as the fastest-recovering tourism market in the world post-COVID-19. Under her leadership, CHTA along with regional and international stakeholders helped implement and promote recovery measures and initiatives, including Caribbean entry portals and the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Healthier Safer Tourism program.
“The past three years, taking over at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, were both challenging and very rewarding,” said Madden-Greig. “Nothing has given me more joy than having headed the hard-working team that led the Caribbean to be the fastest recovering region in the world, coming out of a once-in-a-century pandemic,” she added.
The newly elected CHTA Officers will work closely with Destang over the next two years, along with CHTA Regional VPs, Committee Chairs, and other Executive Committee Members, who will be announced shortly.
The officers include:
- 1st Vice President: Karen Whitt, The Hartling Group, Turks & Caicos
- 2nd Vice President: Craig Marshall, Blue Diamond Resorts, Antigua & Barbuda
- 3rd Vice President: Clifton Reader, Palace Resorts, Jamaica
- 4th Vice President: Kendra Hopkin Stewart, Blue Horizons Garden Resort, Grenada
- 5th Vice President: Bill Clegg, BW Hotels, At-Large
- Treasurer: Jim Hepple, Tourism Analytics, Aruba
CHTA, as the voice of Caribbean hospitality and tourism, will build on the strong foundation laid by Madden-Greig. Destang’s leadership will advance growth through innovation, people-centered initiatives, and stronger linkages with key sectors, keeping the Caribbean at the forefront of global tourism.
Supported by a team of regional leaders, Destang will drive new initiatives that propel the industry and CHTA members to greater heights.
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