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.
SALT CAY — Residents say Salt Cay’s prolonged water shortage remains unresolved, with no visible activity or relief from the measures Government said would be advanced last week.
The crisis began in June after a critical filter failed at the island’s reverse osmosis plant, severely disrupting local water production.
Residents told Magnetic Media Tuesday morning that neither the replacement filter nor the promised bulk shipment of emergency water appeared to have arrived.
Minister of Innovation, Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders, however, said the filter is already on Salt Cay.
“The RO filter is on Salt Cay and it’s being installed,” Saunders told Magnetic Media.
The large emergency water shipment has not materialised. Saunders said transporting more than 1,000 gallons in a single container requires a barge, and officials are still attempting to source one.
Government had previously indicated that it would try to deliver up to 2,500 gallons to partially replenish Salt Cay’s depleted storage tanks while repairs continued.
Saunders had initially projected that the RO plant would be fully operational by August 19. He now says the system is expected to return to full operation “in a few days.”
For residents, however, the immediate reality remains unchanged: the shortage continues, the bulk water has not arrived and the promised relief is not yet flowing.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort recently collaborated with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and the Department of Social Services to support a youth camp hosted at the Oseta Jolly Primary School, underscoring the resort’s ongoing commitment to youth development in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The camp, which brought together security forces, government agencies and private sector entities, focused on equipping young participants
with practical life skills and character-building tools. A team from Beaches Turks and Caicos’ leadership and training departments joined the programme to deliver sessions on basic table etiquette, dining mannerisms, polite demeanour and public speaking fundamentals, all designed to help the students present themselves confidently in formal and professional settings.
General Manager of Beaches Turks and Caicos, Deryk Meany, said the resort views national development as an integral part of its corporate social responsibility. “We are always happy to be supporters in the development of the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands. We continue to commit our team to help in creating the next generation of leaders who will provide support to the islands and help in its development,” Meany noted.
The initiative also received strong endorsement from the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Community Development, which has been championing holistic programmes aimed at building well-rounded young citizens. Minister Rachel Taylor highlighted the importance of collaborations like the camp in helping youth access structured guidance and mentorship. “We are happy to join in celebrating the growth and development of our youth here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Beaches Turks and Caicos continues to be one of our primary supporters in helping to develop well rounded individuals. This commitment from this resort has grown with the vision of the youth ministry to help in their overall development,” she said.
Taylor further emphasized that the camp’s timing was especially significant, coming as youth across the islands seek positive outlets and
constructive engagement. “This camp came at the most ideal time for our adolescents. With the support of our governor, the security forces, the social services along with Beaches Turks and Caicos, we are confident that the training needed for them to improve is on the right track,” she added.
Beaches Turks and Caicos Public Relations Manager, Orville Morgan, described the collaboration as an exemplary model of cross-sector partnership. “To be able to join with the security forces to provide support for the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands is exceptional. We are happy to provide the necessary support to equip them to grow into being productive citizens of these islands,” Morgan said.
He noted that the resort team focused on practical etiquette and hospitality-driven skills that can be carried into the youths’ future experiences. “As a team, we were able to share in the basic table setting and dining etiquette for them, skills we are sure that they will be able to use in their next fine dining experience,” Morgan added.
Organizers expressed optimism that the camp’s blend of discipline, mentorship and soft skills training will have a lasting impact on participants. With stakeholders pledging continued support, the Beaches Turks and Caicos team and their partners aim to expand similar initiatives, further investing in the personal and professional growth of the next generation of Turks and Caicos Islanders.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
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