Soft GANG RECRUITMENT happening in prison says TCI Police 

By Dana Malcolm and Deandrea Hamilton

Editorial Staff

#TurksandCaicos, July 2, 2023 – Magnetic Media recently reached out to the Royal TCI Police Force in an effort to expose the criminal gangs who do so much violent work from the shadows.

While the Force has declined responses to many of our questions or has given vague replies to legitimate queries, they did tell us one critical piece of information; small scale gang recruitment is happening in the country’s prison.

“Recruitment can occur in many different forms through the natural progression of younger siblings of gang members becoming involved to a simple association between individuals due to living nearby and building criminal networks. There is also some evidence that on occasion, associations are established within the prison and continued after individuals are released,” the police revealed.

It is a concerning wrench in the system which undermines the process of true rehabilitation; our news team wanted to find out whether they had any idea how to stop new members from being sucked into organised crime.

“Work is ongoing to improve our understanding of criminal networks being established within the prison and bespoke disruption operations like Operation Pursuit will continue to be undertaken,” Magnetic Media was told.

In addition to this police say they :

• Have several initiatives aimed at preventing individuals and specifically young persons becoming involved in gang-related crime. For example, working with the Ministry of Education through the D.A.R.E. Program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education).

• Are regularly undertaking other educational activity in communities and at local schools aimed at demonstrating the risks connected to becoming involved in criminality and specifically gang-related criminality.
• Are in consultation with the partner agencies about the use of the temporary Anti-Gang Ordinance which has been reinforced by the recent signing of the J-LEG (Joint Law Enforcement Group) which will facilitate improved collaborative working between agencies.

Despite this, police refused to identify the gangs and the areas they frequent once again leaving residents in the dark about where recruitment takes place for young boys; many of whom are at risk of being inducted into criminal activity before they leave high school.

It is a fact evidenced by the number of youth now before the courts.