Crime
TCI Police identify 14 Criminal Gangs headquartered in Dock Yard, Five Cays and Blue Hills
Danae Dennie
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, July 5, 2024 – “There are 14 mapped criminal gangs in TCI” said TCI Superintendent Dean Holden, Head of the Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit.
In a press conference on June 24, 2024, the RTCIPF shared information on traffic arrests, migration mitigation issues as well as their plans to stop crime, after the four deadly killings that took place within 24 hours of each other and the two traffic deaths.
Superintendent Holden shared that the 14 mapped organised gangs are only the ones that they know of but there is possibility for there to be more.
“..that’s as far as we know so, unfortunately I’ve known that we probably have more organised crime groups operating. We need to really humble around the extent of our intelligence… we need people to support us around that”.
When asked about the ages of these gang members, Superintendent Holden said “The profiles for our gang members are usually males between the ages of 18 and 26. Now, that’s not to say that there are not people outside those ages.”
Holden says these gangs are commonly located in Dock Yard, Blue Hills and Five Cays.
According to Holden some of the murders that happened last year were undoubtedly a dispute between gang members from the Dock Yard area and Five Cays. One of these gangs has now been disbanded from the Five Cays area and the other gangs’ members have been remanded for conspiratorial offences that are fire-arm related.
When asked about how firearms are getting into the country, Holden said “when we have an illegal migrant vessel coming from Haiti it is not only carrying individuals… but it’s probably also carrying criminals and probably contraband as well as firearms, in particular ammunition”.
The RTCIPF has set a National Intelligence requirement for all partner agencies to provide information surrounding these crimes
When speaking on the effectiveness of the Gun amnesty, Holden says personally “anybody who gives up their gun usually gives it up because they know it’s not involved in criminality. If it is involved in criminality, my concern then is , if we are saying to people you can give up that gun without any sort of police investigation. If that firearm is linked ballistically to murders or other serious crime, where do we stand? So I have a personal concern of its effectiveness.”
“The vast majority of the illegal firearms entering the Caribbean space seems to be disproportionately coming from the US” said Commissioner of Police Edvin Martin
“A lot of the weapons that are arriving in the Caribbean region are actually being perpetuated by individuals who are from the respective domestic states and sending them out as well…… there are persons from our state… that are a part of the apparatus of sending firearms to us and causing the significant evil that it is causing us”.
As it relates to the issue of capacity, Martin said, “ the RTCIPF, is trying to build capacity within the force through training , the development of resources both vehicular, mechanical as well as manpower resources to be able to combat the situations that we are approaching at this time”.
Turks and Caicos, January 19, 2025 – The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) is actively investigating two fatal shooting incidents and a wounding that occurred yesterday (January 18) at approximately 10:00 p.m. near a popular restaurant on Grace Bay Road.
Acting Commissioner Rodney Adams said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the Police Control Room received reports of gunfire being heard in the vicinity of a Bar along Grace Bay Road. Officers of the RT&CIPF were immediately deployed, along with medical
personnel.
“Responding officers discovered three individuals injured during the shooting, one of whom succumbed to injuries at the scene while the other at the hospital. A third victim, who has been identified as a 29-year-old male, is undergoing medical treatment.
“The deceased have been identified as Shamone Duncan, 50, a visitor from the United States and Dario Stubbs, 30, a TCI resident. There is no evidence to suggest that Ms. Duncan, Mr. Stubbs or the wounded victim were the targets of this incident. I wish to take this opportunity to extend my deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased. The RT&CIPF will continue to provide victim support resources to those devastated by these incidents. We condemn this violence and will remain resolute in our pursuit of the person(s) responsible for this despicable act”.
The RT&CIPF is appealing to anyone who may have been in the vicinity around the time of the incident to come forward with information. Witness accounts, video footage, or any details, no matter how small, could be critical to the investigation.
Please call the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842 or Crime Stoppers at 1800-8477 to anonymously provide information on these incidents. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app to share information anonymously.
Crime
THE OFFICE OF THE PREMIER AND PUBLIC POLICY WARNS THE PUBLIC OF FAKE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS SOLICITING MONEY
-
Crime2 days agoFrom TCI Police, a DOUBLE HOMICIDE:
-
Bahamas News1 week agoBahamas Prime Minister banking on 50% Food Tax reduction, Affordable Housing and Clean Energy to drive down Cost of Living
-
Bahamas News3 days agoFreeport Health Campus development, progressing steadily
-
Caribbean News1 week agoU.S. Virgin Islands Sets New Tourism Record in 2024, Welcoming Unprecedented Visitor Numbers
-
Government1 week agoCabinet update on Cyber Security Breach, MONDAY, 30 DECEMBER 2024
-
TCI News1 week agoNOMINATION DAY FOR TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS GENERAL ELECTIONS 2025
-
Caribbean News1 week agoCARPHA and TEPHINET Sign MoU to Increase Technical Skills of Public Health Professionals in the Caribbean
-
TCI News4 days agoTURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS GOVERNMENT (TCIG) – SPACEX INCIDENT PUBLIC ADVISORY