Caribbean News

State of Public Emergency Declared in Seven Police Divisions

Published

4 years ago

November 16, 2021

#Jamaica, November 16, 2021 – States of Public Emergency (SOEs) are now in effect in seven police divisions islandwide to curtail upsurges in violent crimes.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who made the announcement on Sunday (November 14), indicated that these have been declared in St. Andrew South, Kingston West, Kingston Central, and Kingston East in the Corporate Area, and St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland.

Speaking during a virtual press conference in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Media Room, Mr. Holness indicated that all the divisions have recorded increases in violent crimes, ranging from 16 to 57 per cent.

“All have murder rates per 100,000 in excess of the regional average which is 15 per cent. In fact, the murder rate… in these divisions ranges from a low of approximately 47 per 100,000 to [a high of] 190 per 100,000,” he informed.

“We have decided to recommend the declaration of SOEs having regard to the increase in murders, compared year on year, both in the communities in which we have declared them and nationally. These increases we consider to be of an extensive scale such that they threaten public safety, both in the communities in which the SOEs have been declared and nationally,” he added.

Mr. Holness said the SOEs have also been declared because of the nature and frequency of violence surrounding the murders and other crimes, “which has evolved to a level of barbarity, [and] a level of savagery, [such that] it is almost [like] a competition for cruelty.”

Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, said the imposition of the states of public emergency is designed to reduce violence in the communities as quickly as possible and reduce fear.

He pointed out that Jamaica’s homicide rate remains within the top five countries in the world.

“As at November 12, 2021, our serious crime data shows that we have an increase in murders. Shootings have remained, largely, flat, but other crimes are trending downwards. What this means is that we have a violence problem,” the Commissioner noted.

General Anderson advised that the loss of life of Jamaicans, largely to members of criminal gangs, accounts for approximately 70 per cent of all murders. He indicated that 19 per cent of these are caused by persons’ inability to resolve personal differences without violence.

“As at Friday (November 12), there were 1,240 victims of murder, 392 of those were killed across the four divisions in Kingston and St. Andrew which represent 32 per cent of the national figure. Of the 1,100 persons shot but who were not killed, that region accounted for 391 of the victims or 36 per cent of the national figure,” he indicated.

“In the parishes of St. James, Westmoreland and Hanover, there have been 272 victims of murder which represent 22 per cent of the national figure, while 214 were shot and injured, also representing 22 per cent of the national figure,” he added.

General Anderson said despite the declaration of SOEs, other security measures will continue across the island.

“This [imposition of SOEs] does not remove or detract from any other policing methods that will be used and have been employed recently,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Rocky Meade, said the spike in violent crimes has proven to be well beyond the sphere of normal routine policing, noting that the JDF can more effectively assist the JCF with the additional powers.

He advised that most of the troops have been deployed to the areas, and assured that the JDF and JCF have been trained and oriented to give due regard to the basic human and citizen rights of persons within the communities.

General Meade encouraged citizens to provide information that can assist the security forces by calling 311 or 876-837-8888.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, noted that the SOEs aim to restore normalcy in the targeted communities and protect the lives of the law-abiding citizens.

The boundaries of the State of Public Emergency in the Corporate Area are as follows:

NORTH: The northern boundary will start at the westernmost end of the Belvedere to Ferry secondary road, extending in an easterly direction along the Belvedere to Ferry Road and then continue easterly to the foot of Red Hills, at the intersection of Perkins Boulevard, Molynes Road and Red Hills Road. The boundary then continues in a south-southeasterly direction along Molynes Road, Seaward Drive, Mimosa Road, Aloe Avenue, Bay Farm Road, Newark Avenue, Elm Crescent, Keesing Avenue, Hagley Park Road, Omara Road and Chisholm Avenue; then onto Maxfield Avenue, Rousseau Road and in an easterly direction to Lyndhurst Road to its intersection with Slipe Road, then easterly along Torrington Road to Heroes Circle and then continues to Connolly Avenue, onto Dames Drive to the intersection with South Camp Road; the boundary then proceeds onto Vineyard Road, Diana Drive to Lexington Avenue and then onto Deanery Road to the intersection with Mountain View Avenue; the boundary then extends in an easterly along an imaginary line to the shared parish border of St Andrew and St Thomas.

EAST: The eastern boundary continues in a southerly direction along the shared parish border of St Andrew and St Thomas to the coast.

SOUTH: The southern boundary extends westerly along the coast of St Andrew, then along the Kingston coastline to the Kingston Container Terminal and then to the Portmore Causeway Bridge.

WEST: The western boundary continues in a north-westerly direction from the Portmore Causeway Bridge along the Fresh River, then along the shared parish border of St Andrew and St Catherine, west of Riverton, and extends to intersect with the northern boundary at the westernmost end of the Belvedere to Ferry secondary road.

Meanwhile, the area under the SOE for St James, Westmoreland and Hanover will consist of the entire area comprising the parishes within the following established borders:

NORTH: The northern boundary starts from Lucea in Hanover and then extends in an easterly direction along the coast of Hanover and then St James to the coastal intersection of the St James and Trelawny parish boundaries.

EAST: The eastern boundary then extends in a southerly direction along the shared parish borders of St James, Trelawny, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland to the coast.

SOUTH: The southern boundary continues along the coast of Westmoreland to the westernmost point of the island at West End in Westmoreland.

WEST: The western boundary then extends in a northerly direction along the coast of Westmoreland and then Hanover to the coast at Lucea in Hanover.

Contact: Chris Patterson

Release: JIS

Caribbean News

Guyanese Scholar and Olympian Arrested in Iowa ICE Crackdown

Published

1 week ago

September 27, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

September 27, 2025 – In a shocking breach of public trust and institutional oversight, Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, who is a citizen of Guyana, was arrested on September 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a string of serious offenses that raise troubling questions about hiring practices, accountability, and public safety.

Roberts, born in Georgetown, Guyana, is a former Olympian and accomplished scholar. According to online reports, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University after transferring from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, where he played soccer. He holds two master’s degrees—from St. John’s University and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business—attended an Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management and earned a doctorate in education with a focus on urban educational leadership from Trident University.

Despite these accomplishments, Roberts was living and working without legal authorization. ICE reported that he fled a traffic stop and abandoned his school-issued vehicle. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash. He also has a prior weapons-related charge.

ICE officials questioned how Roberts could hold such a prominent role while subject to a final deportation order issued in May 2024. The school district said they were unaware of his immigration status, noting that he had undergone background checks and completed an I-9 form confirming work authorization. Roberts was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

This case highlights vulnerabilities in systems meant to safeguard public institutions and underscores the challenges ICE faces in identifying individuals operating outside U.S. immigration laws while in positions of authority.

For many, Roberts has become a near-literal poster child for these enforcement gaps.

Caribbean News

Bermuda Shaken by Targeted Murder as Crime Returns After a Decade of Calm

Published

2 weeks ago

September 21, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Bermuda is reeling after the brazen murder of 37-year-old Janae Minors, a mother of two, who was gunned down in her own beauty supply store on Court Street, Pembroke. The attack, which police describe as “targeted,” has rattled the island, not only for its brutality but for what it says about the state of law and order in a country that less than a decade ago was celebrating a dramatic fall in violent crime.

The Attack on Court Street

According to police, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, a lone gunman pulled up on a stolen black motorcycle, walked into the Beauty Monster shop Minors owned, and shot her multiple times. Despite the rapid response of emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to hospital.

Detectives say the killer was thin, tall, dressed in dark clothing with a full-face helmet, and wearing bright gloves. CCTV shows him fleeing north on Court Street, down Tills Hill toward TCD, before turning onto Marsh Folly Road. Investigators are pursuing all leads, with a focus on recovering evidence from nearby cameras and eyewitness accounts.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons confirmed the attack bore the hallmarks of gang-related violence, a chilling indicator that Bermuda’s gang rivalries — long simmering beneath the surface — may once again be spilling into broad daylight.

A Vibrant Life Cut Short

Minors, remembered as a hardworking entrepreneur with “a vibrant, beautiful personality,” leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 18. Her murder has ignited outrage across Bermuda, not just for its senselessness but for its timing: the island had once prided itself on virtually stamping out gun violence.

Then: Near-Zero Murders

Back in 2014, Bermuda made international headlines for reporting zero firearm murders — a remarkable achievement given the small island had endured a spate of gang-related shootings in the early 2010s. Police credited intelligence-led operations, tighter firearms interdictions, and aggressive prosecutions of gang leaders. Community programs and mentoring initiatives also played a role, giving at-risk youth alternatives to gang life.

By 2015 and 2016, gun crime was at historic lows. That period was hailed as proof Bermuda could beat back the tide of violence with coordinated policing, social investment, and political will.

Now: Alarming Resurgence

Fast forward nine years, and the picture looks starkly different. In 2024 and 2025, Bermuda has recorded a rise in gun-related deaths. Rival gangs such as Parkside and 42 have resurged, fueled by a new generation of recruits. Economic pressures, high youth unemployment, and the easy flow of smuggled firearms through maritime routes have undermined earlier gains.

Community trust in the police has also eroded, making investigations harder and retaliations more likely. Opposition MPs and neighborhood leaders warn that without sustained focus, Bermuda risks sliding back into the violent cycles of the early 2010s.

Public Alarm and Political Pressure

Premier David Burt condemned Minors’ killing as “an escalation of community violence that cannot be tolerated,” promising stronger enforcement and deeper engagement with residents. The Bermuda Police Service has appealed for CCTV, dashcam, and doorbell footage from the area, urging residents that even the smallest detail could break the case.

Yet among the public, frustration is growing. People remember the calm of 2014 — when zero murders were recorded — and cannot understand how the island has returned to headlines dominated by gun violence. The contrast is stark: from celebrating the elimination of gun murders to confronting the targeted execution of a businesswoman in broad daylight.

A Test for Bermuda’s Future

The murder of Janae Minors has become more than a single case; it is now a symbol of Bermuda’s struggle to hold on to the progress it once made. The question facing the island is whether the successes of a decade ago can be replicated and sustained in today’s harsher climate of economic pressure and gang rivalries.

For Minors’ family, nothing can erase the tragedy of losing a mother and daughter so violently. But for Bermuda at large, her death is a wake-up call — that the island cannot afford complacency when it comes to crime.

As one community leader put it: “Nine years ago, we had beaten this. Now, we’re back to fearing what happens when the sun goes down. That is not the Bermuda we want to live in.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM-Africa Summit Yields Draft Pact on Trade, Travel and Reparations

Published

2 weeks ago

September 19, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.

At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.

The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.

Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment. With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.

Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.

CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”

For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.

For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.