Crime in Barbados is deeper than the “boys on the block” who sell weed to make a living.
So instead of targeting this group, law enforcement officers are being challenged to look for the main sources responsible for the illegal importation of guns and drugs which are then “channelled” into communities.
This is the sentiment of some residents, both old and young, who took part in a survey conducted by Dr Dwayne Devonish of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, this year. The survey focused on the deeper links of crime and violence in this country.
In his thesis, Devonish said: “The recent spate in gun-related crimes and other related offences has ignited the need for robust academic commentary and research in the area of crime and violence at both community and national levels.”
Young people surveyed believed that a lot of the crime was being brought in by “outsiders” to the community. (CM)
Please read the full story in the Sunday Sun, or in the eNATION edition.