'Police should stop worrying about petty things and solve the murders'
By Mikaela Ian Pearman
While the mother of unsolved murder victim, Shaundae Jones, supports the Bermuda Police Service's new initiative to crackdown on crime, Shaki Crockwell's father thinks the Police should be solving murders instead of bothering with petty crimes.
Police launched Operation Safer Streets on Monday, a robust style of policing instead of the usual community policing to crackdown on crime.
This initiative comes in direct response to the holiday shootings where Jakai Harford, 24, was shot in the shoulder in the early hours of Christmas morning in the Camp Hill area of Southampton. Around 9 p.m. Boxing Day, Aquil Richardson, 30, was murdered and Levar Smith, 25, shot in the legs, also in Camp Hill.
Mr. Crockwell said he is upset because he has no updates on the status of his son's murder investigation. Shaki was shot dead in the Railway Trail of Devonshire on August 24. Police have yet to solve the murder.
"They need to focus on the unsolved murders. They stopped me one time on the causeway in St. George's looking to see if I have weapons. I was going to visit Shaki's gravesite. They need to stop worrying about these petty things like tint on the cars and go solve the murders."
Mr. Crockwell said he was unable to say if the new style of policing will have a positive affect on the community or if he thinks it will help the Police in catching more criminals.
"I can't say because they are crazy. These youngsters today, they don't value life."
Marsha Jones, Shaundae's mother, had a different response to Operation Safer Streets and said she is encouraged the Police are taking a stand against crime. Shaundae, who would have celebrated his 25th birthday today, was shot outside of Club Malabar in Dockyard April 2003.
"It makes me feel hopeful that they are looking at changes in our legislation. Our laws need updating badly.
"I know there have to be baby steps before the bigger challenges are dealt with, but when they do, I hope they are seriously addressed. I hope steady attention is exercised. It's OK to say the investigation is ongoing but how ongoing is that?"
Ms. Jones expressed concern at detectives being taken off of her son's case and other murder's to work on new ones and said they are "overloaded". She suggested the service hire veteran officers to work part-time to aide in solving the cases.
"I would have much more faith in our Police service if the case was really active. I'm sure other families in the same predicament would feel the same."
UBP interim leader, Pat Gordon-Pamplin said: "It is important to the Island to ensure the streets are safe. We would be thoroughly supportive of the Police. It is important focusing on all crime but we don't want serious crimes to slip through the cracks because of the method manpower is being deployed."
"However, we have to start and I believe that approach started in New York and rebounded them from their negative crime rate. This is a step in the right direction and we would be most supportive of it."
This newspaper requested a comment from Public Safety Minister David Burch. By press time, a comment had not been given.
