Social justice group renews calls to combat violent crime
Social Justice Bermuda has expressed “shock and dismay” at the latest spate of gun violence, and renewed calls for the root causes of crime to be addressed.
The activist group spoke to the double homicide of Natrae Eversley and Nakai Robinson on August 12 as well as the fatal shooting of shop owner Janae Minors on Tuesday.
It said the death of Ms Minors was “especially horrific”, considering she was a mother and “hard-working entrepreneur who was gunned down inside the shop that she poured her heart and soul into”.
SJB said in a statement: “We join our community in mourning these lost lives and offer our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the deceased.
“This is not the first time that SJB has issued such a statement and we are saddened to know it will likely not be the last.
“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this violence will not end with thoughts and prayers. It won’t end until we truly address the root causes.
“Those root causes continue to be the structural inequality that plagues our society.”
The group added: “This inequality is not just economic, it is also racial and gendered.
“There can be no shortcuts to address this root cause, it requires political will, sustained and multidimensional attention across ministries and sectors, and financial investment.
“It requires thinking about our most vulnerable citizens and wrapping services around them to address their needs.
“It will be hard work. It will require hard truths and introspection across society.
“We advise caution to those who, out of the pain of trauma, respond with calls for reactionary and punitive policies and performative actions, like a more militarised police force and restrictions of public freedoms.”
SJB said that overly punitive measures would not solve the problem and in many ways may compound it, while “eroding civil liberties to the detriment of all”.
• An end to the war on drugs and a shift to Portugal’s model of treating drug use as a public health issue
• The introduction of a progressive tax system that taxes all sources of wealth
• Greater investment into social welfare services to address structural inequalities and ensure access to support
• Reparations for enslavement and segregation
• Greater investment into rehabilitation services to reduce recidivism
• A focus on restorative justice
• A “big conversation” on issues of economic inequality, racial inequality, colonialism, unaddressed trauma and patriarchy, and how these impact the totality of society and contribute to crime and violence
The group maintained that the root causes of violent crime must be targeted.
Among its recommendations were the adoption of Portugal’s model of treating drug use as a public health issue, a “progressive tax system” and investment in social welfare services.
SJB said that reparations for enslavement and segregation are also part of the solution, as well as greater investment in rehabilitation and the reduction of recidivism.
Restorative justice practices should be adopted, the group added, and a community-wide conversation must take place.
It said: “There are no easy or quick solutions to this problem. There can be no shortcuts.”
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