Government has lost its handle on community, town hall told
A community activist has voiced frustration about the lack of action to address gun and gang violence in Bermuda.
Eugene Dean spoke during a town hall featuring Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, and Darrin Simons, the Commissioner of Police, at St Paul AME Church’s Centennial Hall on Monday night.
He said: “The Governor being here tonight means that the Government has lost its handle on the community. Not only has our government lost its handle, but we as a community have to take responsibility and admit that we lost our handle on our own children.”
The member of the Emperial Group pointed out that Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, and a son of the organisation’s former leader, Elijah Muhammad, met government representatives and others during separate visits to Bermuda in 2009.
However, Mr Dean claimed, the latter’s meeting with the Premier at the time, Ewart Brown, lasted only 15 minutes.
He explained: “[Mr Muhammad] did not even know what to say or think, because his thinking was that this Government is pro-Black and about its people — but in that meeting, he saw very clearly that wasn’t the case.”
Mr Dean also said that gang violence would continue in Bermuda after Monday’s town hall.
Robert King, the Opposition leader and Shadow Minister of National Security, the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, questioned why specialist officers from Britain would work with the Bermuda Police Service for only six months.
He asked: “Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the persons, these critical persons, here for two or three years, understanding the importance of their roles and in their area of expertise?”
Mr Simons responded: “I would imagine that by the end of the financial year, we’re going to get up to about 420 officers.
Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, issued the following statement on Monday’s forum:
[Monday’s] town hall on gun and gang violence was a powerful reminder of both the pain and the resolve within our community.
I thank every resident who showed up, spoke out and demanded action.
The community made it clear: people want safer streets, better communication and more than just words. The Government hears you.
We are moving urgently to:
• Strengthen policing capacity through increased recruitment, intelligence-led operations and expanded use of technology.
• Invest in prevention by expanding youth outreach, mentorship and support for families affected by violence.
• Increase transparency through regular reporting and community engagement.
This is not just a fight for Government or the police, it’s a fight for all of Bermuda. We need parents, mentors, community groups and every resident to play their part.
Monday night was not the end of the conversation; it was a call to action.
Together, we will not allow violence to define our future.
“This is a question of capacity rather than capability and I will make an assessment about where we are and the need to keep those officers beyond six months or 12 months or beyond.”
Mr Murdoch urged people with information about any of Bermuda’s unsolved murders to speak to police to bring offenders to justice.
He said: “One of the things we talked about in the Governor’s Council is what else can be done to better protect those witnesses.
“There are precedents around the Caribbean around judicially controlled mechanisms to allow people to give evidence in ways that better protect their identities. Those are the types of things we need to be exploring.”
Lamone Woods urged the Government to bring back the Ashay programme that ran from Dellwood Middle School from 2003 to 2008.
The programme emphasised identity, self-love and community before it was removed owing to budget constraints.
Mr Woods said: “When tragedy happens, it seems that money can be found, but when it comes to programmes that are good and are doing good, they are defunded.”
He added: “What I’m seeing in this room right now is the choir, this programme goes directly to the young Black boys … this is recognising where the issue is, going to the issue and to the young people.”
A petition on change.org to restore the programme has collected 9,670 signatures so far.
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