Drones, facial recognition proposed to combat gangs
Civil liberties will be protected even as drones and facial recognition technology are proposed among tools against serious crime in Bermuda.
The National Violence Reduction Strategy Blueprint, which detailed plans expected to be implemented across several years, also pitched the idea of safe houses and reintegration programmes for those escaping a life of crime.
Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, who laid the plan in the House of Assembly, said that the strategy’s short-term goals had already been achieved, while some medium-term goals were under way.
He added: “The long-term goals speak to the deeper mission of addressing the root causes of violence — transforming perceptions, reshaping behaviours and shifting cultural norms so that peace and opportunity become the standard for our communities.”
The use of advanced technology to monitor gang activity was listed as a medium-term goal, to be carried out between six months and two years.
The blueprint, which went before legislators on Friday, proposed creating an integrated surveillance system enabling law enforcement to track and investigate gang activity in real time.
It further mentioned using analytical tools to process data from existing surveillance systems, delivering “actionable intelligence” against crime.
Key to any plans was to ensure that “the use of surveillance technology complies with legal and ethical standards, safeguarding individual privacy and civil liberties”.
Other methods of strengthening law enforcement involved the use of specialised training and restorative justice to rehabilitate offenders.
The blueprint’s approach to intelligence gathering and analysis played into this goal with its plans to create a team to study the behavioural patterns of criminals, co-ordinated with law enforcement branches in an attempt to prevent emerging threats.
The blueprint listed the creation of early education and social skill programmes, as well as partnerships with youth centres and training for community leaders, to strengthen early intervention.
Community resilience would be built up through life skills training programmes and support groups for fathers.
Conflict resolution measures would be developed with better-equipped negotiation teams and mediation workshops with community partners.
The blueprint included goals such as more community engagement initiatives, creating policies that supported collaboration between law enforcement and social services and public education campaigns.
It outlined goals to train police in de-escalation techniques and gang-related crime investigation methods.
Long-term goals in the NVRS blueprint are expected to be achieved two years after its launch.
They placed greater emphasis on parole and reintegration, and included creating safe houses for those leaving gangs, offering specialised support for parolees with gang involvement and giving continuing support to people relocated for their safety.
It further included advocacy for introducing policies around mental health, vocational training and reintegration for individuals at risk of becoming involved with crime.
Many long-term goals involved strengthening, continuing or expanding upon medium-term goals.
Mr Weeks said that the short-term goals, which were expected to be built up across six months, involved the creation of “governance architecture”.
He explained that this architecture featured the steering committee, Inter-Agency Gang Enforcement Team and the Inter-Agency Community Response team.
The IGET, according to Mr Weeks, now includes groups such as the Department of Child and Family Services and the Department of Education to keep young people from slipping into “cycles of violence”.
He added that the IGCR would operate at the “grassroots level” by working with community groups, including faith groups and clubs, to help combat gang violence.
• To view the blueprint in full, see Related Media
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