Chair of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Crime Commission, Verla De Peiza says a broad-based and inclusive approach is needed to address Barbados’ rising crime rate.
The call came in response to statements by church leaders advocating for a strong role of religious institutions in combating crime.
Speaking during the commission’s second public consultation via Zoom on Sunday, De Peiza underscored the importance of recognising Barbados’ multicultural landscape when developing crime-fighting strategies.
“Barbados now is a highly multicultural society,” she said. “Not only do we have churches, but we also have mosques, synagogues, the Rasta community, agnostics, and even some who don’t believe in God at all. The crime-fighting mission has got to be one that encompasses all of them because in society, we have to learn to be tolerant of how other people think.”
De Peiza’s statements came in the context of discussions on the role of churches in crime prevention.
Church leader Stephen Strickland argued that revitalising Sunday schools and vacation Bible schools could play a significant role in curbing crime.
“When I look at the Sunday School ministry across Barbados, I see that the Sunday School ministry has fallen apart, and vacational Bible school in itself has almost died,” he said.
Strickland lamented that many parents are no longer sending their children to Sunday school, leading to a generation of youth who, in his view, lack a solid moral foundation.
However, the crime commission chair urged religious leaders like Strickland to recognise the broader societal changes and the need for the church to adapt.
“The church has some homework then,” she said, responding to Strickland. “They need to find a way to fix themselves so that they become more attractive to members of society if they are to be a part of the crime-fighting mission.”
Adrian Bascombe of the Pentecostal Church also weighed in, challenging the notion that the church had “dropped the ball” in its role in addressing crime.
“It takes a village to raise a child… As far as the church is concerned, yes, Sunday School would have played a pivotal role… but the youngsters nowadays… you can hardly see half of them coming to church,” he said.
Bascombe acknowledged that while some churches could be more proactive, his remains engaged with at-risk youth in local communities and prisons.
De Peiza responded by calling for a more open-minded and community-centred approach from religious organisations.
“I do believe the disaffection with church has a lot to do with its positioning on some issues that society has moved away from,” she noted. “The church’s hard-line position has driven people away, and they are the ones who are going to have to make that step towards society, as opposed to society making a step towards them.”
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