Anonymous crime reporting in Barbados has plummeted over the past two years, sparking concerns amid a spate of violent crime, particularly gun-related incidents, Barbados TODAY can reveal.
The non-profit Crime Stoppers Barbados noted a significant decline in tips and arrests, highlighting potential challenges in community engagement and crime prevention efforts. Anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers’ secure, toll-free hotline dropped from 273 in 2023 to 239 last year, it said.
Tips investigated by The Barbados Police Service plunged from 71 to 37 during the same period, the charity reported. Of those tips to Crime Stoppers, the statistics were even more paltry regarding the number of suspects arrested: one apprehension in 2023 and none last year.
Illegal drug seizures resulting from anonymous reporting to the crime-fighting organisation also decreased substantially. Last year, law enforcement hauled in 1.5 pounds of cannabis with a street value of $6 000, compared to 61.6 pounds worth $246 400 the year before.
The only departure from this trend occurred when one gun was seized last year, compared with none during the previous period.
The most common tip channelled through the Crime Stoppers hotline – 1-800-8477 – during the two years related to drugs: 58 tips last year versus 72 in 2023.
Since its inception in 2009, Crime Stoppers Barbados has received 4 209 tips resulting in 138 arrests and the seizure of drugs with a total value of about $2 236 778.
Programme Director Kristen Deukett said information received from the community through a safe and easy medium such as a hotline assists police in identifying, locating and arresting perpetrators while helping them understand why certain crimes are committed.
“So that institutional action can be carried out in the hope of deterring such crimes from being committed again, in addition to restoring peace and safety in the community,” Deukett added.
“After a lull in operations due to the pandemic and economic challenges, Crime Stoppers is back and continues to expand its operations to better serve its community. Some projects currently in development include Neighbourhood Watches; CrimeSEEN – a six-minute programme on CBC to highlight and address public safety concerns; and the Integrity Line – a hotline for anonymously reporting wrongdoing in the workplace.”
The programme director said figures demonstrate that young people are disproportionately affected by crime as either victims or perpetrators.
As a preventative measure outside of its reporting hotlines, Crime Stoppers also offers school-based programmes centred on mentoring students on positive and effective anger management and conflict resolution skills.
“These programmes are currently being offered in secondary schools,” Deukett pointed out. “However, efforts are underway to reintroduce the primary school programme as an added preventative strategy.”
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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