Sun, 2008-01-13

Commissioner George Jackson

Good Afternoon Members of the Media. As many of you are aware there have been some very high profile incidents that have taken place in the last few months, an attempted murder on Christmas Day followed by the murder of Aquil Richardson on Boxing Day. This has highlighted the violence that is taking place in our community and brought to the forefront the growing social ills that are now plaguing every aspect of Bermuda’s way of life.

It is to that end that the Bermuda Police Service would like to send out a very clear and unambiguous message. There will be a targeted systematic response to persons who insist upon living an anti-social lifestyle. This will be done through enforcement against specific offences (i.e. drug offences, weapon offences and violent offences). Also locations will be targeted with a view to reduce and disrupt violence, criminal activity and disorder.

The community has clearly expressed growing concern at not only this recent violent behaviour, but the general lack of observance of the law.

Secondly, we also want to communicate to our community that there is a common mistaken belief as long as I am not committing a violent crime or dealing drugs that I should be left alone. In order to enforce the law all offences must be challenged as it sets a standard for what should be expected of all of our citizens. This includes running a stop light, having illegal tint, having invalid proof of license and insurance and having outstanding warrants for a civil or criminal matter. The message must be sent that individuals cannot pick and choose the laws they obey. Every broken law has a ripple effect; a person driving without insurance drives up insurance rates for us all. A person driving with illegal tint presents a driving hazard for us all and potentially could conceal a person who is for some reason hiding from the law. These are just a few examples of how every infraction has the potential to have a great impact on us all.

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