Barbados police chief worried about crime among Guyanese
Guyana Chronicle
November 21, 2006
THE NATION (BARBADOS) – Commissioner of Police, Darwin Dottin is very concerned about criminal activity among the Guyanese population in Barbados.
Yesterday morning, at his initiative, he was scheduled to chair a high-level meeting at police headquarters to get to the root of the problem and to plan future strategies.
Executive members of the Guyanese Association of Barbados Inc., other prominent Guyanese and senior officials from the Immigration Department were among those who were due to discuss the issue.
Sunday evening Dottin confirmed he was having the meeting, but declined to go into details ahead of the discussion in order not to prejudice its tone or content.
He did confirm, however, that the force was "very concerned" that "quite a bit of the crime we have been seeing in recent times has involved non-nationals".
He said it was important that from time to time the force had consultation with "interested groups" on matters that were of concern or importance to them and the force, and whenever the opportunity presented itself "we will seek to inform them of how we are seeing the situation".
Asked whether he was aware of the meeting or if he had been invited, Guyana's honorary consul in Barbados, Norman Faria, said he had been in communication with the commissioner on the subject, but declined to say if he would have been attending.
Only last week Guyanese attorney-at-law Samuel LeGay, while addressing the District "A" Magistrates' Court, said too many Guyanese thought they could get away with committing crime in Barbados.
He said many of them were going before the court for a range of crimes and their attitude was that the only punishment they would receive was deportation.
His comments came while defending a Guyanese male who had robbed five women within a recent three-week period.
LeGay said a serious message had to be sent out that there would be more than a slap on the wrist.
Chief Magistrate Clyde Nicholls called on immigration officials to hold citizens responsible who harbour non-nationals after they overstayed their legal time in the country.