Good morning,
I sincerely thank each of you for heeding the clarion call and being here today. I appreciate it.
This national security strategic session was born out of the idea that if these community violence issues are ever going to be addressed, then crucial stakeholders and those on the front lines of the response to this problem, needed to be brought together in one room for some candid discussion. But not just to talk, but to propose real solutions to this pandemic.
Before we immerse ourselves into this day, let me first state that no one person, entity or agency is to blame for today's crisis. You may have heard me publicly state over and over that this problem is a community problem, not a Police problem. I meant it then, and I mean it now.
The sooner each of us on the Island comes to terms with this concept, the faster we will solve this issue. I believe that this violence issue is the proverbial 800-pound elephant in the room that poses a threat to us all; it poses a grave threat to our young people, our peace of mind, our schools, our societal expectations of normal behaviour, and the very fabric of ourBermudian culture. Colleagues, friends, make no mistake - this is a Health & Safety Crisis and a matter of National Security!
It is therefore necessary to acknowledge this 800-pound elephant and decisively focus our resolve to wrestle it to the ground and subdue it once and for all.
Let me say that I've been National Security Minister for just over five months, (with all that has gone on from the moment I started, it seems like 5 years – smile), and during this time, the country has seen numerous incidents of physical violence, domestic violence, stabbings, shootings and murders.
This issue is personally heart-wrenching. I constantly receive frantic phone calls from worried parents fearful for their sons who are involved in or affected by the violence in some way, and I have the unpleasant task of offering sympathies to murder victims' families whentragedy strikes. I also find myself consoling andgiving counsel to those who have been impactedby physical violence and guiding them to agencies that can help.
Because we've heard the phrase 'community violence' many times over recent years, I think I should try and define it.
To me, community violence in Bermuda ischaracterized as violence that happens in the public sphere involving a small group of individuals whose behaviour ultimately causes asudden disruption to the broader public,resulting in lasting trauma to the community.
According to Police estimates, around 1000 people are actively involved in gangs, which to me, are complications of much deeper societal problems. In other words, gangs do not form out of thin air.
They are an abnormality and a result of serious delinquencies within, let's be frank, the home and the family structure, a failure within our criminal justice and education institutions, and also a result of how we in positions of authority have responded to these warning signs dating back decades.
I find it utterly unconscionable that around 1000people can cause this much disruption and devastation to a population of just over 60 thousand people on a 21-square-mile/4 square mile wide island. I ask each of you here today,how long are we going to allow these about 1000 people to hold our community hostage?How long? We cannot allow these actions to become the norm.
As the person in charge of the Island's national security, I recall someone asking me what I intend to do about this problem. I felt this question was the wrong question to ask. It's clear that these approx. 1000 individuals feel that they are the ones with the power – and we need to change that false narrative immediately!
Now is the time to come together, but not just to have a discussion, for real action!. Everyone in this room today has seen the consequences up close and personal. If you are a helping agency, a person in some form of leadership or working with our youth, let’s put our money where our mouths are! Roll up our sleeves and get busy!.
If there is something that we as a Government could do better, I want to hear about it so we can change course and do better. Now is not the time to hold back. And equally, if there is something that collectively as organisations we can do better, then here is where we brainstorm and discuss, without criticism or blame, so that we can arrive at real solutions. Additionally, if there are things that are working well, then we also want to know about it, so that we can build upon it and share with our fellow organisations.
We are losing too many young black men. This is an existential threat, and I want to know the‘WHYS’ and the ‘WHATS’ - why are welosing these young men and what can be done to stop this crisis.
So today, I am asking you, to check any egos we may have brought here at the door. Speak among each other frankly and honestly, with a sense of purpose and problem-solving. Let’s use our intelligence and experience to make relevant contributions and in full transparency assist in making inroads as we attempt to turnthis crisis on its head.1
Thank you.