The press conference called by the Royal Anguilla Police Force on Tuesday, January 30, was not only about displaying seized illegal firearms and ammunition, but covered the existence of gangs in Anguilla as well.
“The gang culture is established and will take some time to eradicate,” he stated. “I think one of the challenges for the country is to prevent other youngsters in the schools from following in the footsteps of siblings and other relatives, and trying to emulate that same culture in the future. I think there is a lot of work we need to do with the schools. We are meeting with the schools on Friday, this week, to look at how we can prevent or divert young persons away from gang life.”
The Commissioner explained that the D.A.R.E programme in the schools “is specifically around alcohol, drugs and tobacco issues. We don’t have a programme that is specifically designed around the diversion of the youth away from gangs and gang culture.”
Mr. Morrison went on: “Just recently, we held a meeting with some boys and when we asked them who their role models were one of them mentioned a gang member. That was quite disturbing in that this country has a lot of great role models in politics, the commercial sector, the hospital and the schools. I think there are role models even in the police force who set a good example for the youth of today. When that young man said that his role model was a gang member, it caused us to think that it [the gang culture] is a lot deeper and it is not going to be solved as simply as making all these arrests. These arrests, although significant, are not going to prevent persons entering the gangs in the future.
“I think a multi-agency approach is needed for diversion programmes, and an identification of vulnerable persons. I think bullying is a factor and that we need to look at how we manage these types of cases, and how we can support the young people to try to divert them from what may have been seen as an attractive life with role models who are not the persons they should be following.”
Replying to a question at the press conference, the Commissioner replied: “In terms of the number of gangs, we have mapped at least five gangs, [gang] three organised serious crime groups which are not specifically gangs but are involved in narcotics, burglaries, robberies and so on. Gang membership can vary from 10 -20. Not all gang members carry firearms. However, there is a hierarchical arrangement with gangs organised like any business. They have a command structure; a transport network; have their own intelligence network; their own financial problems; internal conflicts as well as their external conflicts. Some of them are, unfortunately, already attracting 16 and 17-year-old children from schools probably on the periphery of the gangs, and the gang members are probably in the 20s and early 30s.”
Mr. Morrison noted that a lot of the gang warfare, so to speak, “is territorial with some persons probably unable to go out a square mile without having to be armed or thinking they have to be armed.”
The above gang culture and serious crime groups, outlined by the Police Commissioner, are matters of great concern that need urgent attention and action to protect the social fabric and safety of Anguilla.
