Barbados Attorney General Urges All-of-Society Effort to Combat Firearms Trafficking
Attorney General Dale Marshall addressing CARICOM IMPACS meeting
Fight Against Firearms Trafficking Must be an All-of-Society Endeavor
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Attorney General Dale Marshall has told a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) IMPACS Crime Gun Intelligence Unit’s In-Country Sensitisation and Awareness meeting that the fight against firearms trafficking must be an all-of-society endeavor.
Marshall told the meeting, which ends on Wednesday, that the firearms fight should not be restricted to only the Barbados Police Service; citizens must also recognize that they have a part to play.
Combatting Gun Violence
He acknowledged that the scourge of gun violence is of particular concern, adding, “It’s a feature of the prevalence of gangs in our countries, and it certainly is creating a fair amount of instability in Barbados….”
Progress in Addressing the Issue
However, Marshall stressed that the police have been working hard to address the issue. The Director of Public Prosecutions advised him that 292 firearm cases were waiting to be tried in September last year, and the same is true for this year.
“Regarding firearm-related offenses, The Barbados Police Service stats show that between January and June of last year, we had 75; over the same period this year, we have 63. Regarding actual trials, in the 18 months ending last month, we had 142 firearm trials. I bring these figures to show that the fight is multifaceted.
“The courts are involved in this; The Barbados Police Service is involved in this; but the missing element that we don’t talk about too much…is the involvement of our communities.
“I constantly say that The Police Service is only called in after things happen; nobody thinks to call them in and say, ‘we heard the fellas on the block talking about guns’ and giving us the kind of information that we want. The fight against firearms trafficking has to be a societal endeavor. It cannot just be The Barbados Police Service.”
New Rules to Accelerate Criminal Case Processing
Marshall said he is pleased the United States is playing an increased role in regional collaboration in the gun trafficking and gun violence fight, committing that police officers would continue to undergo the necessary training to improve their skills as they deal with the various issues.
Meanwhile, Marshall said that the criminal justice system is on course to implement new rules by September to accelerate the processing of criminal cases.
He said the new system would introduce a preliminary hearing before a magistrate, allowing the accused to enter a plea. The case will promptly move to the High Court for a “sufficiency hearing,” where a judge will assess the evidence to determine if there are grounds to proceed to trial.
Marshall said the criminal procedure rules have been with the Bar Association here since May, as well as with the Commissioner of Police and the DPP. A symposium will soon be held with all stakeholders to address issues before implementation.
“We will now have a symposium with all stakeholders, so we go through the rules with everybody. If there are issues, we flag them. Then, if there are things we can do better, we take into account the experience of the judges and the lawyers’ experience. So, I expect these new criminal procedure rules will be in place by the end of September.”
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Conclusion
The fight against firearms trafficking and gun violence requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, including law enforcement, communities, and governments. The new rules aimed at accelerating the processing of criminal cases are a positive step towards reducing gun violence and addressing the root causes of the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
* What is the main goal of the new criminal procedure rules?
To accelerate the processing of criminal cases and reduce gun violence.
* What is the expected timeline for implementing the new rules?
By the end of September.
* What role does the United States play in the regional collaboration to combat gun trafficking and gun violence?
The United States is playing an increased role in regional collaboration and has committed to providing training to police officers to improve their skills in addressing the issue.