Island Crime & Concerns
- MURDERS – The UK’s murder rate is about 1.2 per 100,000 population. Thus far (July) 2024, Bermuda’s equivalent is about 20x this – 24 per 100,000. Guns, knives & gangs appear to be ravaging the island. Many of the murders are unsolved – read more here.
- 11/07/2024 – update – the BPS (inadvertently?) refer to the 4 deaths 07/07/2024 as murders – the press conference transcript can be read here
- read more about the island’s murders here.
- FIREARMS – regular firearms incidents – yet reward derisory? Residents are rightly concerned – read more here.
- STABBINGS – knife crime issues – 2024: ‘police have seen 16 incidents of knife crimes this year and that the island could surpass last year’s record of 25 should the trend continue’ (source)
- EVIDENCE – the BPS seemingly have difficulty with evidence …
- 10/07/2024 – a man accused of murdering two people at the Robin Hood Pub in October 2021 was freed by the court yesterday due to a lack of sufficient evidence tying him to the killings. Read more here.
- 30/05/2024 – a judge found, with regard to 3 accused of murder – ‘I concluded that there is no evidence on which you can find beyond a reasonable doubt …’ (30/05/2024 – murder trial)
- 05/2024 – DNA evidence also appears problematic as highlighted by a miscarriage of justice. Julian Washington will not be retried for a 2018 murder – an independent review of DNA evidence has been suggested – read more here.
- COLLISIONS – high number of vehicle collisions & road fatalities – 07/2024 – ‘Collisions remain common despite police crackdown‘. The island is ranked 10th in the top 10 world countries for reported accidents per population – read more here.
- 2024 road fatalities – more information
- 2023 road fatalities number 13 – read more here
- CYCLE RENTAL – the potential damagers associated with cycle hire – read more here.
- NO-GO AREAS – no-go areas and drug dealing
- SEARCH WARRANTS – the obtaining & use of search warrants
- the BPS decline to disclose Detective Chief Inspector Arthur Glasford’s internal report about a search warrant – read more here – reiterating their refusal as can be read here.
- POLICE CORRUPTION – the number of BPS officers under investigation – 2021 report ‘Almost half of Bermuda’s police officers have been investigated for alleged wrongdoing in the past three years‘. In 2020, Police disciplinary decisions were to be reviewed because a UK officer in charge of professional standards is not a BPS member – read more here.
- 06/2024 – such is the problem, a dedicated “anti-corruption” department is being set up by the Bermuda Police Service – read more here
- 07/2024 – Seven police officers are suspended from duty while under investigation for allegations of gross misconduct and criminality – read more here.
- OPPRESSIVE CONDUCT – alleged officer intimidation – Charges dropped against police sergeant and wife (04/07/2024)
- 2021 former Chief of Police, Mr Corbishley’s ‘shock resignation‘ occurred while he was under investigation for alleged gross misconduct toward a subordinate officer
- POLICE NUMBERS – the size of a constabulary for just 65,000 occupants – currently about 360 – the lowest since the 1970’s. Whilst this may be considered a sizeable number of police staff for such a small island, the constabulary wants another 100 officers! It is apparent recognises there is a shortfall, they simply appear to have done little about it. Read more here
- LACK OF INVESTIGATION – the 1993 dismissal of the “the largest and most serious case involving conspiracy, drug trafficking and money laundering ever conducted by the Bermuda Police force” – arguably undermining the rule of law, paving the way for the subsequent crimes … murders, narcotics, gangs, firearms & knife crimes – above.
- OFFSHORE INVESTMENTS – The Paradise Papers & Bermuda names linked – did the BPS trouble to investigate the evidence/information?