Still no Gun Legislation-another NDP broken promise!
The NDP in its manifesto had promised that it will get tough on gun crimes and one of the ways they claimed they will do this was to amend the laws.
According to the NDP party's manifesto, it promised our children, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and ordinary law abiding residents that they would enforce provisions which deal with illegal handguns and introduce 10-year minimum sentences for those caught with an unlawful firearm.
After 3 years and 3 months in office the ruling NDP has failed to do both, as crime has overrun the Virgin Islands (VI) and guns are easy to obtain just like buying bottled water.
Broken promises an NDP signature
Just last year after pressure from the public as young Paul Prentice was gunned down in the streets of Road Town in evening day light, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith at a press conference assured the public once again that he will be bringing gun legislation to the House of Assembly early in 2015. In fact he said it will be his first order of business on the agenda of the HoA come 2015.
When reminded by reporters last month that they heard that from him in 2010 and 2011 leading up to the general elections he flip-flopped at the press conference saying it was “no election gimmick and legislation takes time”.
In December 2014 in his Christmas message to the people of the VI Premier Smith yet again promised that gun legislation was on its way in the form of an amendment to the Firearms Act, come first item for 2015.
Even the police had admitted that they had lost the war on guns on the street and at the start of 2013 police had a gun amnesty programme, but it received lukewarm response from a public that does not trust the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
Premier Smith’s position on crime has evolved
Over the past three year plus in office struggling to come up with an approach to crime while fooling the residents that crime is down the Premier also claimed that his administration intends to take a holistic approach to combating crimes in general.
“As you know, one of the things that has been established recently is the use of CCT (Close Circuit Television) cameras. This has been established as very important in the fight against crime in other countries,” he said in 2013.
Government’s cameras not working!
However, it was recently discovered by Virgin Islands News Online that the CCT cameras installed throughout Road Town and other parts on Tortola are not working. This is the same case for those installed on Virgin Gorda and the police must now rely on cameras in private businesses to help solved crime.
NDP admits they have failed on crime
Almost showing the people that his Administration had failed on crime it was important to note that in what is expected to be their last speech from throne outlining the Smith Administration’s Legislative agenda on November 10, 2014, in the Fourth Session of the Second House of Assembly read by the United Kingdom appointed Representative Governor John S. Duncan OBE, there was no mention of gun laws. The main focus however in fighting the out of control crime rate in the British Overseas Territory according the speech was “community policing”.
In the first sitting of the HoA for 2015 scheduled for Thursday February 12, 2015 there are no bills to address crime and guns on the NDP’s agenda, another sign that the government is not serious about guns and crime and has failed the people.
From 2011 to current there have been countless murders of residents due to hand guns and many armed robberies. In addition every month there are heavy weapons being confiscated by the police and as recently as last week with some Ak47 and other heavy military type guns being seized due to a tipoff.
Still our innocent children are being killed by guns, while the tears of mothers, fathers, husbands, sisters, brothers, wives and friends still wait for the NDP promised Violent Crime Reduction Bill. In the meantime our youths continue to die in the streets from gun crimes like animals.
One senior Police Officer of the RVIPF told our news room, that “part of the problem is lack of financial support for the police by the NDP, but when crime hits one of their family members you will see how fast they address giving us more resources and bringing about stiffer gun legislation.”
.png)
.png)
.png)
Follow Us On
40 Responses to “Still no Gun Legislation-another NDP broken promise!”
Until the law is in place I am holding on to my piece because this little island has gone to the dogs. Power and greed taking over and they are feeding off of our youths.
NDP 4 years
VIP 8 years
20 Years assault weapon.
25 Years for firing weapon or attempted murder.
100 Years for murder which is life in prison, no TV or visitor.
Do you really want compare VIP 2007 to NDP 2011?
Those murders are targeted killings. Men having " issues" with each other over s..t and pettiness. Imagine two are dead and two serving life sentences for something that was NOT any of their own. I don't know if the Govt can be held responsible for that. Sickening.
Wait, huh? That's not true? oh well, sorry.
They already knew this of course ;-D