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‘I heard gunshots while in bed with my wife & child’- Hon Turnbull

Member of the Second District Hon Melvin M. Turnbull told lawmakers on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA), that his tranquillity was disturbed by ‘the sound of guns barking loudly in the distance’ as he sat on his bed with his wife and child recently. Photo: HoA/YouTube
The police and Members of the HoA have been urged to do more to protect residents of the territory, as the crime rate, along with illegal guns, has increased. Photo: wanderglobe.org/File
The police and Members of the HoA have been urged to do more to protect residents of the territory, as the crime rate, along with illegal guns, has increased. Photo: wanderglobe.org/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Representative for the Second District Hon Melvin M. Turnbull told lawmakers on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA), while speaking under ‘Other Business’, about an experience he claimed to have had while in bed with his immediate family.

The third-term legislator (2015-current) noted that his tranquillity was disturbed by “the sound of guns barking loudly in the distance” as he sat on his bed with his wife and child recently. He also believed “others in the community heard the same explosions”.

Crime up under Collins

The Member, who served as a Minister for Natural Resources and Labour for less than a year under a Unity Government (2022-2023), has urged the Police and Members of the HoA to do more to protect residents of the territory, as the crime rate, along with illegal guns, has increased.

Hon Turnbull told the public that murders are “now happening in broad daylight” and that we are losing too many young people. He told the HoA, “It cannot be the norm and it cannot be accepted as a norm”.

The Second District Representative said the issue appears to have become a norm because officials have not been aggressive enough in arresting the challenges.

It is unclear if Hon Turnbull made a report to the police on the matter. 

It was in February of this year that Hon Turnbull lambasted Police Commissioner Mark Collins for the Cane Garden Bay Police Sub-Station not being opened 24 hours.

41 Responses to “‘I heard gunshots while in bed with my wife & child’- Hon Turnbull”

  • Hmmmm (24/09/2023, 15:18) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    Sometimes it does be as close as family.
    • FIRE (25/09/2023, 08:28) Like (8) Dislike (4) Reply
      You was lucky to heard shots and was able to tell the tale.
      • Greg (25/09/2023, 20:33) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
        Welcome to our world, but no one cares about us.
        • Arrion (29/09/2023, 10:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th district all hear gunshots. Where have you been if this is the first time you have heard them? Consider yourself lucky and now put yourself in our shoes. SMH
  • … (24/09/2023, 15:32) Like (30) Dislike (5) Reply
    Hope he hears the cries of Jost van dyke too
  • x police (24/09/2023, 15:33) Like (26) Dislike (10) Reply
    At least he has the balls to call out mark Collins who have been a failure
    • To: x police (24/09/2023, 17:11) Like (9) Dislike (2) Reply
      To add to your post, when the public complained to the same Commissioner of Police and the Governor of the out post police stations on all islands are all mostly closed daily they basically called the public liars and mischiefmakers. All these things need rectifying. How do the Commissioner expect the public to help if when they come forward with things like these they are bat down and looked upon as mischiefmakes in his sight.
      • god is watching (25/09/2023, 09:14) Like (17) Dislike (1) Reply
        @To: x police you make me laugh! I have not heard those words 'bat down' since I was a child growing up! My mother used to say, "Yuh goh the whole place batting down." (closed up).

        Thanks for the little humor out of a serious situation.
    • Jalla (24/09/2023, 17:39) Like (40) Dislike (13) Reply
      Stop blaming Collins, if he weren’t from the UK you wouldn’t mention his name. Our own people causing the problems.
      • Endtimes (25/09/2023, 09:15) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
        @Jalla you are so right! Our own people are our worst enemies in this place!
      • SLIVER (25/09/2023, 10:15) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
        You are so right. stop blaming Collins because if it was a local they would shut their trapp.
  • Voter in brews bay (24/09/2023, 15:37) Like (12) Dislike (19) Reply
    Thankfully the gunshots was not for you and your lovely family
  • Bloody mate (24/09/2023, 15:41) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
    A serious national security issue and the governor just now surfaced on Anegada while mark is on a jolly, and the uk officers returned from a jolly on the beach
  • hh (24/09/2023, 15:41) Like (17) Dislike (6) Reply
    All ar uh leave it to get out of hand so what every thing police do it is a problem you see it them people have no respect for those officer's i know a day would of come when u all wìĺl see the use of those officer's
  • Kermit the Frog (24/09/2023, 15:45) Like (14) Dislike (7) Reply
    Ummm...he and Marlon better stay quiet on these issues. Ah gone back to sipping my tea.
  • just asking (24/09/2023, 16:24) Like (12) Dislike (2) Reply
    Pleased to hear it was only the Hon, Minister's immediate family in bed together !
  • Hand wash.. (24/09/2023, 16:29) Like (21) Dislike (0) Reply
    He who has clothes on line listen and watch out for rain..
  • John (24/09/2023, 16:48) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    This person is a fool to Marlon turbull must stay quiet what we put them in there for not represant it looks like no one could move them out there seat
  • Native Tongue (24/09/2023, 16:57) Like (19) Dislike (1) Reply
    So what if you heard gun shots? Over 60 unsolved murders in this Virgin Islands since 1990. Talk that in the house of A$$ sembly.
  • question (24/09/2023, 17:05) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    Is it that Governors & the UK Officials allowed the police force to deteriorate over the years and allowed no meaningful succession planning to be done for the force so it can be in dire straights now so they can use this to try to advance their ill conceived cause? Some may get angry at this post but first hear me out. Over the past ten years many senior officers of Caribbean & local origin retired from the force or was retired. This did not happen over night. Retirement is after 25 or more years so it should not have caught the organization by surprise. This means their positions still existed after they retired but for some strange reasons most of them were left vacant. The question is was this intentional by the last set of UK Commissioners of Police? It may sound farfetch to some but someone has to ask these questions to find out who failed in being proactive with succession planning of the RVIPF over the last decade...THAT IS IF IT WAS NOT BY DESIGN!
  • i said it (24/09/2023, 17:08) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    Let us come together to fight crime & keep our beloved BVI safe & productive. Some may dislike my post but it does have validity. The Governor & his UK Commissioner of Police keep bringing in UK officers and paying them significantly more money and higher positions than the hard working intelligent Caribbean & local police officers sometimes who were in the same position level. They segregate the force where only the UK officers are involved in all aspects of policing and the locals & Caribbean Officers are given boundaries they dare not cross. So the Governor and his Commissioner is trying to resolve these issues which is good but until they adjust their actions then the force will never maximize its great potential that it has.
  • The Street (24/09/2023, 17:12) Like (14) Dislike (2) Reply
    School children say some of the white officers also have deep concerns about how this Commissioner of Police operating.
  • facts (24/09/2023, 17:14) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    Security is the sole responsibility of the Governor which means the police is his responsibility. The issue is not more money & Security as the Governor is claiming. It is poor management and strategy with the resources they have now. This UK Commissioner of Police has more resources & police officers than any other Police Commissioner in the history of the BVI. The issue is poor management and lack of focus hence lack of proper strategy. They all are more concern on how to try to take over rather than how protect and serve.
  • Youth (24/09/2023, 17:17) Like (8) Dislike (9) Reply
    I said it before and I will say it again that everything under the Governor's responsibility is a failure but the COI he called conveniently turned their face to this and exempted him from his own COI report which he claims was independent. This is not to blame crime on him but it is to highlight a blatant lack of proactive measures not being put in place consistently and constantly.
  • Let's face it (24/09/2023, 17:20) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    We need all hands on deck to fight crime but all the Governor and Commissioner of police wants is an ocean of money and the new police act pass and then they claim they can fight crime better but this is not they real motive because they have enough at their disposal already. The new police act has many sections in it which violates people's rights with no recourse and no accountability measures put in place to avoid abuse of power. This is dangerous and not necessary. Maybe be it is time to try a new Commissioner of Police who comes to do their job and not an agenda.
  • Ho (24/09/2023, 17:56) Like (3) Dislike (8) Reply
    Ho my God,after reading all blogs.
    I would say 90% of you have no brain
  • vi (24/09/2023, 18:41) Like (7) Dislike (9) Reply
    Don’t blame the commissioner blame the crocked VIP government it starts from the former head
    • Endtimes (25/09/2023, 09:27) Like (0) Dislike (6) Reply
      @vi yuh right! That man got this place upside down. He and his co-conspirators and whoever else is hiding in the shadows.
      • @Endtimes (25/09/2023, 15:29) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        Yeah right...everyone on the streets & off the streets know he was never in drugs. Everyone with sense know the colonial masters did not like how he was standing up to them for the best for the people so they organized a vicious plot to try to take him out. Do not act like you don't know.
  • qc (25/09/2023, 07:12) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Penalties on being caught with a gun need to be increased!
  • Dem parents (25/09/2023, 09:29) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    Blame dem parents who go to sleep and dem children roaming the place with guns and committing these crimes!
  • Derval Fletcher (25/09/2023, 10:18) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Bro, I hear gun shots in the middle of the night every few weeks. This isn't anything new.
  • bvi (25/09/2023, 10:26) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    I mean when you really look at the RVIPF and the persons that are promoted to senior positions, it can and will only get worst, when you look at who is incharge of operations at road police station, it is laughable, if you put all of them together they canot make one, total failures, after the upsurge in gun crimes earlier this year they send out a squad on the streets, all crime went quiet, these moomoos said to themselves that crime done, now look at it again, waste of time.
    • @bvi (25/09/2023, 15:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The force has capable people. What it needs is a progressive, proactive, fair, truthful, ethical, no-nonsense, non-racists, professional Head who does not come with an agenda nor will allow the force to be used to fulfill anyone's agenda including the Governor.
  • ausar (25/09/2023, 12:04) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Soo you telling us, that you heard gunshots, and with a police station in the immediate area, not one officer saw anything, or was on patrol to do anything about it?
    Hmm..
  • RedStorm (25/09/2023, 16:50) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Silly people, know the root cause f crime , yet sill they buried their heads in the sand , and call it George. Get those young people employed with more than minimum wage, most crime will get solved.


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