Residents of a St Michael district say they are living in fear, after a group of armed men opened fire in their community last night.

Police are investigating the shooting that occurred around 9:30 p.m. in 7th Avenue New Orleans, and left two men and one woman with gunshot wounds.

While none of the injuries was life threatening, one man had to undergo surgery. He is warded at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in stable condition.

While police declined to disclose the identities of those shot, the female victim Susan Lovell spoke to Barbados TODAY after being discharged from the QEH. She said she was shot in the right leg while in a friend’s house where she had retreated to escape the gunplay.

“I went to shout a friend because we were going out and when I got there we talked a little, then I heard some gunshots, ‘tap, tap, tap’. I looked up the gap and see a fella running coming down, I couldn’t really see his face because he was far from me. I told the rest that this fella running coming down so you will get shoot at,” the 47-year-old said.

Lovell said she went into her friend’s house but she heard more shots and everybody started to run through the house.

“I fall over a wrought iron chair and when I got up and I saw the abrasion on my leg, I thought it came from the chair, but the muscle in the leg started to get stiff and when I looked back at my feet I had a lump behind my feet and the rest told me I got shot,” she added.

“The bullet went through the back and came out through the front of the right leg above the knee. I spent 22 hours at the QEH.”

She said she was concerned about the lawlessness that was taking place in Barbados.

“You can’t walk, you can’t go nowhere. Step out your house and your life in danger. They don’t care where you are, who you is, they just shooting . . . It is not fair to be living that way.”

When Barbados TODAY visited the area where four houses and two cars were pierced with bullets, some visibly upset residents said they were still shaken up.

Dacosta Ramsay said he was in his bed laying down when he heard the gunshots. The next thing he felt was a piece of board hitting his face after it fell from the wall when the house was struck by a bullet.

Dacosta Ramsey, seen here pointing to the area where a bullet came as he lay in bed, said he was “offset” by the incident.

“I can’t feel good about this here. It had me offset the whole night. I don’t even mix up with nobody or anything,” he said.

One elder in the community, whose home was also damaged, said he and other family members dropped to the floor when the gunfire started.

He declared that he was not at war with anyone and found it offensive and aggravating that his house was shot at, putting his family, a baby included, at risk.

“This thing is a young people thing that ain’t got nothing to do with me. I is an elderly man; just respect me, respect my home and my family. This is folly,” said the resident who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He said he believed the culprits last night were invaders who were looking for trouble.

Another man who said he was sitting by his door when his house was hit with the first of about eight bullets said while he too was angered, he was happy that his son who was playing video games at the time was not hurt.

“Bullets come from the front of the house and hit the sink. But I thank God that nothing ain’t happen to my son. I raise he from too young for them to take he from me,” the father cried.

Where one of the bullets pierced through galzanize.

(AH/FW)

Three months after they were promised relocation, White Hill, St Andrew residents say they are still waiting, and suffering in the meantime.

While at least two residents have been moved to Farmers, St Thomas, the remaining residents said they have not been getting the assistance that Minister of Housing and Lands Denis Kellman assured would be provided.

Houses in White Hill, like this one, have been abandoned by some residents.

Former resident Patricia Phillips at her new home in Farmer’s, St Thomas.

The area has been affected by road slippage for several years, but last November heavy rainfall caused another large section of the road to collapse, prompting a visit from Minister of Transport and Works Michael Lashley and a promise from Kellman that $25,000 grants would be made available to help them relocate.

Minister of Housing Denis Kellman

“Nobody has come to us about accessing the $25,000 promised householders for relocation. Two residents from White Hill visited the National Housing Corporation and officials there told them they knew nothing about the grant,” outspoken resident Carlitha Andrews said when Barbados TODAY visited the area over the weekend.

However, when contacted, Kellman said the disbursement would depend on the availability of funds.

Andrews, meantime, questioned how the residents would get their possessions out.

“How are we supposed to move the houses and household [items] without a road being in place? Construct a temporary road so that we can move around freely,” she said.

“The residents are going crazy. It is disturbing me because I cannot get out as I like. There are residents who have not left their homes since the road collapsed on November 22, 2014. Even if the rain does not fall in the area, there is seepage of potable water into the soil from badly rusted pipe lines.”

Andrews added that some of her neighbours were sleeping at other people’s homes “because they cannot take the chance of staying in their homes at night or even during the day”.

The situation was also affecting children attending school.

“As recently as [last] Friday morning when the rain fell, the bus which transports the children of the area to the Hillaby/ Turners Hall Primary School could not climb the hill because of the slippery condition of the road. The road is narrow, and if the driver makes a mistake the bus carrying school children as young five years old could plunge into the deep gullies in the area,” Andrews said, adding that her daughter was expected to sit the Common Entrance Examination this year and could not afford to miss classes.

Meantime, former White Hill resident Patricia Phillips, who moved to Farmers three weeks ago, told Barbados TODAY she felt happy not to be living in fear of land slippage.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and Opposition Leader Mia Mottley are at odds over what constitutes contempt of court.

Stuart argued that public comment and the publication of information in legal cases – some of which have not yet gone before a judge – that have taken place are dangerous practices and constitute contempt.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

“I have noticed in recent times that a certain amount of disrespect is being directed at the judiciary of Barbados . . . when a small coterie thinks that they don’t have to respect the courts of law anymore and that documents that are filed in the courts for adjudication can be thrown in the public domain for consumption, even before judges have a chance to look at those documents and to evaluate them or to adjudicate on the  matter before them,” he said.

“Fortunately, we in the Democratic Labour Party have walked uprightly in this regard, and I urge you to continue so to do,” said Stuart on Saturday at the opening of the relocated Democratic Labour Party St Michael West Central constituency office.

But Mottley last night accused him of being hypocritical, while pointing out to supporters at the Barbados Labour Party meeting at the St George Secondary School that senior Government ministers have openly spoken on matters before the court.

Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley

“This is the same Freundel Stuart who sat by and watched ministers on the front bench [of Parliament] quote documents from the case involving George [Payne] and Eddy [Edmund Hinkson]. It wasn’t contempt then,” argued Mottley.

She said DLP parliamentarians had also spoken on matters concerning a court injunction brought by Opposition member Kerrie Symmonds against a Cabinet decision allowing B’s Recycling to operate in St Thomas.

“All of a sudden, when the public, and in particular the [CLICO] policyholders of this country are being told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the Prime Minister steps in to remind us of contempt,” Mottley noted.

The arguments put forward by Stuart followed the publication of documents in some sections of the media about the collapsed CLICO Barbados Holdings.

However, he did not identify any court cases, and simply stated that the action was being taking by a small group of persons.

“Alarm bells must be rung when people, any small coterie of people . . . when the self righteous in that coterie can feel that they can tell a court what it must do or should do in its adjudication with matters. Those are danger signs that have to be watched,” Stuart said.

The Prime Minister agreed that residents should be free to discuss decisions by the court, but said he was “a little uncomfortable when we’ve got to the stage were people feel that court documents can be thrown into the public domain even before judges have a chance to look at them”.

Officers and enlisted ranks of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) have been reminded that their service has never been and will never be based on the 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 40-hour week framework.

This reminder came from the army’s chief of staff Colonel Alvin Quintyne as he reinforced the point that time in the military was not measured in such terms, and service called for personal sacrifice.

Chief of staff of the Barbados Defence Force Colonel Alvin Quintyne

Quintyne was speaking at yesterday’s annual Barbados Regiment Colour To Church service at St Matthias Anglican Church.

Justice Sherman Moore (at right) taking the salute.

“You the members of the Regiment, and indeed all our members of the BDF, are expected to respond whenever, wherever and however duty calls. Unlike public officers, the members of the force simply don’t have that choice allowed under Section 104 of the Safety And Health At Work Act , 2005 of refusing to carry our assigned tasks –– no matter how potentially dangerous the mission may be to your health, safety and well-being,” he said.

Quintyne stated that when duty came knocking at the doors of BDF members, being the “loyal sons and daughters of the Regiment and of this fair land”, they had to be at all times ready to respond, and to provide the best quality of military service through the sacrifice of time, energy and “even your lives in the interest of the security and well-being of the nation”.

“I seize this opportunity to remind the commanders of the various levels in the Regiment that this readiness to respond does not materialize overnight and neither does it depend solely on the machines, material and military might placed at your disposal. This readiness to respond, of which I speak, calls for good, decisive leadership at all levels in the Regiment’s hierarchy.

“In simple terms, machines, material and military might matter not, if the men and women at the tip of the force’s spear are not properly managed and led,” the chief of staff warned.

Quintyne also announced at the church service that the new BDF senior chaplain would be the rector of St Matthias Anglican Church, Reverend Hugh Sandiford.

Rector of St Matthias Church, Reverend Hugh Sandiford (left), greeting chief of staff of the Barbados Defence Force Colonel Alvin Quintyne (right) as Reverend Major (Retired) Mylon Springer (centre) looks on.

That position was previously held by Reverend Canon Devere Murrell who served up until December 31 last year as former rector of St Matthias.

Delivering his first sermon as the newly appointed senior chaplain to the military, Sandiford, who commended the BDF for the good work it had been doing in protecting the country, said he looked forward
to offering his service.

Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy will act as Prime Minister from tomorrow as this country’s leader leaves the island to attend the 26th Inter-sessional Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which will be held in The Bahamas on Thursday and Friday.

As incoming chair of the regional group, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart will be a member of the Bureau of the Conference for the period January 1 – June 30, and will Chair the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference from July 1 to December 31, this year.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

During the two-day summit, which will be held at the Meliá Nassau Beach Resort, a central topic of discussion will be that of Leveraging CARICOM’s Human, Cultural and Natural Assets for the Economic Development of the Community.

In addition, the talks are expected to focus on financing for the CARICOM Secretariat and other community institutions; recommendations regarding the establishment of a CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors, and a review of work on the matter of Reparations for Native Genocide and Slavery, among other matters.

 Relations with the Dominican Republic and matters of regional security are also key items on the agenda.

Heads of Government will also take the opportunity to agree on steps that should be taken to better improve the decision-making process at CARICOM meetings, and  will hold talks with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Dr José Graziano Da Silva, on ways in which his organisation can support agricultural development in the Community.

The Barbados delegation will include Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite; and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Maxine McClean.

Seven young men – including two who were charged with murder – were remanded to jail until March 20 after appearing in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court today under heavy police escort.

The alleged killers are Romario Akeem Phillips, 22, of 10th Avenue New Orleans, St Michael and Nicholas Akeem Teo Shorey, 23, of 3rd Ave, Parris Gap, Westbury Road, St Michael who are accused of the December 8, 2014 death of Albert Boyce. They were also jointly charged with two counts of robbing Don Harding and Tonya Bourne of their cell phones, jewellery and other items last December 7.

Akem Jabarry Leon

Kareem Dentonia Bailey

Damien Francisco Padmore

Marvin Marcus Victor

Rehquino Samkeh Barker

Phillips and Shorey were accompanied in the docks by five other young men, who are also accused of a number of other serious crimes.

Ramario Phillips

Nicholas Shorey

The court appearance by the group, generated much intrigue outside the District “A” court where a large crowd was gathered to get a glimpse of the accused.

Their arrest came on the heels of a significant breakthrough reported by police in their investigation into a shooting incident, which occurred last December 7 at the Ivy, St Michael.

As a result of that investigation, four of the men, who live in the parish where the crime occurred, were jointly charged with conspiracy to endanger the life of Ryan Callender. They are Phillips; Marvin Marcus Victor, 28, of 4th Ave, Pickwick Gap; Akem Jabarry Leon, 22, of 3rd Ave, Mannings Land; and Damien Francisco Padmore, 34, of #2 Skeetes Road, Ivy.

Phillips and Victor were also charged with separate counts of possession of unlicensed firearms. Phillips also faces charges of unlawful use of a firearm, as well as causing criminal damage of a motor vehicle on December 7.

In the meantime, Shorey and Rehquino Samkeh Barker, 23, of Pickwick Gap, St Michael face separate counts of unlawful possession of firearms.

Shorey is also jointly charged with Kareem Dentonia Bailey, of School Road, Bakers, St Peter, with unlawfully wounding Akiyo Belgrave on January 13, with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him or to cause him serious bodily harm.

When Linden Junior Inniss’ girlfriend comes to court on March 4, Acting Magistrate Alliston Seale will determine the level of compensation she will get for her injuries.

Inniss, 33, of Grosvenor Road, Carrington Village, St Michael pleaded guilty to assaulting Shaniqua Lynch on February 20.

The court was told that the woman and Inniss had an argument, during which he cuffed her on the left side of her face.

She reported the matter the police. Inniss later went to the police station voluntarily.

“What happen that you beating up the woman?” asked the magistrate.

“That is my child mother, so  . . . ,” Inniss responded.

“So that is why she should get beat up?” Seale asked.

Inniss then explained that there was an argument and the woman had “put the child in it”, by refusing to let him see the eight-month-old.

“But if you in jail you can’t see the child either,” Seale responded.

He told Inniss there was a course of action that he could take to ensure that he saw his child, but it was not beating the woman.

“I got a serious problem with domestic violence – unless you are defending yourself. And even then . . . most men can easily put the woman one side,” Seale added.

“And then you have a conditional discharge here for assaulting [another woman] Sharon Clarke. You [are] a woman beater?”

The acting magistrate then said he wanted to find out from complainant the extent of her injuries before making a determination about compensation and a possible fine.

Inniss was granted $500 bail until then.

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley tonight met for about five hours with Christ Church West MP Dr Maria Agard, as well as executive members of the constituency branch, following recent reports of serious division within the BLP stronghold.

And at the end of the discussions, all involved were mostly tightlipped.

Dr Agard, who won her seat by just over 500 votes in the last election, is reportedly facing a revolt of sorts from within, with BLP general secretary Dr Jerome Walcott, who lost by over 600 votes to the DLP’s John Boyce in neighbouring Christ Church South, now said to be looking west.

Christ Church West MP Dr. Maria Agard

However, the first time MP, who has recently been grappling with some personal health challenges, still feels she has a strong political future ahead of her and remains adamant that she would not walk away from her constituents.

In a brief comment to Barbados TODAY, Dr Walcott said the meeting was cordial and productive, while a smiling Dr Agard declined comment.

In the face of the upheaval, University of the West Indies political scientist Dr Tennyson Joseph warned that now was not the time for the opposition party to appear to be divided.

A small but welcomed victory came today for the estimated 20,000 policyholders of CLICO International
Life Insurance Limited (CIL).

The High Court this morning issued an order appointing the Barbados Investors and Policyholders Alliance (BIPA) as their representative body in future proceedings dealing with the affairs of the company.

Attorney for BIPA, Queen’s Counsel Alair Shepherd told Barbados TODAY the court order permits the policyholders to be legally represented during the hearings in which the judicial manager, Deloitte Consulting, will seek to have the court approve its final recommendations regarding the fate of CLICO.

Hearing on those recommendations is set for April 17.

“It is hereby ordered that . . . the Barbados Investors and Policyholders Alliance Inc (BIPA) be appointed representative party on behalf of all the individual policyholders of the respondent, CLICO International
Life Insurance Limited, for the purpose of any hearing . . . save and except those who indicate in writing that they wish to be represented by another party,” Justice William Chandler said as he delivered his ruling this morning.

Chairperson of BIPA June Fowler welcomed today’s court ruling.

Chairperson of BIPA, June Fowler

“We are happy. It means that we have a voice in the proceedings going forward as a representative for the policyholders,” she told Barbados TODAY after the judgement was handed down.

The order will also allow BIPA to have legal counsel argue on its behalf when the court hears an application by the judicial manager which is requesting that the seal be removed from the forensic audit report.

That report should reveal the various financial transactions involving CLICO Life, as well as those of the judicial manager.

Three weeks ago when the BIPA officials and their attorney appeared in court requesting a date for their application to be heard, Shepherd noted that counsel for the judicial manager had always taken the view that interested parties could not take any part in the proceedings until the court was considering the final report.

“So until that consideration is taking place, it has always been the position of counsel for the judicial manager that we cannot be heard,” he said at the time. While BIPA is counting today’s court judgement as a victory, the group has a bigger legal battle on its hands.

It is suing the directors, auditors, the Financial Services Commission and former executive chairman of CLICO Holdings Barbados Limited Leroy Parris for, among other things, negligence which led to thousands of policyholders standing to lose substantial sums of money.

Meanwhile, the judicial manager is suing Parris over a $3.3 million payment which they claimed he was
not entitled to. Parris has filed a counter-action.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

In two unrelated matters, two people – a man and a woman – were ordered today to stay away from gas stations, after they appeared on separate charges in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

Renee Olivia Wilkinson, 38, of Ellerton, St George, denied that she assaulted service attendant Chemyne Alleyne on February 10.

She was ordered by Acting Magistrate Alliston Seale not to go near the complainant and to keep away from the Rubis service station in Harmony Hall.

In the same court, Adrian DaCosta Burrowes, a security officer who resides at #329, 11th Avenue, West Terrace, St James, also pleaded not guilty to unlawfully assaulting Bryan Archer and damaging a pane of glass at the Esso Black Rock service station on February 23.

“Get your gas somewhere else,” Acting Magistrate Seale told the accused.

Wilkinson and Burrowes were each granted $2,500 bail and ordered to return to court on May 12.

by Sandra Downes 

The practice of magistrates remanding accused to the Psychiatric Hospital for three-week evaluations is putting a strain on that institution’s resources and even posing a danger to staff.

Senior consultant psychiatrist Dr Beresford “Berry” Connell, who expressed that concern in an interview with Barbados TODAY, also contended that half of those sent to the Black Rock, St Michael facility did not show enough motivation for rehabilitation.

Magistrates sometimes send accused who appear in court on drug charges, or who appear to have mental issues, to the Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation for three weeks.

Dr Connell said not only was that length of time unnecessary, but it was putting pressure on the institution’s human resources and its limited bed space.

Senior consultant psychiatrist Dr Beresford “Berry” Connell

“I believe magistrates do this with the best of intentions, but they do not understand what happens when you send a person down here for three weeks,” he said.

“It can be as little as a day, where as soon as the assessment is done the accused can return to prison or on bail and the doctor can also go back to the court with the report,” Dr Connell added, explaining that the ward where prisoners were housed was always in demand, and often there was no room when other patients needed to be transferred there.

Dr Connell explained that once an accused was remanded to the Psychiatric Hospital, he or she must be treated like any other patient. They were therefore allowed telephone calls and regular visits.

However, Dr Connell said that could prove dangerous as he cited one instance in which a remanded patient was found with a knife in his waist after receiving visitors.

The psychiatrist added that while he had no problem “if there is someone with a genuine need for psychiatric evaluation”, he was concerned that some people who were sent from the court just saw the Psychiatric Hospital as “a better option than prison”.

He further lamented that many of the accused had no intention of ending their drug abuse, did not believe they had a problem, and were just there “to spend the time”.

Those are the ones the senior psychiatrist described as people who “cannot be helped because they have not reached rock bottom yet”, and were just taking up space.

While the law provides for an accused person who is, or appears to be, suffering from a mental disorder to be admitted to a mental hospital for a specified time, Dr Connell was concerned about cases in which parents asked magistrates for help for their children who were drug abusers, but the accused themselves were reluctant to be rehabilitated.

The psychiatrist suggested that in order to reduce the pressure on the institution and prevent unnecessary lengthy stays, persons accused of crimes should be assessed by the drug therapist at the Psychiatric Hospital who would then give recommendations on whether they needed to be remanded for a further period.

Saying that the country was “crying out everyday”, a magistrate today refused to grant bail to any of the seven men who appeared before him charged with murder, robbery, and gun offences.

Acting Magistrate Alliston Seale spoke about the need for the court to “act as a barometer” when defence attorneys applied for bail for some of the young accused.

Appearing in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court were: Romario Akeem Phillips, 22, of 10th Avenue New Orleans, St Michael and Nicholas Akeem Teo Shorey, 23, of 3rd Ave, Parris Gap, Westbury Road, St Michael who were accused of the December 8, 2014 shooting death of Albert Boyce, among other charges; Marvin Marcus Victor, 28, of 4th Ave, Pickwick Gap; Akem Jabarry Leon, 22, of 3rd Ave, Mannings Land; Damien Francisco Padmore, 34, of #2 Skeetes Road, Ivy; Rehquino Samkeh Barker; and Kareem Dentonia Bailey, of School Road, Bakers, St Peter.

Nicholas Shorey

Ramario Phillips

Rehquino Samkeh Barker

Marvin Marcus Victor

Damien Francisco Padmore

Kareem Dentonia Bailey

Akem Jabarry Leon

Bailey’s attorney, Arthur Holder, was the first to apply for bail.

He felt that his client was a fit candidate for bail, since he was gainfully employed and had no prior convictions.

Holder also said there was no evidence that his client would “slightly or remotely interfere with witnesses” if granted bail; nor was there any evidence to show that the complainant was still hospitalized.

Appearing on behalf of Leon was attorney at law Verla DePeiza.

She said that she had not heard anything to suggest that the 22-year-old accused would abscond or pose any danger to society.

“I am still trying to find the genesis of the charge,” DePeiza said, arguing that the charges against her client were “clearly tenuous” since she had not seen a complainant listed on the charge sheet.

Padmore’s attorney Naomi Lynton told the court that her client had no previous convictions, was the “majority breadwinner of his household” and was looking after his child and his mother.

She admitted that Padmore was on bail for another matter that was six years old, but said the fault was really that of “the system” and not her client’s since he had attended court faithfully during that period.

In response, Sergeant Janice Ifill contended that “the right of every Barbadian must come before the right of the accused persons who keep coming back before these courts again and again”.

Although agreeing that all accused persons had the right to bail, she said it was “not an absolute right”.

“We are living in a climate today in Barbados where people are afraid to leave their homes and society cannot be allowed to continue living in fear,” Ifill pointed out.

After hearing both sides, Magistrate Seale said: “When the atmospheric pressure is so thick and heavy, the court must act as a barometer.”

He added that to remand all the accused for the next 28 days meant that their names “could not be called” in anything.

Victims of abusive relationships are to benefit from a major initiative being launched on International Women’s’ Day, March 8.

The businesswoman behind the venture, Shelly Ross, told Barbados TODAY that the Battered Persons Fund, which is initially trying to raise $100,000, will cater to both women and men.

Ross, producer and editor of the Barbados Faces magazine and website, said the launch would involve a telethon lunch and concert at Divi Southwinds in St Lawrence, Christ Church.

Shelly Ross

“The fund is to look at women or men who are severely challenged. It is going to look at assisting men and women who are in relationships that have developed into such abuse, that they are either physically, emotionally or mentally challenged and they need help to get out of their relationships,” she said.

Ross stressed that with the assistance of the fund, many people would be able to break the cycle of abuse for themselves, their children and future generations of their family.

She added that the fund would also seek to assist in the maintenance of the island’s lone shelter and to provide counselling, food and clothing, education, child care services, transportation and medical care for people using the facility.

“And by so doing, [we will] give persons at the shelter the opportunity to create a new life of independence and self-sufficiency. The fund will depend heavily on volunteers, corporate and private donations, and a network of services and people working together,” said the producer and editor.

  She said the launch of the project was coming against the background of a “staggering” number of women who were physically abused by their current partners or former partners.

“And over the past 10 years, we have seen some gruesome murders and horrifying cases of domestic violence that have left several women severely handicapped. Many women try to leave abusive relationships, but the odds are often against them,” Ross noted.

In emphasizing the importance of the fund, Ross said that for some women, the fear of being tracked down by their abusers was also a concern.

As a result, these women remained in relationships in fear, pain and anguish because they saw no other option, she added.

Some of them, the businesswoman added, have no place to go and with just one shelter for battered women on the island, many would not find another place to call home very easily.

Tourism officials are upbeat with initial figures showing that the island recorded the highest number of January arrivals in 15 years.

Additionally, chief executive officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) William Griffith said, arrivals from the United States market in that same month recorded a 14 per cent increase – the highest from that market since 2011.

He also provided figures that showed the island not only began the year on a positive note, but ended 2014 similarly, with December 2014 seeing the highest number of visitor arrivals to Barbados – 61,128 – compared to any other month since April 2007 when the island hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Additionally, figures for 2014 showed that instead of the projected four per cent decline, the island recorded a 2.2 per cent increase in overall visitor arrivals when compared to the previous year.

Griffith delivered the report during a media conference today at the Island Inn Hotel where BTMI chairman Alvin Jemmott also outlined plans for the sector.

BTMI chief executive officer, William Griffith

“We are optimistic with the projections so far for 2015. Preliminary figures for the month of January 2015 show that Barbados realized 56,132 visitors in total, the highest on record in 15 years. Arrivals out of the USA in January 2015 grew by 14 per cent, to reach a total of 10,810. This was the highest for arrivals in January out of the USA since 2011, when USA arrivals reached 11,968,” said Griffith who has been at the helm of the relatively new entity for about four months.

“While we are encouraged by these results we are very cognizant that one or two great months is not the panacea. The battle for growth and sustainability for visitor arrivals will not be won solely by winter performances, it will require greater activities for the summer and fall months.”

Barbados recorded an increase of 15 per cent in UK visitor arrivals, 27 per cent in Canadian visitor arrivals, a 23 per cent increase from the German market and a 20 per cent increase in arrivals out of Brazil in January this year.

However, Griffith said the CARICOM market continues to struggle, with Trinidad and Tobago recording the greatest decline – 12 per cent for that period.

“Although the CARICOM market registered a loss of 9.9 per cent it remains the third largest source market for the island. Thirty-five per cent of the total visitors from this region or 27, 915 travellers came from Trinidad and Tobago. Our research tells us that this decline was due to a number of factors including diminished spending power among potential travellers, and a ten per cent reduction in seats in LIAT. High airfares place regional travel in an uncompetitive position in some instances when compared to the cost of international travel,” the BTMI head explained.

For 2014, the UK led the increase in visitor arrivals with 37 per cent of the market share, an increase of 11 per cent from the previous year.

The United States continued in second place with 23 per cent of the visitor arrivals or 118,659 total visitors. This represents a two per cent drop or 2,074 fewer visitors, when compared to 2013.

Griffith said that decline could be attributed to a decline in airlift during the year.

Arrivals from Brazil for 2014 continued on an upward path recording an 18 per cent increase, when compared to 2013.

And while the Canadian market declined by 2.2 per cent in 2014 when compared to the previous year, the German, Netherland and Belgium markets recorded increases of 16 per cent, 17 per cent and seven per cent, respectively. Italy also recorded a 13 per cent increase for the year, when compared to 2013.

In his analysis of the 2014 performance, Jemmott said it was “a period of marked recovery”. He said it was the first sign of positive growth in two years.

“All of our key source markets show positive signs of growth and this augers well for the future growth of the Barbados tourism sector for 2015 onwards,” he said.

In 2014, the island welcomed 395 cruise ships, an increase of 21 vessels or six 6 per cent, when compared to 2013. This resulted in the island welcoming 557,898 passengers but that was a decline of about two per cent.

Home porting also declined by five per cent but that is expected to rebound with a projected increase of about 17 per cent.

Despite the overall favourable performance and bright outlook, Jemmott said the BTMI would be strengthening its partnerships and beefing up its marketing efforts in a number of niche areas, including culinary, romance, education, sports, meetings and events.

He said the new focus was diversifying the product offerings and source markets, reducing vulnerability to shocks in any region, reducing seasonality, strengthening partnerships and pursuing an integrated marketing approach.

“In addition to our long-term goals we are still rooted in the desire to break down the language barrier, in pushing new categories of visitors and providing new tourism products that can attract the next generation traveller,” said Jemmott.

“Go and behave yourself!”

That was the advice given to two men and a woman who had their cases dismissed in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court today.

Acting Magistrate Alliston Seale made the decision after the prosecutor had no files in any of the cases, which date back to 2011 and 2012, and the accused persons therefore could not be given disclosure in their matters.

Darren Jamar Parris, 30, of #185 Fairview Place, Bayville, St Michael, had been charged with inflicting serious bodily harm on Phillip Sealy on October 22, 2012.

Kezron Orlando Findlay, 26, of Butlers Road, Gall Hill, Christ Church faced a charge of stealing a handbag, a passport, cellular phone and other items belonging to Jonathan Bryant, totalling $855, on April 27, 2011.

Precious Madonna James, a 28-year-old hairdresser from Deacons Road, St Michael, no longer has to face charges of having an offensive weapon with intent to commit wounding and causing a disturbance at Ladymeade Gardens on September 11, 2012.

Two Christ Church men on the police wanted list turned themselves into police today.

Omar Andre Cox, 22, of Fordes Land, Silver Hill, Christ Church and Kadeem Stephan Sahmere Lewis, also 22, of Block 4E Silver Hill, Christ Church, who were described as armed and dangerous, presented themselves at two different police stations today, accompanied by their lawyers.

Omar Cox

Kadeem Lewis

Lawmen say they are being interviewed in connection with several serious criminal matters.

A man accused of assaulting a primary school teacher was granted bail by the District “A” Magistrates’ Court today.

Kodie Matthew Gittens, of 1st Avenue Beckles Hill, St Michael, pleaded not guilty when he went before Acting Magistrate Alliston Seale.

The 32-year-old mason is accused of assaulting his son’s teacher, Christopher Deane, at the Arthur Smith Primary School on February 24.

The magistrate ordered Gittens not to interfere with the complainant and was prohibited from entering the school compound.

The father was given $1,500 bail and his matter adjourned until May 13.

The economic downturn has affected the Barbados Vagrants and Homeless Society (BVHS) and the charity is appealing for financial assistance to keep its programme going.

Chairman of the BVHS Kemar Saffrey said the charity needed a financial injection to carry on with its programme, given the ongoing economic downturn and the fact that it had been running without Government assistance for some time.

Saffrey said it would take $700,000 to keep the BVHS’ programmes running. The organization has provided services to over 750 vagrants, homeless and needy people in Barbados since its inception in 2009 and the chairman said it was now seeking funding to expand a number of its programmes.

He has appealed to individuals and commercial businesses for help.

Kemar Saffrey

“We are appealing to the public to give what they can to assist the organization. Barbadians have been extremely generous in their giving, in offering food and clothing, but we are in need of funding now to continue these programmes. Both businesses and individuals can feel free to give what they can to the BVHS,” Saffrey said.

He also encouraged commercial businesses to join the BVHS’ Covenant Programme under which organizations donate $100 per month for a year.The donations will ultimately aid in achieving the organization’s mission “to reintegrate vagrants and homeless persons into mainstream Barbadian society, by providing a holistic rehabilitative programme that would enable them to develop into healthy productive citizens”, a statement from the BVHS said.

The organization said it is on target with its mission, as it has successfully reintegrated 78 per cent of participants in its At The Crossroad home care rehabilitative programme.

BVHS also manages Direct Care Ministries, On the Road Ministries, Life Opportunity Superseding Tomorrow, Adopt the Homeless, a Community Partnership for Homelessness, BVHS’ 24-hour night shelter, a Meal a Day project and a daily breakfast programme. Those programmes provide clients with food hampers, classes, clothing, access to counselling, hair-cuts, temporary shelter, jobs, farming skills, skill training and beneficial rehabilitative home care housing, life skills and much more.

The BVHS has already received the necessary approval to operate a 24-hour shelter for the homeless and funds donated by the public will also assist with that initiative, which will benefit approximately 30 needy individuals per night on a rotation basis, out of the approximately 240 clients of the BVHS.

From all accounts, there has been no cooling of tempers in Christ Church West, following last night’s meeting called by Leader of the Opposition Mia Mottley with the political representative Dr Maria Agard and executive members of the branch.

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley

MP Maria Agard

On the contrary, party sources said today the embers were now flaring.

At the end of last night’s five-hour meeting, which was also attended by other party members, including St Joseph MP Dale Marshall and former Christ Church East MP Reginald Farley, Dr Agard said she had no official comment to make, while Christ Church West treasurer Herbie Yearwood and St Thomas MP Cynthia Forde both reported that the talks were cordial.

General Secretary Dr Jerome Walcott also described the meeting, which took place at the Opposition Leader’s office in the Parliament building, as productive and said progress had been made.

However, Barbados TODAY has been reliably informed that Dr Agard was hauled over the coals last night for taking her concerns about executive members of her branch to last week’s National Executive Council meeting.

She was also heavily criticized by members of her executive –– some of whom had supported the candidacy of Ian Bishop to carry the party’s banner in the BLP stronghold in the 2013 election – for not giving out enough funeral grants and for not showing up at the site of recent house fires in her constituency.

Well-placed sources said Dr Agard, who was down to speak at last weekend’s BLP meeting at St George Secondary, but was an apparent no-show, also did not get the backing of her leader last night, following concerns raised in the Press about the quality of her political representation.

The first time MP, who won her seat by just over 500 votes to defeat the ruling Democratic Labour Party’s Verla De Peiza and independent candidate Taan Abed, was however warned to stay off the social media when venting concerns about her party.

Party sources said that based on the “inconclusive” result to last night’s meeting, they were waiting to see what would be Dr Agard’s next move.
(NC/KJ)

Cabinet is mulling a proposal to make changes to the Police Complaints Authority Act.

The suggested amendments would affect the functions of the authority, supervision of investigations and formal resolutions of complaints.

Acting Attorney General Michael Lashley

In making the announcement this morning, Acting Attorney General Michael Lashley said the force was struggling with challenges such as allegations of abuse of power, lack of integrity and other corruption claims.

At the same time, he said he was pleased with the efforts of the Acting Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith in “weeding out” members of the force who were breaking the law.

Addressing this morning’s launch of the Police Customer Satisfaction Survey at the District “A” Police Station, Lashley also indicated that Government was moving to tighten gun control laws in the country.

While noting that ten guns have been seized for the year, the minister said legislation was being drafted to give additional authority to the Commissioner of Police.

He explained that this would be facilitated by changes to the Firearms Act that would clear the way for the establishment of a firearms database to be held by the police chief.

Based on this change, all licensed firearm holders are mandated to allow the commissioner to collect ballistic DNA.

“The Commissioner of Police will be authorized to take control of the weapon before it is passed to the consumer from a dealer. Thus, the commissioner will become the overseer of guns coming into the island,” Lashley said.

Speaking ahead of the presentation of the survey, he said crime and citizen security continue to be a concern though arrests have been made in connection with all of the five homicides committed for the year.

He also hailed recent changes to the Evidence Act that allows for the electronic interviewing of suspects.

“The Act will allow for profile matching systems in identifying accused persons, replacing the traditional line up with images generate electronically through a profile matching system,” the minister explained.