The shooting death of the 74-year-old man on his way home in Arnos Vale in September is especially troubling to investigators, the nation’s chief detective said on Thursday.
Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Trevor “Buju” Bailey said that police are yet to determine the motive for the murder of the man, Charles Mc Intosh, of Arnos Vale, but said most of the other gun-related deaths in the country are a result of warring factions.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has recorded a record-smashing 50 homicides this year, breaking the record of 42 that was set in 2022, even as there are four weeks remaining in the year.
“For the most part, we were able to identify that the vast majority of the killings was between rival factions and there were some spill offs,” Bailey, who has overall administrative responsibility for crime fighting in the country, said on Hot 97 FM.
“One or two of the murders, we were able to see that it has no direct link with either of the groups that were warring with each other…
“So let’s say, for example, the murder in Arnos Vale with Mr. Mc Intosh, that is concerning to us because as investigators, we have not been able as yet to determine a motive for this killing.
“Here was a man who was just leaving work, going to his residence, walking the public road, actually onto his property and he was shot and killed,” Bailey said.
“So that murder is disturbing, not only to us as law enforcement but to St. Vincent and the Grenadines because what we don’t want is for our citizens to be alarmed and concerned that people are being shot randomly.”
iWitness News understands that Mc Intosh was shot from behind and his assailant(s) fled the scene without taking his wallet, which contained hundreds of dollars in cash.
Bailey, a seasoned detective, said that the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) is concerned about the crime situation.
“But to say that our population is scared, no. We can still walk the streets of St. Vincent and the Grenadines relatively free and at ease,” Bailey said, adding that each police officer is a friend of the citizens of the country.
“We are your friend and we are charged with the responsibility of protecting the shores of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and we are committed to that task.”
The senior police officer said neither he nor the police force has conducted a survey, “but, generally, when we patrol, when we interact with the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we get that feeling and you can see it.
“On a Friday night, you see what happens in the Villa-Arnos Vale area. People still come out in droves, they associate, they lime. If you had that sense of fear, people would be locked into their homes. By 8 o’clock St. Vincent would look like a ghost town,” Bailey said.
“That is not happening. And thankfully, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, we will do our level best to ensure that the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines can go out, associate, socialise, party and feel relatively safe.”
He said a proper analysis has to be done of the homicide situation.
“When did they start? It started way back, a few years now and it seems as if our young men that they have not placed any value on lives — their lives or other people’s lives — and they just want to portray this gangster lifestyle that is not fitting,” Bailey said.
He said such lifestyle cannot fit into the Vincentian society “because our society is not like that.
“They hear about how gangsters live in other territories and they try to bring that lifestyle to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is disturbing our inner peace and our inner peace here refers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines because we are not accustomed to this,” Bailey said.
He appealed to citizens of SVG to not accept these types of behaviour.
“It is our community. Why are we allowing people to come into our neighbourhoods, our peaceful, loving neighbourhoods? We allow them to make roots,” Bailey said.
“We see them from day one and we suspect that something is off at this particular location; nothing is being said. We allow them to, as a seed, germinate, grow, bear flowers and then when the roots are deeply-rooted and problems start appearing, the question is asked, ‘What is law enforcement doing?'”
Bailey said he agreed that that question should be asked because the police force is responsible for the security of SVG.
To illustrate, he said an injured person would not come to the barracks because there are no nurses there.
“If you have a learning deficiency, you will look to a teacher but if it is a security issue, then it is police. So, our citizens need to fight back,” Bailey said, adding that he does not mean that people should take up arms.
“No. That is not for you. That is for the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. But let us have that conversation.”
Oho… wth this analysis, it is sounding like there is consolation in respect of those homicides said to be among rival factions and spill offs. Are they like some sort of natural attrition and therefore less worrisome and concerning than the remaining ’real’ ones?