During parliamentary debate on the 2026 Firearms Amendment Bill, a senior Antigua and Barbuda lawmaker has sounded a urgent warning over a growing public safety threat on the island of Barbuda, linking a recent surge in home break-ins to the relocation of recently released prison inmates from Antigua.
Trevor Walker, the Member of Parliament for Barbuda, told lawmakers that a growing number of individuals who have completed custodial sentences for criminal offenses in Antigua have relocated to the smaller sister island, and many are legally required to check in regularly with local law enforcement. Walker noted that on any given day, three to four of these former inmates are required to sign in at the Barbuda police station, a pattern that he says has coincided with a sharp uptick in property crime across the island.
Where once break-ins were a rare occurrence, Walker stated that Barbuda now faces at least one home invasion every week, a trend that has upended the island’s historically quiet, low-crime way of life. To illustrate the severity of the issue, Walker shared details of a recent break-in at a property owned by a relative of his wife, who resides permanently in the United States. He told lawmakers that the intruder did not just steal valuables from the vacant home, but appeared to have begun occupying the property as if it were their own. Local police launched an investigation into the incident, Walker confirmed, and identified the primary suspect as a repeat offender with a prior criminal charge on record.
Despite his deep concern over rising crime, Walker was quick to highlight the exceptional work of the Barbuda-based police force, offering specific public praise for Inspector Ogaro, the island’s lead law enforcement officer. Walker described Ogaro as the most proactive and effective inspector he has seen assigned to Barbuda in his tenure in office, noting that the inspector personally leads regular patrols of high-traffic areas including the island’s port and airport, and directly intervenes when he observes open illegal activity.
To further strengthen local law enforcement capacity, Walker has formally called on the national government to deploy additional police vehicles to Barbuda, a move that would allow officers to respond faster to emergency calls and expand the scope of their patrols across the island.
The concerns raised by Walker have formed the backbone of his strong support for the 2026 Firearms Amendment Bill, which introduces tougher regulations and penalties for firearm-related and violent crime across Antigua and Barbuda. The lawmaker stressed that he holds a zero-tolerance stance for the armed robberies, shootings, and homicides that have impacted Antigua in recent years, and emphasized that Parliament carries a constitutional and moral responsibility to address rising crime head-on to protect Antigua and Barbuda’s reputation as a safe jurisdiction for residents and visitors alike.
Walker also publicly disclosed that he is a licensed firearm holder, and affirmed that he will exercise his legal right to defend himself, his family, and his property from any criminal intruder. Closing his remarks, Walker urged his fellow parliamentarians to approach the national crime crisis with the gravity it demands, saying, “This crime thing is really serious.”