Carib Scope

标签： Barbados

巴巴多斯

  • Countdown on: ‘One year’ to prove compliance with global regulators

    Countdown on: ‘One year’ to prove compliance with global regulators

    On Wednesday, as Barbados honored the team that steered the country off two major global anti-money laundering risk lists, Senate President Reginald Farley delivered a stark warning: the island nation has just over a year to prove its ongoing compliance with tightened international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards, or it could be pushed back onto harmful grey and blacklists.

    Farley was a core member of the working group that secured Barbados’ removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list and the European Union’s blacklist of high-risk financial jurisdictions, a milestone achieved earlier this year after more than seven years of sweeping regulatory reform. During a national honours ceremony at State House recognizing the efforts of the FATF Action Plan Implementation Team and the International Business Unit Economic Substance Team, he laid out the strict timeline for the upcoming compliance assessment.

    “Between now and June next year, we essentially have to prove to the international financial community that we have a system which is compliant with the new arrangements,” Farley told reporters on Wednesday. The delisting achieved earlier this year was the end result of a years-long reform process launched after a 2016–2017 mutual evaluation identified critical gaps in Barbados’ regulatory framework. At that time, FATF issued a formal action plan with binding deadlines for the country to address its deficiencies, a process that dominated the work of financial regulators and government officials for nearly a decade.

    Though Barbados has retained its off-list status to date, Farley confirmed that a high-stakes re-evaluation is scheduled for June 2027. Over the coming months, Barbados will first submit a series of detailed written reports to international assessors, before a review team travels to the island for what Farley called the “final test.” During the on-site visit, assessors will interview stakeholders across the private sector, national law enforcement agencies, and top financial regulators. Their mandate: verify that Barbados’ domestic laws, regulatory frameworks, and enforcement mechanisms are robust enough to counter money laundering, block terrorist financing, and stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

    “As a member of the international community, one of the requirements is that all countries must show they are not even unwittingly being used as a funnel for money to fund terrorist activity or the spread of weapons of mass destruction,” Farley explained. Against a backdrop of stricter global standards for the fifth round of FATF evaluations, the Senate President stressed that Barbados cannot afford to ease its reform efforts. “We have a responsibility to redouble our efforts to ensure that under the new tightened rules of this next fifth round, we do not find ourselves on any negative listing,” he said.

    Back in February of this year, when Barbados secured its delisting, Finance Minister Ryan Straughn called the achievement a major breakthrough after more than seven years of relentless work. He emphasized that the milestone clears the way for Barbados to position itself as a leading, fully compliant international investment hub aligned with all global tax and regulatory standards. “Over the last seven and a half years, the government has worked to address every issue highlighted on the EU black list, working alongside FATF and the OECD,” Straughn said at the time. “We did this because the reputation of Barbados required a complete overhaul, to demonstrate that we are a well-run jurisdiction.”

    Leading regional economists echoed that optimism when the delisting was announced. Dr. Don Marshall, director and senior research fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), framed the removal from the lists as a transformative boost to Barbados’ national brand. He noted that the economic benefits of the improved reputation would be felt almost immediately, helping to stabilize existing international businesses operating on the island and attract new foreign direct investment.

    For the upcoming assessment, Farley has reaffirmed Barbados’ commitment to meeting all global requirements, pledging that the government will allocate the necessary financial and technical resources, and pass any new legislation needed to preserve international confidence in the country’s financial sector. He also outlined the coordinated governance structure that guides Barbados’ anti-money laundering (AML) efforts: overall responsibility falls to the Office of the Attorney General through the national AML Authority, which works in close coordination with law enforcement, customs, the Barbados Revenue Authority, the Central Bank of Barbados, and the Financial Services Commission via a formal AML Network that holds regular coordination meetings.

    “We do have governance structures in place, a coherent strategy, and a national action plan mapping where we are and what we need to deliver to meet our goals by the end of this process in June 2027,” Farley said.

  • ‘Flexi-time key to improving workplace wellness’

    ‘Flexi-time key to improving workplace wellness’

    As Caribbean nations continue to reimagine workplace norms in the wake of global public health and demographic shifts, a top Caribbean management scholar is pushing for widespread adoption of flexible work arrangements in Barbados, arguing that a departure from the rigid 40-hour, 9-to-5 workweek could dramatically cut worker stress and improve population-level health outcomes.

    Flexible work policies, often referred to as flexi-time, grant employees autonomy to adjust their start and end times, and in many cases their work location, while still requiring completion of contracted hours and core job responsibilities — a marked break from the one-size-fits-all fixed schedule that has defined global work structures for more than a century.

    Professor Dwayne Devonish, a specialist in management and organizational behavior at the University of the West Indies, outlined his case during a recent virtual public forum focused on advancing workplace wellness. He emphasized that the hard-learned lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic must drive permanent changes to how local businesses prioritize worker health going forward. The global public health crisis, he noted, laid bare the inherent fragility of human life and cemented the centrality of wellness across every sector of Barbados’ economy.

    Beyond pandemic lessons, Devonish pointed to two other major shifts reshaping the need for updated workplace policies over the past six years: Barbados’ persistent public health burden from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and rapidly changing expectations across shifting workforce demographics. Unlike previous generations of workers, he explained, younger employees entering the workforce today — particularly members of Generation Z — consistently rank workplace health and wellness support above base salary when evaluating job opportunities, a priority shift that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.

    A common misconception holding back small businesses, which form the backbone of Barbados’ economy, is the belief that comprehensive workplace wellness programs are prohibitively expensive to roll out. Devonish pushed back against this narrative, stressing that even small, incremental adjustments to workplace policies can deliver outsized benefits for employee wellbeing and productivity. “It doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking,” he noted. “We’re not asking you to implement all types of wellness initiatives all at once. It can be incremental and according to your capacity as a small business.”

    Among the most accessible, low-cost changes Devonish highlighted are flexible scheduling and part-time remote work options, which allow employees to balance competing work and personal care responsibilities more effectively. For small teams with limited resources, these adjustments count as low-hanging fruit that require little to no additional investment, he added.

    Faye Prescod, Acting Permanent Secretary of Barbados’ Ministry of Labour, echoed Devonish’s calls, confirming that rethinking traditional work structures remains a key topic of national policy discussion. She recalled that Prime Minister Mia Mottley has previously floated proposals to restructure the standard 40-hour workweek, including the popular compressed schedule model that allows employees to work four 10-hour days instead of the traditional five-day split, while still fulfilling the full 40-hour requirement.

    Devonish further noted that multiple European countries have already run large-scale pilots of four-day workweek policies, with most studies reporting overwhelmingly positive outcomes including improved retention, lower stress, and no loss of productivity. He also questioned whether the 40-hour workweek, a model first popularized by Henry Ford in early 20th century United States, remains the most effective structure for 21st century work. “Who’s to say that a 40-hour work week is the best work week?” he asked. “That was something inspired by Henry Ford in the US…who’s to say that we can’t do something different?”

    Despite proven benefits of flexible work during the pandemic, Prescod acknowledged that skepticism persists among many local employers, who continue to question whether remote workers maintain productivity outside of a traditional office setting. As a public sector leader who works a hybrid schedule of two remote days and three in-office days per week, Prescod personally supports flexible arrangements, but recognizes the slow pace of cultural change among private sector employers.

    Barbados’ public sector has already taken formal steps to embed flexible work into policy: the government introduced a national Flexible Work Arrangement Policy in 2020, which offers thousands of public servants access to a range of options including flexi-time, compressed workweeks, staggered shifts, and full or part-time telecommuting. Under the policy, public employees on flexi-time can select their preferred start and end times within pre-agreed bounds, but are required to work full mandatory hours and be present for core working hours set by their individual ministry.

  • CARIFTA champion Greenidge-Lewis honoured

    CARIFTA champion Greenidge-Lewis honoured

    One of Barbados’ most promising young track and field talents added another accolade to his breakout 2024 season over the weekend, as CARIFTA Games gold medalist Shamari Greenidge-Lewis received a special recognition award at the Ex-Police Association of Barbados’ 55th annual awards gala. The ceremony, held Saturday evening at the Courtyard by Marriott, brought together retired and serving law enforcement officers to celebrate community achievements and outstanding individual success.

    Greenidge-Lewis, a student at St George Secondary School, has had a standout season so far. After taking home the top spot in the Under-20 Boys’ 400-meter event at the Dasani BSSAC Championships, he delivered a career-defining performance at the CARIFTA Games held in Grenada, where he anchored the Barbadian Under-20 men’s 4×400-meter relay team to a historic, record-breaking gold medal, cementing his place in regional track history.

    The teen athlete received a warm welcome from attendees, many of whom had personal ties to the police force. What made this recognition particularly meaningful for Greenidge-Lewis is its deep connection to his own family legacy in Barbados law enforcement: his father, Corey Lewis, is an active serving police constable, and his grandfather, Selwyn Went, is a retired veteran of the Barbados Police Force.

    Speaking to reporters after accepting the award, Greenidge-Lewis expressed gratitude for the honor. “It feels great getting an award and being here tonight, being with my grandfather and his colleagues that served Barbados in the Police Force,” he shared, adding that the full scope of his recent historic achievements is only just starting to sink in. Looking ahead to the next phase of his young athletic career, the young sprinter set clear new goals: he will next compete at the World Junior Athletics Championships, where he hopes to bring home another medal and clock a new personal best time.

    For his father Corey Lewis, the special tribute was the perfect capstone to his son’s relentless years of training and competition. Calling his sense of pride “an understatement,” Lewis noted that he has long seen the commitment and sacrifice his son puts into every training session, making this public recognition all the more satisfying. He also shared that the idea to honor Greenidge-Lewis came as a welcome surprise: when his own father (Selwyn Went) first reached out to tell him the association planned to recognize the sprinter, Lewis assumed his grandfather had organized the honor, but soon learned it was a unanimous initiative from the association’s president and board of directors.

    Greenidge-Lewis was not the only honoree at Saturday’s event. Retired law enforcement officer Vernon Wilkinson also took home a special achievement award during the ceremony. In a nod to the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday, event organizers also presented bouquets of roses to all mothers in attendance, closing out the evening with a moment of celebration for family and community service.

  • Wins for Ellerton and Wotton in BFA Premiership

    Wins for Ellerton and Wotton in BFA Premiership

    The Barbados Football Association (BFA) Premier League resumed this week at the association’s Technical Centre in Wildey, delivering two contrasting results that shifted the dynamics of both the title race and the relegation battle across the league table.

    In the early 7 p.m. kickoff, mid-table side Ellerton secured a vital 3-1 victory over bottom-of-the-table St Andrew Lions, a result that pushes the promoted side ever closer to an immediate drop back to Division One. Last season’s Division One champions have struggled drastically since stepping up to the top flight, and this latest defeat has left their top-flight status hanging by a thread. It was a dominant opening half for Ellerton: captain Shakille Belle broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, and forward Rickneco Marshall stretched the lead to two goals just seven minutes later, putting Ellerton firmly in control. St Andrew Lions mounted a second-half comeback attempt, with Jemari Henry cutting the deficit in half in the 58th minute to give the side a glimmer of hope. But Belle put the result beyond doubt 10 minutes before full time, notching his second of the match to lock in three full points for Ellerton.

    The win keeps Ellerton firmly in the hunt for a third-place finish in the league, locked in a tight battle with Brittons Hill United. Ellerton currently sits fourth in the table with 28 points, just one point behind third-placed Brittons Hill, and holds a game in hand over their rivals. That extra match comes after a uncontrolled bush fire near the original match venue forced the abandonment of their fixture against Paradise at halftime on Sunday. For St Andrew Lions, however, the defeat leaves them mired in one of the two automatic relegation spots, with only two regular rounds of matches left to play. The side sits on just seven points, staying only above last-placed Wotton on goal difference.

    That lowly placing for Wotton did not stop the side from pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the league campaign in the night’s second fixture, a 2-1 come-from-behind win over local rivals Gall Hill that marks only Wotton’s second victory of the entire season. Gall Hill got off to a fast start, with Shaquon Jones putting the side ahead in the 18th minute to take an early lead. Wotton responded just before the halftime break, earning a penalty that Keon Harding converted to level the score. The match remained tied through most of the second half until Wotton winger Logan Carrington found the back of the net in the 79th minute to score the game-winner, handing his side a much-needed, morale-boosting three points.

    Heading into the final stretch of the season, the title race remains wide open. Reigning champions Weymouth Wales hold a narrow one-point lead at the top of the table with 34 points, followed closely by second-placed Paradise on 33 points. Both title contenders still have rescheduled matches to make up, leaving the door open for either side to claim the crown. Weymouth Wales can secure back-to-back titles if they win all three of their remaining matches, but the side is currently navigating a significant injury crisis that has forced manager to repeatedly reshuffle their matchday squads.

    The next round of BFA Premier League fixtures is set to kick off Sunday with a 6 p.m. matchup between Kickstart Rush and relegation-battling St Andrew Lions. Kickstart Rush will be looking for a win to close the gap on the top four and secure a spot in the upper half of the table. Following that opener, Brittons Hill will face a tricky test against an unshackled Wotton side, which has nothing left to lose after dropping to the foot of the table. The final late fixture will see league leaders Weymouth Wales take on UWI Blackbirds, who come into the match fresh off a hard-fought win in their most recent outing.

  • Young children to benefit from Micro Games

    Young children to benefit from Micro Games

    The first-ever Micro Games 2026 has officially gotten underway at Queen’s Park, bringing together nearly 700 young learners from seven government-run nursery schools across the region for three days of age-appropriate athletic competition and skill-building. Designed to introduce foundational values of teamwork, resilience, and healthy competition to children at the earliest stages of development, the event opened its doors on Wednesday with a ceremonial opening that drew government officials, education leaders, proud parents, and excited participating students.

    The opening ceremony was marked by a symbolic moment when two students from Maria Holder Nursery School (Sharon), Zuri Doyle and Tai Parris, led the assembled athletes in reciting the official athletes’ oath, formally declaring the games open. On the first day of competition, three schools took to the fields: Maria Holder Nursery School (Sharon), Social Empowerment Agency Nursery, and Maria Holder Nursery School (Oldbury), with the remaining four schools competing across the following two days of the event.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Education Chad Blackman framed the Micro Games as far more than a casual children’s sporting event, positioning it as the critical first step in a national pipeline that cultivates athletic talent from early childhood all the way to elite international competition. Blackman explained that the games act as the precursor to a sequential development pathway: leading first to the National Primary Schools Athletic Championships (NAPSAC), then to the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships (BSAC), and eventually to the Caribbean Free Trade Association Games (CARIFTA), the region’s premier youth athletic competition.

    “For a country looking to build a long-term strategy of sporting success, these children are the future of global competition,” Blackman said. “These are the young people who will one day go on to compete at the Olympic Games, represent the nation at the FIFA World Cup, and earn spots on the West Indies men’s and women’s national cricket teams.” Beyond athletic achievement, Blackman emphasized that the games were intentionally designed to foster transferable life skills that benefit children far beyond the sports field. “Today is about young people coming together to have fun, compete fairly, and build the core skills and values that our whole nation relies on to thrive,” he noted.

    Against the backdrop of two key national milestones – the country’s 60th anniversary of independence and five years as a republic – Blackman tied the event to the nation’s broader development goals. “These milestones are catalysts that push us to invest in our young people, who will carry our country forward through the next 60 years of growth,” he said. The minister also issued a heartfelt call to parents, urging them to prioritize positive reinforcement as they support their children’s growth. Citing a principle he lives by, Blackman said: “The best way to predict the future is to create it. Parents, continue to give your children nurturing, encouraging support, help them understand they can be the best version of themselves, that they have the potential to excel anywhere in the world.” He added: “Words hold incredible power – what you speak over your children’s lives will manifest in their futures, for better or worse. If you want positive outcomes for your kids, speaking encouragement and goodness into their lives is not just helpful, it is essential.”

    Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, the nation’s Chief Education Officer, shared her excitement at seeing the years-long vision for the Micro Games come to life, coming on the heels of successful national celebrations for NAPSAC and BSAC competitors earlier this year. “Earlier this year, we cheered on our primary school competitors at NAPSAC and our secondary school athletes at BSAC, and now it is our turn to celebrate our youngest learners as they take the field for the first Micro Games,” she said. Archer-Bradshaw stressed that the event fills a critical gap in early childhood education by teaching children the value of mutual support and sportsmanship from their earliest years. “We live in a world today where far too many adults focus on tearing each other down, on social media and in public spaces. We have to teach children from the earliest age how good it feels to lift each other up and celebrate one another’s success,” she explained. “Beyond the lessons they learn in their pre-primary classrooms, this event will teach them what it means to win with humility, lose with grace, and stand with each other through every challenge.”

    As the title sponsor of the inaugural event, Republic Bank’s Retail and Operations Manager Sharon Zephirin praised the Ministry of Education for developing a creative, accessible platform that lets young children build critical life skills – including teamwork, discipline, and confidence – through play and friendly competition. “Through this collaborative effort, we are laying the foundational building blocks for these children to succeed throughout their entire lives,” Zephirin said. “At Republic Bank, we firmly believe every child deserves a strong, supportive right start in life. That is why we are so proud to support the Micro Games through our Right Start initiative, a program designed specifically to nurture the needs of young people across the country.” Like Minister Blackman, Zephirin encouraged parents to remain consistent pillars of support for their children’s evolving dreams. “Continue to stand by your kids in every new thing they try. Cheer them on, nurture their goals, and remind them that even the smallest step forward is a victory worth celebrating,” she said. “When we work together as a community, we can help every child grow up with the confidence, curiosity, and courage to reach their full potential.”

  • Barbados Tridents to return for 2026 CPL

    Barbados Tridents to return for 2026 CPL

    After five years competing under the Barbados Royals moniker, one of the Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) most storied franchises is heading home to its roots. The Government of Barbados and global multi-team sports ownership leader Royals Sports Group (RSG) have jointly announced the relaunch of the Barbados Tridents, a move anchored by a transformative three-year public-private partnership billed as the first of its kind in elite international franchise cricket.

    Framed as the centerpiece of the broader national “One Barbados” initiative, the partnership coincides with the island nation’s 60th anniversary of independence, tying the franchise’s rebrand to a moment of national reflection and forward-looking ambition. Under the terms of the agreement, the Government of Barbados will take a minority co-investment stake in the franchise, pending final regulatory approvals. Majority ownership and day-to-day operational control will remain with RSG, preserving the group’s proven expertise in professional sports management while aligning the team’s activities with national public goals.

    Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley emphasized the deep cultural and national significance of the move during the official announcement. She noted that cricket has long stood as a core pillar of Barbadian national identity and self-determination, making the return of the Tridents name and original national color scheme a fitting tribute to the nation’s six decades of independent progress. “The return to the Barbados Tridents reflects our confidence, our pride and our ambition as a nation, as we begin to chart the path towards our next 60 years,” Mottley said. “We want to make sure that the Barbados Tridents is at the heart of our national story – inspiring our young people, strengthening our global presence, and demonstrating how sport can serve the wider national interest.”

    Manoj Badale, lead owner of Royals Sports Group, reaffirmed the organization’s long-term commitment to Barbados beyond the annual CPL playing window. The partnership includes a multi-year investment plan designed to deliver year-round economic and social impact across the island, extending well beyond match days. Badale framed the collaboration as a landmark model for public-private cooperation in elite sport, highlighting RSG’s enduring confidence in Barbados both as a global cricket powerhouse and a dynamic leader across tourism, investment and innovation. “Relaunching the franchise as the Barbados Tridents, playing in the national colours, is a powerful statement of pride and intent,” Badale said. “We remain fully committed to Barbados, to the CPL, and to one clear ambition: sustained success, with both the men’s and women’s CPL titles brought home to the island.”

    For long-time cricket fans, the return of the Tridents name carries strong nostalgic and competitive weight. The franchise claimed two CPL titles under the Tridents branding in 2014 and 2019, before rebranding to Barbados Royals ahead of the 2020 season. Most recently, the team finished at the bottom of the league standings in the 2025 CPL edition, making the relaunch a fresh start for the franchise as it targets renewed on-field success.

    Officials on both sides of the partnership stressed that the One Barbados initiative is designed to position the Tridents as a permanent year-round national asset, rather than just a seasonal sporting side. The innovative partnership model is expected to serve as a test case for future collaborations between national governments and private sports ownership groups across the globe, proving that aligning public national pride with private sector expertise can deliver shared benefits for all stakeholders.

  • Police renew appeal for three wanted men

    Police renew appeal for three wanted men

    Law enforcement authorities in Barbados have stepped up their efforts to locate three men wanted for questioning linked to severe criminal activity, reissuing public appeals for community assistance this week.

    On Wednesday, the Barbados Police Service published updated wanted alerts for Ricardo Cortez Browne, who also goes by the alias “Ricky”, Jevon Obrien Richardson, and Akeem Deshawn Carter. Each suspect has been provided with clear instructions on how to surrender to authorities legally, with permission to be accompanied by a personal legal representative.

    Authorities have released detailed physical descriptions and last known residential locations to help members of the public identify the three men. Browne, whose last confirmed address is in Coral Land, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, is described as a 5-foot-10-inch man of medium build with brown complexion and a prominent bulbous nose. Police have directed Browne to turn himself in at the Black Rock Police Station alongside his chosen attorney.

    The second suspect, Richardson, last resided at Walmer Lodge in Black Rock, St. Michael. He stands approximately 6 feet tall, has a slim build, dark complexion, and short, messy black hair. Law enforcement has requested that Richardson surrender to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) based at the District ‘A’ Police Station on Station Hill, St. Michael, again with legal counsel present.

    The third wanted man, Carter, lists Bartlett Tenantry in Sargeant Village, Christ Church as his last known address. Officials describe Carter as a 5-foot-9-inch man of stocky build with dark complexion, and note he has two distinguishing tattoos: the word “Loyalty” inked on his left hand, and the initials “QTF” marked on his right hand. Carter has been instructed to report to the CID unit at Oistins Police Station with his attorney.

    In addition to asking the three suspects to surrender voluntarily, police are calling on any member of the public with information about the current whereabouts of Browne, Richardson or Carter to come forward immediately. Tips can be submitted to multiple contact points: the Black Rock Police Station at 417-7500 or 417-7505, District ‘A’ CID at 430-7242 or 430-7270, Oistins CID at 418-2608 or 418-2612, the national 24/7 police emergency line at 211, anonymous Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, or any local neighborhood police station.

    Officials have also issued a clear reminder to the public that concealing the location of a wanted person or providing any form of assistance to help them avoid arrest constitutes a serious criminal offense under Barbados law, and anyone found guilty of this action can face prosecution.

  • Thirteen-year-old girl missing

    Thirteen-year-old girl missing

    Law enforcement authorities in Barbados are turning to the public for help in their search for a missing teenage girl from the parish of St Michael. 13-year-old Kemera Murray, who resides at Block 1B, Meadow Road in the Wildey neighborhood, has not been seen since Tuesday, May 12, and investigators are asking community members to come forward with any details that could help locate her.

    Police have released a detailed physical description to aid public recognition. Murray stands approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, has a slender build, and a dark complexion. Her hair is styled in short cornrow plaits. When she was last observed, she was wearing a blue cropped dress paired with black form-fitting leggings. Investigators also noted that the teen is known to regularly visit the Oistins area located in Christ Church, a southern parish of the island nation.

    Multiple contact channels have been set up for members of the public to share any information they may have about Murray’s current location. Those with tips can reach out directly to District ‘A’ Police Station via phone at 430-7242 or 430-7246, contact the national police emergency line at 211, submit anonymous information through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, or visit any local police station to share details in person. Police emphasize that even small pieces of information could prove critical to bringing the missing teenager back to her family safely.

  • Man charged with 10 burglaries

    Man charged with 10 burglaries

    A 61-year-old transient individual has been ordered to remain in custody after facing a string of burglary charges connected to break-ins across two popular Barbadian districts over an eight-month period. Derick Rudolph Crawford, who lists no permanent residential address, made his initial court appearance on Tuesday before Magistrate Cuffy Sargeant at the Holetown Magistrates’ Court, where he was formally arraigned on 10 separate burglary counts.

    Law enforcement officials have confirmed that nine of the charges tie back to break-in incidents that occurred within the Holetown area between September 2025 and May 2026. The 10th and final charge stems from an alleged burglary in the neighboring Hastings/Worthing region, which took place on March 26 of this year.

    Crawford entered a formal not guilty plea to all nine charges linked to the Holetown incidents. Following the plea proceeding, Magistrate Sargeant granted a remand order that sends Crawford to the custody of the Barbados Prison Service at Dodds prison while the case moves through the legal system.

    Court schedules have been set for next steps in both sets of allegations. The Holetown-based matters are scheduled to next be called in the Holetown Magistrates’ Court on June 9. By contrast, the single charge connected to the Hastings/Worthing incident has been transferred to the District ‘A’ Traffic Court, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 15, nearly a month earlier than the next appearance in Holetown.

    The string of alleged burglaries across two high-traffic coastal districts has drawn local court attention, as the areas are popular with both residents and tourists, making property security a key community concern.

  • UN pushes regional crime action plan

    UN pushes regional crime action plan

    Across multiple Caribbean island states, surging violent crime has emerged as a pressing cross-border systemic threat, and a joint United Nations and regional bloc initiative is now moving forward to address the crisis, a senior United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) official has confirmed.

    Speaking at this week’s official launch of the UN Eastern Caribbean 2025 Annual Results Report in Bridgetown, Barbados, Stephanie Ziebell, Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, outlined that regional heads of government will gather later this month in St. Kitts, hosted by Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, for a high-level UN-CARICOM dialogue to finalize next steps and set core priorities for the new anti-crime framework.

    This collaborative effort builds on high-level strategic talks held earlier in 2025, and marks the first evidence-based, region-wide assessment of transnational crime and violence in the Caribbean, framing the issue as a shared systemic challenge rather than an isolated national problem. Currently, two core products are in development: a joint diagnostic report that maps the scope of the crisis, and a formal CARICOM-UN Action Plan to guide coordinated response.

    Ziebell explained that the diagnostic phase is focused on unpacking the deep-rooted drivers of crime, identifying structural weaknesses in regional and national security and justice systems, and pinpointing the most urgent reforms needed to reverse upward violence trends. The subsequent action plan will translate these findings into a unified regional framework, outlining clear practical priorities, shared accountability standards, and defined roles for CARICOM institutions, individual member states, and UN implementing partners.

    The broader UN strategy for advancing peace, public safety and access to justice across the Eastern Caribbean centers on two foundational pillars: strengthening institutional capacity and building more resilient, safer communities. Ziebell emphasized that all work is rooted in data-driven analysis, cross-stakeholder partnership, and a deliberate commitment to conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive policy design. “Justice and safety must be accessible for everyone, especially women and girls, persons with disabilities, and people at the margins, so that no one is left behind,” she said.

    Beyond addressing violent crime broadly, the UN has already been active in supporting regional efforts to counter gender-based violence, shore up human rights protections, and improve cross-border law enforcement coordination. Ziebell outlined that the UN has helped national governments strengthen prevention and response frameworks for gender-based violence, reinforce national human rights institutions, advance regional agreements targeting domestic abuse and transnational organized crime, upgrade border management protocols, build forensic science capacity, and deepen cooperative work between national law enforcement agencies.

    She also highlighted the Canada-funded PACE Justice Programme, a multi-country initiative currently being rolled out across eight Caribbean nations including Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis. The program is focused on modernizing outdated criminal justice systems and cutting crippling case backlogs that erode public confidence. To date, support provided through PACE Justice has included new court equipment, technical assistance for digital case management systems, specialized training for crime scene investigators, capacity-building workshops for justice sector personnel, tools to expand restorative justice practices, coordination support for national attorneys general, work to harmonize standard operating procedures across jurisdictions, planning for AI integration in justice systems, and facilitated dialogues focused on reducing case backlogs.

    These targeted reforms are designed to improve the quality of criminal investigations, uphold consistent due process standards, and rebuild public trust in national justice systems. Ziebell added that robust, functional institutions are a critical buffer for Caribbean societies, which face overlapping threats from climate disasters, economic volatility, and growing insecurity. “These systems help societies withstand shocks, whether those shocks come from disasters, economic stress, or rising forms of violence and insecurity,” she noted.

    Closing her remarks at the report launch, Ziebell reaffirmed the UNDP and United Nations’ long-term commitment to partnering with Caribbean national governments, civil society organizations, and global development partners to expand evidence-based crime prevention and expand equitable access to justice for all people across the region.