Consultants to Draft National Anti-Crime Strategy
The government has engaged Officium Training Limited to transform recommendations from the Virgin Islands’ first Anti-Crime Summit into a national crime prevention strategy. The move follows rising violent incidents, including a recent bar shooting in Road Town that left a 24-year-old man hospitalized.
The Government of the Virgin Islands has contracted Officium Training Limited, a consultancy specialising in law enforcement and community policing, to develop a national crime reduction and prevention strategy based on outcomes from the territory’s first Anti-Crime Summit. Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said the summit, held September 24–26 at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex under the theme “Our Virgin Islands: Safe Communities, Prosperous Territory,” was the starting point of a longer national conversation on public safety. “This summit was never intended to provide every solution in three days.
Instead, it marked the start of a sustained national conversation on crime and public safety,” he said. The summit brought together officials from government agencies, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, His Majesty’s Prison, faith leaders, non-governmental organisations and community members.
According to the Premier, Officium Training Limited has already begun converting the summit’s recommendations into practical, actionable plans. “Their team is already transforming our discussions into actions,” Dr Wheatley added. The announcement comes amid mounting public concern about violent crime in the territory.
Over the weekend, police reported a robbery at a Road Town bar in which two masked men allegedly robbed patrons and opened fire, leaving 24-year-old Jevonte Barnes of Belle Vue hospitalised. The incident is the latest in a string of armed robberies across Tortola that have alarmed residents and business owners.
Authorities say the findings from the summit will guide policy decisions as Government and law enforcement work to curb violence and restore public confidence. The consultancy’s role is expected to include drafting coordinated prevention measures, advising on community policing models, training recommendations, and mechanisms for inter-agency collaboration.
For BVI residents, the consultancy’s work signals a move from short-term responses toward a strategic, territory-wide approach to crime prevention. Officials have emphasised that success will require sustained cooperation between police, correctional services, community leaders and the public.
The Government has not announced a firm timeline for the completed strategy or for public consultations on its implementation. Residents are encouraged to remain alert, report suspicious activity to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, and engage with community safety initiatives when they are announced as the strategy development progresses.
Primary source: BVI News