8/22/2008 1:49:00 PM Premier Ewart Brown's statement on Special Session of the Cabinet
Good Morning.
Last night I convened a special session of the Cabinet and there was only one-item on the agenda - ending the anti-social behavior among young people that is threatening our country's very way of life.
We must stem this tide.
As the Cabinet gathered last night we were inspired by the memory of young people who have left us too soon and energized by citizens across Bermuda who tell us they have had enough.
We too have had enough.
As I have said before, we believe the strongest line of defense in this fight lies in the hands of parents. That belief has not changed. However, it is critical that the Government lead the way. In the wake of our Cabinet meeting last night, we have a roadmap to share with the country.
Our plan going forward will be the responsibility of many and will require a redoubled effort - perhaps like none other our country has ever seen. Despite the height of the hurdle before us, I've never been more optimistic about our ability to meet the challenge considering the strength of the Cabinet and the dedication of the two men beside me today.
This Government and this Governor have been able to work together in many areas to achieve what's best for Bermuda. And now, on the pressing issue of the day, we stand united to take whatever steps are necessary to meet our challenges.
Now to our plan for change which will include a collection of action plans and reviews to be undertaken in the short, mid and long term.
First and foremost, we will immediately increase Police presence on the street and exert maximum pressure on the trade of drugs and weapons with a sustained crackdown by the Bermuda Police Service.
We will convene a legal panel within the next ten days to review our laws to ensure they're able to deal adequately with the current climate of criminal behavior we are seeing in our country. If the nature of our crimes has changed, then the laws will need to follow suit.
We will convene "Clergy Against Crime" - a panel of clergymen and women who will discuss innovative ways to stem the tide of anti-social behavior. And perhaps most importantly, this panel will be chaired by a young clergy member. I listened on Tuesday to the eulogy of Pastor Damon Hendrickson, so I know what is possible.
We will look into the feasibility of an amnesty on weapons - particularly guns. First we'll need to examine the potential impact this could have on live criminal investigations. We don't want to provide amnesty to the perpetrators of past crimes, but we do want to take weapons off the street that may be used in future crimes. It will be a delicate balance, but we will work to meet it.
Those are the short term law and order action items you can expect to see underway almost immediately.
Meantime, we also have our attention focused on anti-social behavior in the public school system.
In the short term, for the upcoming school year, we will insist upon meaningful intervention on the part of teachers and administrators when they detect a troubled student. Additionally, we will provide our schools with psychological and psychiatric care when necessary to treat where trouble is found. Plus you can expect us to revitalize a focus on life skills programming in the schools.
We will also instruct school administrators to hold their students to the strictest of standards when it comes to uniform and appearance. And when administrators are heavy handed in this regard they will have the full support of the Government because we believe enforcement of these rules reduce anti-social behavior and heighten respect for law and order.
I am proud to tell you that much of our action plan as it relates to schools came from the citizens who spoke up at the Young Adult Mixer I hosted on Wednesday night. Our young people have spoken and we have listened.
Now, allow me to discuss some of the things we are looking to do in the long term.
We believe the time has come to explore the formation of a Bermuda SWAT team. Those who chose gunfire to settle their disputes should be on alert. Our strongest stand yet against your senseless violence could be on the horizon.
We will conduct an external review on the Department of Child and Family Services and its programs. We believe the Department has done a great job at identifying areas of concern, but perhaps are not properly equipped to treat those areas of concern. An external review will help us better understand what is required.
We will also look at the legality of making custodial parents responsible for the illegal activity of their children. Simultaneously we will look to add life skills training as a requirement to receive financial assistance from the Government. That life skills training will include instruction on effective parenting.
Finally, I want to end with a strategy we will tackle in the mid-term. As you know the MIRRORS program, introduced by this Government, has been an unparalleled success in stemming the tide of anti-social behavior. More than 60 of our young people have been transformed. We need to intensify this effort.
The Government will look toward turning one of our country's beautiful remote islands into a designated site for a year-round MIRRORS program. Our vision is a full-time, country-wide dedicated effort to social transformation. We will risk the temptation of making the program so large that its impact is diluted, but we are committed to making the power of MIRRORS available to more of our young citizens.
Ladies and gentlemen, our plan is robust and wide-sweeping and challenging, but it has a real chance at success because all of us agree that the time has come. We must act now or we run the risk of losing too much.
It's my pleasure now to invite Governor Sir Richard Gozney to say a few words followed by the Minister responsible for Home Affairs Sen. David Burch
Posted: Monday, September 01, 2008
Comment by:
Barbara Atwood
"The Government will look toward turning one of our country's beautiful remote islands into a designated site for a year-round MIRRORS program." Quote the Premier. Best idea so far. We must create the support AND discipline that is missing in the lives of so many of our young people.
See RG article Aug 30.2005 re Nonsuch Island Training School.
