Strong actions including mandatory prison terms for ammunition possession are needed to combat an “alarming” spate of gun crime in the Virgin Islands, according to Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn.
Mr. Walwyn, who heads the three-member Alliance group in the House of Assembly, warned last week that violent crime is doing psychological damage to the territory’s people, and he called for a national strategy to address the situation.
“We stand united in our call for collective reflection and national unity as the territory faces an alarming and deeply troubling rise in gun violence,” Mr. Walwyn (R-D6) said in a May 14 statement issued four days after Nyron Erickson was gunned down in West End.
The opposition leader added that all sectors of society, including children, are being impacted by gun crime.
“We recognise that no one — no family, no child, no community — walks away untouched by the fear and psychological impact of such violence,” he added.
‘Growing pattern’
The current situation is unusual for the VI, according to the opposition leader.
“The challenges we now confront are not normal, and we must never allow them to become the norm in our beloved territory,” he added. “Our hearts go out to the families grieving the loss of loved ones, and we stand in solidarity with those who have survived the trauma of these heinous acts.”
Mr. Walwyn also said the situation does not appear to be a blip.
“It is a growing pattern where firearms are used to instill fear, destabilise our communities, and erode the foundations of law and order,” he said. “Disappointingly, our children are growing up under the constant threat of violence, and neighbourhoods are being forced to adjust, treating what is unacceptable as if it were routine. We must say clearly and collectively: This is not normal, and it is not acceptable.”
Call for a strategy
The Alliance group is calling for the urgent implementation of a national crime reduction strategy that would balance law enforcement with “robust social support, economic opportunities and sustainable, community-based interventions.”
Mr. Walwyn also called for legislative reforms to crack down on the possession of ammunition.
“While the possession of a firearm currently carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment, possession of ammunition or explosives carries a far lesser penalty: a $500 fine or six months imprisonment,” he said. “This inconsistency cannot continue.”
To address this issue, the opposition leader called for tougher sentencing for such crimes.
“It is not logical to assume that an individual in possession of ammunition or explosives has no access to a firearm,” he said. “We therefore call for the penalty for possession of ammunition and explosives to be brought in line with firearm possession, including a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment.”
The Alliance also called for investment in youth outreach schemes, trauma support for survivors of violence, and proactive initiatives to head off violent crime.
“As citizens of this territory, we refuse to accept a future where parents are afraid to let their children play outside or where families live in fear of preventable acts of violence,” Mr. Walwyn said.
Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley spoke similarly in March, when he said that the territory was being “terrorised” by youths with semi-automatic weapons.
“We have to strengthen our gun laws,” Mr. Wheatley said at the time. “That’s something that I am particularly going to champion. We are seeing young persons with AR-15s. That’s completely unacceptable to us.”
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