– says gun violence ‘is not something that shocks some of us anymore’
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Deputy Speaker and Member of the Opposition Hon Stacy Mather (AL) has said it is concerning that gun violence in the Virgin Islands (VI) is not something that is shocking to some people anymore and that the territory at times appears to have become a “cowboy town”.
Hon Mather was, in particular, referring to the daring daylight armed robbery of a jewelley store in Cyril B. Romney Pier Park on July 1, 2023. The robbers were heavily armed and at least one of them fired off their weapon several times during the escape.
“I am also very troubled by the fact that I think it was two weeks ago in our country, we all were shocked to see that the Virgin Islands seems to have at times become a cowboy town, where people run through the country and using guns is not something that shocks some of us anymore,” Hon Mather stated during the debate for the second Supplementary Appropriation Provision (SAP) of 2023, at the Second Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
‘We don’t manufacture guns in the BVI’- Hon Mather
Hon Mather; however, said he was pleased to see that the Police, within the SAP, are being given almost nine hundred thousand dollars ($900,000) to “do what is necessary”.
The Deputy Speaker also said he was pleased to see that a portion of the funds for the Police will go towards security at the ports.
“Because as we all know we don’t manufacture guns in the BVI, so they must be coming in somewhere.
“And I hope with those appropriation we can reduce the number of guns that we see coming into our territory,” Hon Mather stated.
