Dear Editor,I happened to be a guest at a wedding reception in Loubiere which turned into a nightmare for a couple who happened to be very good friends of me and my family.
The matter was reported on Dominica News Online and most readers are by now familiar with it.
Being in the middle of what took place, I came to the realization that the system in Dominica is totally broken and lives of Dominicans are at extreme risk.
During the incident, the Loubiere Resource Center was attacked by a group of young people. I swear these kids were either possessed by demons or were on drugs. The level of violence displayed was both baffling and frightening and I think I am going to have nightmares for days.
I am not from Loubiere but by listening to people around me, everyone knew who these young people are. They mostly hang out at the public bathroom, all day and practically all night. I heard that they use drugs and all kinds of things. And now they have become a terrorist group. These young people broke the doors of the resource center and flung stones and bottles inside, although the place was filled with men, women and CHILDREN. One child was hit on the back of the head with a bottle and received a nasty gash. If that is not terrorism, what is it?
Something has to be done about that group, which I heard is really a gang and not just guys hanging out. What is the system, the police, the Member of Parliament, the Village Council doing to dismantle this terrorst gang? Are they going to wait until somebody gets killed? People could have died in Loubiere on Saturday night.
The next point is the 911 system which was introduced recently with much extravagance. I personally called 911 more than once and the calls did not even go through. Many other people at the scene called 911 and got similar results. It appears to me that 911 system is a farce and it is not working. It might have worked for other people but for me and many at Loubiere on Saturday night, it was useless.
Now, when the ambulance finally arrived to take an injured man away, it was accompanied by a police double cab pick up truck with only one policeman aboard. By now the area was a crime scene, and yet the policeman never asked a single question as to what took place, no statements taken from eyewitnesses, nothing. The police man drove off with the ambulance.
Around an hour later, another single policeman arrived on a motorcycle. He asked a few questions and that was it. He did not even write a single statement in his book. He did not even go to the resource center to take a look at the crime scene.
On Sunday afternoon, close to 24 hours after the incident, I was told that the Loubiere Resource Center with its broken doors remained silent. The police had not returned. No statements were taken from people living in the neighbourhood, although many say they know the young men, as mentioned above. It is as if nothing happened.
I am appealing to the police, the Member of Parliament Mr. Joshua Francis, the Village Council, and other civic organizations in the area, to do something about this group of young men. If nothing is done, the group is going to become emboldened and will continue to terrorize the area.
The bud must be nipped before it is too late.
Smh
Like I have said before, I feel safer in America. All you can disagree all all you want.
I read the statement on DNo. And the people commenting is so blind. This is not a political issue. This is a violent and disturbing situation. Thecouple who held the wedding not even from loubiere, they just choose the have their celebration there. Picture og that was your wedding and or a family member. Would you like that for yourself. That’s is a deadly situation that need to be address. I was once attack by the same group of young men once in my life. Not just loubiere alone but we have to do something about the young generation. Person asking for Dominica to get fast but when it does, by the crime I am seeing happening in the country it will be worst than Columbia, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Trinidad. Because crimes are signs of desperation.
So saw to say… Just smoke allu marijuana and take ally cocaine in peace. Live the ordinary civilians out of ally business… I once remember loubiere was the most quiet village you could find in Dominica up to this time until now.
You write that crimes are signs of desperation,yet you open your piece by saying it’s not political.When you examine the causes of desperation,don’t you see that the current political leadership bear any blame?.This is one of many crimes happening in the country,many of which are unsolved,and even police are involved in committing those crimes.There is a police chief appointed by the government who is not doing a good job in reigning in and controlling the exploding wave of criminal activity,and you have the gaul to say politics is not a part of it.You don’t seem to love your country or you love your party more
I agree totally with this letter. As a former police woman I am a US citizen who spends most of my time on the island. I am a former gang investigator based off the spray paint and other activity you do have a active gang several kinds on the island your young people are being used by the enemy most of them. Please wake up and be proactive the gov needs to lose the pride and bring in some consultants to train your police dept this should have been handled a lot better I’m praying for the island.
I drive by every day and I kept wondering whether our police officers are dead blind. ……………. Sometimes I wonder if they have homes….als our young generations
In as much as I do not like “malkasay” people ;I made sure that only the witnesses were in my wedding and I kept my money in my pocket…no worries..
Of course the system is broken.Only a labour party diehard who will not see it or agree with your comment.Like a snowball running down a hill it creates a bigger effect as it gathers more speed.So to the unintended consequences resulting from the weak and failed policies by the Skerritt administration and the police.The church has become compromised,and so who will bell the cat.
Stupid comment. What you are saying in fact is that all the countries of the world have broken systems. Crime is on the rise all over. Are all the terror groups about a broken system? Or are those people just power hungry.
very worry situation… but it’s so funny, the same thing ya’ll asking police to do, is what Trump is asking to be done in the states… stop n frisk, break up suspicious gatherings (which is being done in N.Y)… But ya’ll acting so appalled like it’s the worse thing ever… zoh toh hypocrite…
Hey moron, you seem to have the attention span of a rock. We are talking about Dominica, not the U.S. Focus!!
Trump’s slogan, as much as I cannot stand the man, is “make America great again’. I think we need to make Dominica great again……I read this account and the DNO news story and I got chills. Then to compound it further the police and the newly established 911 line are a farce. God bless Dominica….let’s make DA great again.
LuCClu to make any country great again….. you have to take the bull by the horn and do things that have not been done in years. Like America … Vote Trump Like Dominica … Vote Linton… No face .. Just Do what needs to be done. Until we understand this we will continue to go down. Dame Eugenia changed in the end, but in her early days, that was her strength. Let’s make DA great again.. All ah we.
Gang …. they all sitting it one place. . If they are a terrorist threat let us ……….. take care of them
Tell dat person to stfu and actually ask y all this came into play. I’m from Loubiere and dat is no gang learn to stop spreading false rumours Dominicans jus like to give people bad name. Y the other young man dat got stabbed by one of the men at the reception before the rocuss happened was not mentioned? Stop being bias and give the full story
So what is the full the full story? Did you call the police to give the “full story?” You are the one to stfu because it is people like you that allow foolishness to take place in Dominica. I am sure, you must be one of those that took part in the incident.
And what is “rocuss”? There is no word in the English language such as this. It shows how uneducated you are.
The person who wrote this raised some good points.
You are one of a very, very bad lot bro. Who told you to take the law into your own hands? I hope you are not following our exalted leadership in that my because you may end up on a sticky wicket. boy
They are bragging about having guns and attacking the resource center while a wedding reception is taking place. If they are not a gang then they are a terrorist group that must be dealt with ASAP. Loubiere produced the likes of Poccosion. We can’t tolerate that type of behavior in our beloved island.
Hmmmm …. is that your best defense? Really?? Time some of you people got schooled!
Sad situation indeed. I am from Loubiere and whenever I visit my village, I am always concerned with what is now an ugly scene of young men, in the prime of life congregating in the vicinity of the Loubiere Public Convenience. One does not get the impression that anything positive is happening there. You see a whole army of young men simply “pulling up”. Yet their activities are known to the general public. You could smell the smoke of cannabis you drive past. Their mannerism (stares, language, dressing, gesticulation) is threatening to say the least. It is high time that this group as well as similar gatherings along Victoria Street, in Newtown is be broken up. These are young men, aged from about 15 years to 25 years mostly high School drop-outs with no skills, no education, no legitimately earned resources, no land. Absolutely, nothing to their name. Yet they are allowed to terrorize the society in so many different ways. If they are known to society, the police must know them.
This is more than just what meets the eye. What happened is an accumulation of years of this current administration’s failure at rejuvanating industry, and putting youth issues on the back burner. Look at the unemployment rate in Dominica, we’re one of the highest in the Caribbean, if not the highest in the OECS. With DLP’s attitude towards these issues, it’s only fixing to get worse.
Are we give in to the criminal elements? The behavior of the police if it is true is testimony of their callous attitude.
good piece
A very sad situation . not on someone wedding day! The police needs to do something about that so called gang fast before things get worse. Dominica too small for this sort of nonsense.
Well done …..ypu said it
That’s why now I chose to stay home behind my close doors it is much safer for me and my family
im sorry to tell you.. it may not be as safe as you thing.. just think if they become so desperate and start attacking people in their homes to steal and what not…. we need to call on the the police and the prime minister.. they know these gangs.. everyone knows.. do something for us.. make our country safe again.. help us to walk the streets free without fear of being hurt or terrorised… what a sad sad situation…
I voting for Donald Trump