Gangs in Barbados

Gangs in Barbados are being discussed during Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meetings, as depicted by the following which was taken from an email which is circulating on the internet.

The demise of "Woggy" and "Barry Jack" certainly did not end gang activity, and has certainty made it more organised. Should Vybz Kartel (freemason??) and Movado be allowed to come to these shores to try and convince youngsters to turn away from the gangs, as they were former members of gangs?

One PTA meeting held at a Government Secondary School, was attended by a Royal Barbados Police Force Officer. In an email circulating on the internet of that meeting, he describes to those gathered, the revelation of gangs in Barbados.

The Officer said that gangs in Barbados are well organised, and operate by a particular code. He described the gangs as mainly off-shoots of other areas of the world, particularly the United States of America, and Jamaica.

According to the officer, gangs in Barbados operate under many names, Bloods whose origins can be found in Los Angeles, and whose gang colour is red. The Crips whose origin is also Los Angeles, and whose colour is blue. These two are apparently the most common.

Other gangs include the Black Mobbs, Outlawz, Panty Pudding Girls (local origin), 313 Harlem Empire, MS 13, and the Jamaican Posse.

It was revealed that some gangs are involved in the practicing of Voodoo, and demon possession, and as school children are in some cases members of these gangs they are becoming possess and have formed a minor gang called the Gothics. It is reported in the email that a school teacher reprimanded a 13 year old school girl who is usually quite low keyed, but found that the girl's eyes were staring and she spoke with a deep male voice.

The Officer went on to say girls in a certain region formed a minor gang known as the "Celebrities" who believe that they will become vampires. They tend to wear black, shaved their eye brows, and draw fang marks on their faces.

Initiation into gangs may require three burn marks in the form of a triangle on back of the right or left shoulder - this is known as the Dog Paw. Males are "beat in" surrounded by a group of gang members and each person delivers a vicious blow.

Girls are "sexed in" with at least 5/6 gang members. The Officer went on to say that some school girls reported missing on a Friday and then showing up on a Monday, or Tuesday would have been initiated by "sex in" during the weekend.

Gangs are incurring loyalty within societies because they see after some of the basic needs of not only their members, but also the wider society by paying light bills, and buying school shoes for example. It reminds me of the movie by Denzil Washington in American Gangster.

The Officer then gave some specifics about two gangs by name, but name will be withhold here. One gang is an all girl gang, which is involved in lesbianism, and call each other "Cuz". They don't wear underwear and tend to be involved in "skin out competitions" in a certain club.

They are used by other gangs as bait to draw out rival gang members for execution an example might have been the case where a guy was killed by the Central Bank while meeting a member of this girl gang. These members may also be used in a new type of crime in Barbados.

He also mentioned another gang which was described by National Geographic as the world's most dangerous gang. This gang consist of most Guyanese recruits.

He then went on to say that gangs have penetrated all secondary schools in Barbados even a prestigious one, whose members meet in Queen's Park, including some former students.

Graffiti is common place with gangs and tells stories about crimes, and are sometime initiation spots. This brings light to an article written here on Trivester about Graffiti in Barbados.

The Officer also had some advice for parents including monitoring your child's behaviour, be as close as possible to your child, nature and embrace, pray for and with them, and a part of their lives.

According to Wikipedia, Stanley Tookie Williams III, also known as the king crip (December 29, 1953 - December 13, 2005), born in New Orleans, Louisiana was the founder of the Crips, a notorious American street gang which had its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1971. In 1979 he was convicted of four murders, and he remained in prison for the rest of his life.

In 1993, Williams began making changes in his behavior, and became an anti-gang activist while on Death Row in California. He renounced his gang affiliation and apologized for his role in founding the Crips. Stanley Williams formed the gang with co-founder Raymond Lee Washington who was killed in 1979.

He also co-wrote children's books and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs.

The Bloods on the other hand formed from a set, or fraction of the Crips called the Pirus street gang, which broke off during an internal gang war, and allied with other smaller gangs to found the gang that would eventually become known as the Bloods.