Commissioner of Police Everton Jeffers says two men are in custody assisting with the investigation into Monday night's fatal shooting in Bathlodge and that investigators are actively hunting a third suspect whose name the Force intends to release to the public.
The Commissioner made the disclosure during a wide-ranging interview with host Adrian Williams on Tuesday's edition of Observer Radio's Voice of the People, in the wake of the home invasion that killed 20-year-old Saquania Anthony — who was pregnant — and left a 13-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man nursing gunshot wounds.
"I am so happy that at this present moment there are two persons in custody assisting the police, and we're looking for a third," Commissioner Jeffers said. "We're going to try and see if we can get that name, and we're going to put it out there — and just make sure, as soon as you see this person, let us know so that we can pick this person up."
'What We Saw Was Just Horrific'
Asked at the top of the interview how he was doing, the country's top cop did not pretend. "I am not very good at all," he replied.
"At about midnight last night, we received a report of a shooting in Bathlodge, and when we went to the scene, what we saw was just horrific," the Commissioner recounted. "I wonder what is wrong with our young people today. How can we look at another human being and treat them as if they are an animal? This has really, really saddened me."
He described the attack as "a senseless, brutal killing that none of us — none of us — should feel comfortable about," lamenting that a "20-year-old lost her life senselessly, without reason."
The Commissioner coupled his grief with a blunt warning: "Those persons who believe that they're going to continue in their criminal activities and get away with it — you're not going to get away with it. We're going to come after you. Any one of you out there who thinks that you're going to use force and get away, I'm letting you know that we're coming back at you with force."
Commissioner Jeffers then appealed to citizens to break the silence that shields offenders: "Do not be afraid to talk, because it's when you don't talk that they get away with it. Talk. Let us go for them full force. We need your support."
A Warning to Parents Possibly Sheltering a Freemans Village Murder Suspect
Commissioner Jeffers also renewed the manhunt for a young man wanted in connection with a murder in Freemans Village — and issued an extraordinary warning to the suspect's family.
"He's still out there, and I want to send a message to the parents: if you are hiding or covering for him, if you continue to do that, we're going to pick you up," he said. "We made it easy — we placed an appeal out and we're saying to you, listen, turn him in. We know that you're taking food to him. We know what you're doing. But we want the real evidence, and once that is the case, we're going to pick you up."
Williams backed the Commissioner, pointing to a recent case in Dominica in which an Antiguan woman now faces charges for allegedly assisting a fugitive. "Wiliams said, "It is better that he faces the consequence of his action than [he] drags you, the parents, down — and additional family members and potential friends — into this matter."
Hotspots, Mobile Patrols and Faster Arrests
Pressed on Operation Restore Confidence, Commissioner Jeffers credited the initiative — and the public — for the speed of recent arrests, including in the Bathlodge case, where the two suspects were detained within hours.
"A number of the arrests that were made were made as a result of calls made by the general public to us as police officers, and we really want to express our gratitude to all of you," he said. "More people are supporting; more information is coming in, and that is the reason why you're seeing in some of these instances that the arrests are made in such quick time."
He explained that officers are now pre-deployed in identified hotspots: "You're wondering how did the police get there so quickly — that is because they are mobile already." The operation, he conceded is "something that we need to do in all of the districts," and the Force is working to extend it so response times improve island wide.
More Than 50 Guns Seized — and a Trail Leading to the United States
The Commissioner confirmed that firearms are driving the current crime wave, saying "a great percentage" of serious crimes are being committed with guns. "So far for the year we have recovered maybe 50 or more illegal firearms off of the street," he revealed. "The concern that I am having is, having taken off that amount of firearms — where are these firearms coming from?"
Asked by Williams about ballistic tracing, Commissioner Jeffers disclosed: "There's a way to trace it, and I can tell you that the traces that we have done so far have pointed to the United States. Most of those firearms are coming out of the United States."
He confirmed that a reward is offered for each illegal firearm reported that leads to a seizure and arrest, and that an anonymous hotline is available. "One of these days, one of those same firearms might be used against you or some member of your family," he cautioned. "I'm not telling you to put yourself at risk… but once you can do so and still secure yourself, report those persons that you know have illegal firearms."
'Straight Time': The Case for Tougher Sentences
On repeat violent offenders, the Commissioner absolved his investigators and prosecutors — "it's not that the police is actually losing much or a lot of their cases" — and pointed instead to sentencing. "What we need to do is to revisit the laws and make the fines and the punishment a bit stronger than they are at the present moment," he argued.
He walked listeners through the arithmetic: a nine-month sentence can be cut by a third for a guilty plea and a further third for good behaviour, leaving barely three months served. "For certain offences, I believe that when you go in, you should do your straight time. There should be no reduction whatsoever," he said. "Some of these guys are coming back on the street too soon, and when they come back, they're not reformed, and so we have to be going all over again to arrest and again bring them before the court."
While stressing that "I can't tell the magistrates and judges what to do," he also called for genuine rehabilitation behind bars — "an effort to reprogramme, especially the young people, their minds."
'What We are Seeing in Our Society is What is Coming Out of Our Homes'
The Commissioner reserved his most impassioned remarks for parents. "What we are seeing in our society is what is coming out of our homes. There's no maybe or might about it. Charity actually begins at home," he said, describing a generation of "children raising children" and a society where the village no longer raises the child: "Today, when you report some of these young people to their parents, they will curse you."
Most troubling, he said, is that some parents profit from their children's crimes: "Some of the proceeds go towards the parents, and so it is encouraged — and that is one of the worst things that could ever happen." He recounted the story of a condemned man who bit off his mother's ear before his execution, telling onlookers that had she stopped him when he brought home the first stolen book and pen, "I would not be where I am."
His appeal to parents was direct: "Know where your children are. Know who your children are out with… Stop giving your children killing games. Those games are also contributing to what you are seeing in our society today. Find something that is educational to give them." He urged a return to sport, trade and church — "some tradesmen are making more money now than persons who go to college" — recalling his own upbringing: "I grew up in the Grays Green community. Sports is what kept us out of trouble — cricket, football, basketball, tennis. Let us start using the community once again to keep our children occupied."
"We need to move away from Cain and become our brother's keeper," he added.
An Appeal for Help — Including Equipment
Notably, Commissioner Jeffers acknowledged the Force's resource constraints and invited businesses and citizens to help fill the gap. "Government is not in a position to do everything," he said, suggesting donations of CCTV cameras, scanners or ballistic vests, and inviting would-be donors to "come in and have a chat with the Commissioner or one of his deputies." The appeal came the same day Sir Steadroy Benjamin pledged the Government's continued "institutional and material support" for the police.
Before ending the interview, the Commissioner updated the nation on the surviving victims: the 13-year-old boy remains "stable but still serious," while the 24-year-old man is in stable condition.
"We hear your concerns, we feel your pain, and we want you to know that we are working really hard to bring back that peace and tranquility that we're accustomed to here in Antigua and Barbuda," Commissioner Jeffers said. "I really want to restore that back to the country, but I cannot do it without your support."
Williams closed by rallying the public behind the lawmen: "Yes, the police aren't perfect, but they are trying — let us rally behind them."
Anyone with information may contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 462-3913 or 462-3914, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-TIPS (8477), or the nearest police station.
