COP Responds to Report Posted on Sexual Assault Stats

Tuesday, October 20,2020

A recent report shared on Facebook suggested that Bermuda sits 5th in the world in relation to offences of rape. The BPS and many other partner agencies in Bermuda are there to support victims of rape and any sexual offence against them. Rape is a horrific crime for anyone to suffer and causes long lasting and often irreparable damage to the victim, beyond the physical act itself.  Additionally, the number of rapes reported to police and other agencies are far fewer than the reality, not least as many victims are afraid to report or find themselves in situations, for example abusive relationships, where such disclosure would lead to further violent and coercive acts being done to them.    However, the article in question is misleading to some degree, as the data relied upon for Bermuda includes ALL sexual offences and not just the act of rape (attempted or otherwise).  Within this category is included acts such as ‘flashing’ (i.e. with no contact to a victim) or ‘groping’ as well as cyber grooming.  All very serious matters but very different in type and victimisation.    The actual numbers of reported sexual assaults in Bermuda, has ranged from approximately 26 to 58 over the past years, noting that one victim can be subject of a number of recorded offences against them. 

Suspicious Packages Wash Up on South Shore Beach

Tuesday, October 20,2020

The Bermuda Police Service can confirm that 7 packages containing suspected controlled drugs were seized by police after the items were discovered by a member of the public, floating in the surf just off Southlands Beach at Around 11:30 a.m. on Friday 16th October. Police along with their colleagues from the Coast Guard carried out an exhaustive search of the area, but no other packages were found. The packages are to be forensically examined and the content to be examined to determine whether they contain controlled drugs. Ten such packages have now so far been reported to the police by members of the public, leading to the recovery and seizure of these items. We wish to thank those individuals who have brought these finds to the attention of the police and urge anyone who encounters suspicious packages on beaches or in the nearby waters, to please call 211 or, the main police number, 295-0011.

5th Road Traffic Fatality for 2020

Tuesday, October 20,2020

At around 11:50 p.m. on Friday, 16th October, police received a report of a serious single vehicle collision involving a motorcycle, in the area of Windreach, on Spice Hill Road, Warwick. Upon arrival, officers found a 45-year-old man lying in an unresponsive state on the roadway. The officers immediately began performing CPR until the arrival of the EMTs, who transported the victim via ambulance to King Edward Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by an emergency room doctor at around 12:20 a.m today, Saturday 17th October. Anyone with information on this incident, is asked to call 211 or, the main police number, 295-0011. This is the island’s fifth road fatality for the year. 

4th Road Traffic Fatality Recorded for 2020

Tuesday, October 20,2020

Bermuda has recorded its fourth road fatality for this year. At around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, 15th October, police responded to a report of a serious two vehicle collision at the junction of Town Hill Road and Harrington Sound Road, Smiths. Information is, a 47-year-old man on a motorcycle collided with a car. The motorcycle rider was thrown from the bike and is reported to have sustained head and chest injuries. He was transported via ambulance to King Edward Hospital for treatment, but sadly, succumbed to his injuries. The 54-year-old female driver of the car, sustained minor injuries including bruising to her face. The area of the collision was cordoned off as Traffic Collision Investigators and the Forensic Support Unit processed the scene.   Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call 211 or, the main police number, 295-0011.

19 Yr-Old Man Arrested in Connection With Murder of Garrina Cann

Tuesday, October 20,2020

A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of 31-year-old Garrina Cann. The suspect remains in custody at this time. Miss Cann was shot to death at her residence on Sunset Pass, Pembroke Parish, in the early hours of Tuesday, 9th September, Detective Sergeant Jason Smith the lead investigator in this matter said: “A lot of the credit for this arrest goes to those members of the public who answered our calls for assistance to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.” The Detective Sergeant added: “However, we firmly believe there were other individuals involved in the commission of this crime and the investigation remains open at this time. As such we wish to renew our calls for anyone with information on three motorcycles that were in the area of Sunset Pass, from about midnight to 12.20am, on Tuesday September 29th, to please get in contact with us, as we strongly suspect these individuals were directly involved in Garrina’s murder”. Mr. Smith and his team are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who may have seen a man, said to be about 5ft 7in tall, wearing dark clothes and riding a black and yellow motorcycle, in the Sunset Lane area between midnight and 12.30am on that day. Anyone with any information on this incident, no matter how insignificant you think it to be, is asked to call 211, the main police number, 295-0011 or, the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers number, 800-8477.