Opposition senator Ryan Walters on Friday urged authorities to intensify the use of existing financial crime legislation to dismantle gangs, arguing that targeting the flow of illicit money is critical to reversing Barbados’ worsening crime trend.

As the Senate took up the Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Bill, Senator Walters said Barbados had reached an alarming stage, with violent crime becoming a regular feature of daily life.

“On average, one murder a week in this country,” he said, noting that crime had been a major public concern for the past seven to eight years but had intensified significantly over the last two-and-a-half years.