Social intervention from an early age must become a central pillar of Barbados’ crime prevention strategy if the country is to curb rising gang activity and youth offending, Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley has said.

As he piloted the Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Bill through the Senate – the first minister to make a cross-chamber appearance under new constitutional arrangements – Lashley described the legislation as a “landmark bill” that fills a longstanding gap in the country’s criminal justice framework.

“I move this bill today because this bill is a landmark bill,” he said. “There’s nothing on our books that speaks to gangs. There’s nothing on our books relating to criminal law that speaks to gangs.”