The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Educator and Youth Mentor Darrin Rolle said the young man killed in Freeport on Sunday promised him when they recently spoke “to make things right”. He said he was known as a “notorious hitman”.

While speaking to the Rotary Club of Sunrise on Wednesday on the topic of Conflict Resolution, Mr Rolle, made brief reference to the victim whom he had spoken with back in January.

“It happens that about three or four days ago probably one of the most notorious individuals known for either being aggressive or being known as a hitman happened to have been killed, and the topic we are dealing with this morning is Conflict Resolution.”

“And all of us, being honest, at some point you had to deal with this and this will always be one thing we are going to face as a society.”

On Sunday, a gunman shot and killed Omar “Punch” Penn outside Island Luck web shop on East Sunrise Highway. Video footage of the shooting obtained by police from the web stop’s surveillance cameras went viral on social media. Police are launching an investigation into the unauthorized release of the footage.

Mr Rolle, who is also a local pastor, said he ran into Penn about a month earlier before his death.

“The young man that got killed this week, the first or second week in January I saw him and I said two or three little things to him, and he said, ‘yeah, I am going to get this right.’ I don’t know how he could ever get it right because there were always people looking for him for whatever reason.”

Mr Rolle is a well-known coach, educator and youth mentor in Grand Bahama who has currently established a Chance community centre for young men. He is co-founder and director of the Falcon’s Boys Club at Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

He noted that conflict is a normal part of life. “Conflict will always be there, it is how we handle them that will cause them to subside.”

Mr Rolle stated that when conflict resolution is managed it can develop the greatest relationship between two individuals that were at odds with each other.

“When handled respectfully and positively, then conflict provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two people,” he explained.

On the other hand, conflicts that are not managed can cause great harm to a relationship, he said. He believes it is important that parents allow their children to experience conflict resolution when there are disagreements in the home.

“Those of us who are parents, we are afraid to allow our children to see us have conflict and that’s fine, but after they have seen you have conflict, wouldn’t it also be nice to see you make up because society we are in we are going to have conflict. Conflict is inevitable because there will always be disagreements between parties over values, emotions, perception, ideas or desires.

The educator said that conflicts can escalate into fights and rows, which are frequently posted on social media.

“When there is conflict, it should be dealt with between the two individuals who have the conflict before you get someone else involved. Conflicts must not fester or be ignored,”

Mr Rolle said that conflict is also an opportunity for personal growth. He shared with Rotarians The Thomas-Kilman Model which identifies five strategies for conflict resolution.

Mr Rolle believes that according to the Bible love is the most effective thing when resolving conflict.