The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said Rodney Moncur and Carols Reid were never contracted to be violence interrupters, apparently contradicting comments Office of the Prime Minister communications director Latrae Rahming made in 2022.

He said Mr Moncur was contracted as an independent contractor for inner city communities, saying the talk show host has created an entrepreneurship programme. He added that Mr Reid was hired as a consultant for community outreach to produce initiatives such as Shock Treatment and Peace on the Street.

According to the National Gang Centre, violence interrupters are defined as individuals who, because of their past positions in the community or, in some cases, their prior history with a gang, retain the ability to reach and talk to key active gang members.

Mr Munroe said the government wouldn’t hire someone as a violence interrupter because that would identify the person and make them a target. He further explained that Mr Moncur and Mr Reid don’t fit the classic description of a violence interrupter.

 In April 2022, Officer of the Prime Minister Communications Director Latrae Rahming said Mr Moncur was appointed as a violence interrupter because he understands the dynamics of communities and was trusted by people in the inner city.

Asked about this, Mr Munroe said: “Violence interrupter is somebody who tries to make peace everyone should be a violence interrupter. A violence interrupter in the form of the proper phase thing is actually a criminal. And I don’t think Mr Moncur or Mr Reid would say they would identify themselves as being anything other than in the up-and-up world. People use phrases other than what we call a term of art.”

“I’ve heard Mr Moncur say many number of things. His contract has him as an independent contractor for community outreach. Mr Reid’s contract has him as a consultant of community outreach.”

Mr Munroe said that Mr Moncur has started an entrepreneurship programme that has helped people create business plans and start their own businesses.

Last week, Mr Reid told this newspaper the violence interrupter scheme had not fully started despite him submitting a proposal to the government.

Mr Munroe said Mr Reid’s proposal is currently being considered along with other proposals that were submitted.

Asked when the public would know if Mr Reid’s violence interrupter proposal is approved, Mr Munroe responded: “There’s some things that we do in the fight against crime that we can’t tell the public for reasons you’ll be telling the criminals as well.”