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Posted: Sunday 11 April, 2010 at 3:43 PM

Bradford Tweed’s death a wake-up call for taxi operators

KILLED BY A CRIMINAL: Bradford ’Braddy’ Tweed
By: Stanford Conway, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SOME dubbed him the ‘Night Rider’, some called him the ‘Tourism Ambassador’ and one commuter said, “No longer will those women who walk pass The Circus be complimented on their beauty.” But many of those who ply Bradford ‘Braddy’ Tweed’s trade believe it is a wake-up call for all taxi operators.

     

    Indeed it is a wake-up call, but not only to taxi operators. It is the reality that we all have to face in St. Kitts and Nevis; a call for defence against gun-toting criminals who have shifted their targets from rival gangs to innocent, hard-working citizens and residents of the Federation.

     

    Tweed of Branch Street, Basseterre was shot to death in the wee hours of Thursday, April 8 along the island main road in the Keys area.

     

    According to Inspector Vaughan Henderson, Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Tweed’s body was found outside his bus near the front passenger’s wheel lying on the on the grassy verge on the seaside of the road across from Morgan Heights.

     

    Police said they are following leads into the investigation but, like many of the homicides committed over the recent years, no one was held accountable for his death.
    Investigations done by this media house revealed that Tweed’s death may have resulted from a robbery and this has not been the first time he was targeted. Sometime last year, he was attacked, wounded in the head and robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash in Branch Street.

     

    Since then, according to a taxi operator, Tweed had armed himself with a knife and said anyone who attempts to deprive him of his hard-earned cash would have to kill him.

     

    Basil Gardner, owner and operator of Island Spice Taxi Service, claimed to have seen Tweed a few hours before he met his demise. The taxi operator said Tweed was an animal lover and had routinely been feeding a number of dogs in the same area where he was killed.

     

    “I have known Braddy for quite a while; he is part of my family and a man of very high standards, especially in the taxi system. I have a night contract and almost every night we would pass each other on the road…even the place where he was murdered. The same morning about minutes to two I passed him at the place where he was murdered feeding two dogs and I was very surprised to hear of his death.

     

    “It was a regular habit of Braddy. He was always feeding the dogs in that area and they seem to know and look forward to him going there every night. He always stops in that area and the dogs would surround him as he feeds them. This is a serious issue now with taxi operators. Only a few weeks ago a taxi operator was robbed after he came out of his vehicle to remove some big stones that were placed on the island main road to block his path. The criminals are now targeting us and I feel that the Commissioner of Police should this take this situation into consideration and give reliable and responsible taxi drivers licenced firearms to protect themselves,” Gardner said.

     

    He also advised other taxi operators, and drivers in general, “not to stop if you should see big stones or any large object in the middle of the road, especially at nights, because there will be some criminal around waiting to pounce on you. It would be better for you to quickly reverse and call 911”.

     

    When contacted, one of Tweed’s daughters, Eloise, was too emotional to speak to this media house. However, many people have shared the experiences they had with the deceased including Ilva Wallace, who is also a taxi operator. She said, “I feel very bad…I feel sick on hearing how Braddy died. This is not the first time that they attack taxi drivers, but it has now reached the stage where they have killed a man for his own money. I also feel that they should give the taxi drivers firearm, because there is nobody to take care of us; we have to take care of ourselves.”

     

    Bernice Merritk, popularly known in Basseterre as the ‘Nuts Lady’, said she had known Tweed for many years and recounted one of the memorable events in her life in which he played a very important role.

     

    “I have known Braddy for many years and he was a very kind man. I am going to miss him very much because he was always doing favours for people. You could have called him at any hour and he would be there. If that was a job he went on Thursday night, then I am very sorry that the person must have tricked him, robbed him and take his life.

     

    “I can remember when I was getting married in 2005, Braddy was the only man that night when I came to The Circus in search of a taxi driver to drop me home. While on my way home I remembered I had to pick up some things from my business place for the wedding. He was so kind to wait for me as I picked up the stuff. The rain was falling heavily and Braddy ensured that I got everything into his taxi; an act that you would rarely find done by many taxi drivers. I would like to offer my sympathy to his family and say that he’s gone but not forgotten,” Merritk said.

     

    The Parliamentary Representative of Constituency Eight, the Hon. Eugene Hamilton, also condemned the gun-related crimes and the frequency in which criminals are shooting people in the Federation. While he conveyed his condolences to the Tweeds family and all those who have lost loved ones under similar circumstances, Hamilton claimed that people in his constituency are fed up with the failure of the government to combat the scourge of rampant gun violence plaguing the communities.

     

    He noted that although there have been many changes in the Head of National Security, no improvement was brought to the crime situation.

     

    “Prime Minister Douglas was succeeded by Minister Dwyer Astaphan, then by Minister Asim Martin, then by Prime Minister Douglas again, and now by Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor. The only feature associated with each change is a deterioration…a worsening of the crime wave in this country. Things have gone from bad to worse. We are now in full blown crisis and the Government seems to have no solution.”

     

    A release from the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce states that the organisation notes the violent passing of Tweed with deep sadness and horror, and that his murder is a significant blow to the tourism industry and the local fraternity of taxi operators.

     

    Commenting on his death, the Chamber’s President, Michael Morton, noted that the Federation has lost one of its best tourism promoters.

     

    “Mr. Tweed was not just a taxi driver; he was an ambassador for this Country. He literally sold St. Kitts to countless visitors, and his knowledge of the island was remarkable - an asset which was highly valued by the many tourists and frequent business travelers whom he would have welcomed to our shores during his career,” Morton said.

     

    He pointed out that the sexagenarian had served the tourism industry for over 40 years and the Chamber has long been on record emphasising the fact that crime is one of the most crippling elements to the nation’s continued growth and development, especially “our fragile tourism industry”.

     

    Morton added that it is ironic that Tweed, who led a life of service to the tourism sector, had his life snuffed out by an unknown criminal and, in the process, his death has the potential to threaten the very tourism sector that he promoted and valued.
     
    “The Chamber notes that Mr. Tweed’s tragic death again highlights the fact that our crime rate, and particularly our homicide rate, is utterly unacceptable. The Organisation also finds it disheartening to note that while there may be reports of a general reduction in crime, crimes left unreported might certainly be on the rise. The low levels of crime detection and convictions are equally unacceptable, a situation that results in a growing sense of fear and disillusionment among the citizens and residents of the country. As such, the Chamber once again appeals to government to do all in its power to empower our Police Force,” the release read. 

     

    It further states that the Chamber is well aware that there are some initiatives already in progress but strongly encourages “investment in cutting edge technological upgrades and requisite training; the search for external technical and professional resources where necessary; and the boosting of public safety initiatives on the national level”.

     

    The Chamber argues that this approach could help to raise morale in the Police Force and heighten the public’s confidence in the law enforcement body, adding that the private sector’s support and commitment for such programmes and policies is guaranteed.

     

    The organisation is also appealing for broad-based public support to assist the police in crime solving and urges everyone to work together at finding lasting solutions to the nation’s problems with crime.
     
    The Board of Directors and members of the CIC extended heartfelt condolences to the Tweeds family and also to all members of the various taxi associations.  

     

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