A Government-led programme aimed at eliminating gang feuds and reducing retaliation killings is already bearing fruit, with some people turning away from criminal activity.That is according to Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General with Responsibility for Crime Prevention, Corey Lane who asserted on Tuesday that lives were being saved under the one-month-old Direct Intervention programme.Individuals working with the initiative that was approved at the level of the Security Council and Cabinet about four weeks ago were engaged in “street outreach” and forming relationships with gangs.“A part of that is non-aggression agreements and they’re starting to do non-aggression agreements with the two main gangs,” Lane said in an interview with Barbados TODAY.“Another part is looking at the various feuds and retaliations. Some of the retaliations come from homicides and some of the feuds are being stoked from something as simple as IG [Instagram] wars….”The minister said another component of the programme is the Exodus initiative which provides safe passage to people who want to get out of a life of crime but feel their lives are at risk if they remain in Barbados.
