Pastor Bean talks about the emotional toll of their work to reduce gang violence, and his belief that an independent Bermuda could better address the problem
The work of the Gang Violence Reduction Team is worth every penny and more, says Pastor Leroy Bean.
As Gang Violence Reduction Coordinator since 2017, he currently earns $125,000 every year – a salary that has come under criticism by some observers.
However, with the hours that his team does and the nature of the work, Pastor Bean believes “they couldn’t pay somebody enough to do this”.
“To some degree, I think we’re underpaid”, he says.
“I think people don’t have a clue what actually goes into this particular operation of reducing gang violence.”
In the final chapter of our extended interview, Pastor Bean describes the emotional toll of his work, especially having to support families at the hospital after a fatal shooting. He notes that one of those who died this year was his nephew.
Gary Foster Skelton also asks Pastor Bean about a theme that runs through his book on gang violence – the idea that Bermuda needs independence from the UK to truly address the problem.
Pastor Bean affirms his belief that a sovereign Bermuda would have more authority to tackle violence without having to speak to the UK about every decision.
Nevertheless, he fails to provide any examples of how independence from the UK has enabled former colonies to better address violence in their own communities. (WATCH above)
