Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has announced a crime fighting plan that includes the establishment of a special police unit to fight organized crime, restriction of bail for people charged for murder and firearms offences and the expansion of community policing.

In a news briefing at Ilaro Court, Miss Mottley also laid out a plan of assistance for the fishermen and boat owners affected by Hurricane Beryl that includes an injection of half a million Barbados dollars, that was received from overseas as humanitarian and will form the first donation to a benevolent fund set up to assist fisherfolk.

On the issue of crime, Prime Minister Mottley describes the current situation as a matter of grave concern and disclosed that the government had asked for international police assistance with an independent study.

A report has been submitted and two key recommendations are to be urgently implemented, the first being the special unit.

Miss Mottley says many of the murders involve people who know each other and are using violence to settle vendettas.

 Miss Mottley also disclosed that at least six victims of murder in recent years were themselves charged for murder and were on bail and they were at least three people charged for multiple murders who were on bail and then committed more murders.

She announced that government will soon be taking to parliament either amendments to the bail act or a new act in the interest of public safety.

Members of the Police Service Band are also to be used in an expansion of community policing.

Earlier Miss Mottley had outlined a plan to assist fisherfolk.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.