Boy, if there was any a reason to call up some serious bounty hunter types to find this guy, now would be it. All of these criminals will only add to the chaos and heartache of the city. Especially guys like Blade, because you know that jackass is going to take advantage of this disaster.
In this case, you could set up a bounty hunting program, and put a price on each criminal’s head for capture. I think this would be pretty effective once everyone is getting fed and has water, and are looking for ways to fix their city and establish order. Of course a prison needs to be set up as well. I would classify this as a priority during the recovery phase of this operation.
On that note, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has the idea I am thinking of for these guys. Set up a tent city for these prisoners, and use the prisoners to clean up the city or unbury the bodies for future identification. Because putting bodies in pits now is an expedient, but eventually those bodies will have to be accounted for. The clean up is going to require everyone.
The other one that bothers me, are the mentally unsound criminals who abused, murdered or raped innocents to earn their incarceration. Undoubtedly, these types will thrive in an environment like this, and they must be hunted down and stopped. Pffft. –Matt
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Warlord Blade broke out of prison with 3000 during quake
January 18, 2010
The thousands of gang members who escaped from Haiti’s main prison when the earthquake struck have added to the security difficulties in the country.
More than 3000 inmates broke free on Tuesday, including gangsters who once ruled the country’s largest slum with violence and intimidation.
They stole guns from prison guards at the National Penitentiary and went straight to the collapsed justice ministry to set it on fire and destroy any records of their incarceration or criminal history.
They then returned to the Cite Soleil shanty town mounted on motorcycles and brandishing assault rifles.
It is understood that the criminals include one particularly notorious warlord known only by his street name “Blade”.
Ridding the slum of its gang leaders was among President Rene Prevail’s most celebrated achievements since he took office in 2006.
But the criminals have now flooded back to Cite Soleil, a warren of shacks and open sewers with a poverty-stricken population of 300,000.
“It’s only natural that they would come back here. This has always been their stronghold,” said a Haitian police officer in the slum.
He and other policemen, who asked not to be identified, said the armed gangs had begun to make their presence felt.
The fear is that large-scale violence could break out and hamper the rescue efforts and prevent the distribution of aid.
“They got out of prison and now they’re going around trying to rob people,” said Elgin St Louis, 34, a resident of Cite Soleil. “Last night they spent the whole night shooting.”
Forrestal Champlain, another resident, said: “They’re armed, they have no morals and they could do anything.”
Another added: “No one’s in charge except the [gang] bosses.”
Among the escaped prisoners were men so violent that tales of their crimes have become urban legend and feature in popular Haitian rap songs.
However, in a warning to the escaped men, Haiti’s National Police Chief Mario Andresol said: “My message to all those armed bandits that are trying to take advantage of this situation is that we will arrest them just as we did in the past.”
The Telegraph, London
Story here.