US documents Bahamas' crime problem on web site
By KRYSTEL ROLLE ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ krystel@nasguard.com:
The U.S. State Department's international travel web site has detailed The Bahamas' crime problem, painting an accurately grim picture of last year's criminal activities.
The report states, "The Bahamas has a high crime rate. New Providence island in particular has experienced a spike in crime that has adversely affected the traveling public. Pick-pocketing and theft remain the most common crimes perpetrated against tourists.
"However, there has been a spate of more violent criminal activity in 2009. Three separate groups of tourists were held at gunpoint and robbed at popular tourist sites in and near Nassau; each of these incidents occurred during daylight hours and involved groups of more than eight persons. Several other groups of tourists allegedly were victims of armed robbery at more remote locations."
Co-owner of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Sir Jack Hayward recently warned that the Government of The Bahamas must find solutions to the escalating crime problem in the country before countries such as the United States issue travel advisories warning their citizens not to come to this jurisdiction.
"Any moment now the American Embassy could be advising American citizens that this is an unsafe country to travel (to)," said Sir Jack last week during an interview with The Nassau Guardian.
Sir Jack said the disturbing crime trend in the country could threaten both tourism to, and investment in, the country.
The U.S. State Department said in its country overview that the U.S. Embassy has received reports of assaults, including sexual assaults, in diverse areas such as in casinos, outside hotels, or on cruise ships.
"In several incidents the victim had reportedly been drugged. The Bahamas has the highest incidence of rape in the Caribbean according to a 2007 United Nations report on crime, violence, and development trends. Much of the violent crime occurs outside of areas frequented by tourists, such as the 'Over-the-Hill' section of Nassau."
The report added that two American citizens were murdered in New Providence in 2009.
Anna Garrison, a 33-year-old West Palm Beach woman, was found killed in New Providence last year. Her body was found on July 4, wrapped in a plastic bag and bed sheet on the side of a road. Police said she had been killed months before her body was found.
The Guardian was unable to identify the alleged second American victim.
"The upsurge in criminal activity has also led to incidents which, while not directed at tourists, could place innocent bystanders at risk. An altercation at a major resort resulted in the shooting of two security officers, while several daytime robberies in Nassau led to exchanges of gunfire on busy streets," the report said.
The two security officers were shot in the Atlantis Marina Village in November 2009. Additionally, several shootings have occurred in the downtown area and on West Bay Street.
The report also noted the low prevalence of crime in the Family Islands. However, it added that the embassy has received reports of burglaries and thefts on Abaco and Bimini.
The Embassy has reportedly also received reports of "harassment of persons based on sexual orientation. In addition, women have reported incidents of verbal harassment and unwanted attention".
The crime report ended by advising visitors to report crime to the police force as quickly as possible.
It said, the "Royal Bahamian Police Force is responsive to reports of crime and takes the threat of crime against tourists very seriously. However, the police response is sometimes slowed by a lack of resources or by the physical constraints imposed by geography and infrastructure."
The high level of crime has been highlighted internationally on several occasions, most recently in The Washington Post, which quoted State Department's report in an article published in April.
The government has attempted, in terms of personnel changes and infrastructure investments, to address the crime problem, which has worsened in recent years.
Since the Free National Movement (FNM) came to office in 2007, there have been three commissioners of police; three attorneys general; two chief justices; and the second director of the Department of Public Prosecutions is soon to take office.
The government has bought the police a new fleet of vehicles and it is spending more than $20 million upgrading the court system.
The new Magistrates Court complex at Nassau Street is expected to be completed within the next few months.
July 8, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Charles Maynard accused Philip "Brave" Davis of hiring bloggers to post "scandalous lies" of alleged corruption and extra-marital affairs about him
PLP Deputy accused of 'Internet lies'
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
CULTURE Minister Charles Maynard yesterday accused Opposition Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis of hiring Internet bloggers to post "scandalous lies" that link him to alleged corruption and extra-marital affairs.
Mr Davis strongly denied the allegations when contacted by The Tribune yesterday morning and said he had no idea who is behind the website in question. He added that he had no time for - and did not condone - smear campaigns or personal attacks on fellow politicians.
The post in question, published on Monday, lashed out at Mr Maynard for criticisms made on a talk show earlier this week - and also in the House of Assembly last month - alleging that criminal defense attorneys and Mr Davis specifically who "profited" from and "manipulated" the slow-moving legal system.
According to Mr Maynard, every time he publicly criticises Mr Davis a scathing story about him appears on the website, making it "obvious" to him who is driving the rumours.
"I know as a fact that Brave Davis is behind it, that the person who does this works directly for him." Mr Davis emphatically denied the accusation.
"I don't think that it's fair for me to say something in the House - generally speaking and also directed to him in terms of how I felt about what he would have done earlier in his law practice - and his way of dealing with it is to have these scandalous things on blogs.
"It was so obvious in this latest attack, yesterday I appeared on a talk show and said something about him and they allude to that (in the blog) and it makes it obvious. It's immature (and) does nothing to forward the political system," Mr Maynard said.
Mr Davis, on the other hand, said he had no part in the disparaging remarks made against the minister adding that he cannot control the thoughts and actions of persons who may support him.
"That's unfortunate if he thinks every time he talks negatively about me he is negatively attacked - then he ought to consider whether he should be negatively attacking me. If he is attacking me and he finds himself being attacked, just as he has supporters out there I have supporters too. I have no interest in nor will I condone negative attacks on anyone. I have no interest in running any negative campaign - we have too many challenges in our country," the PLP Member of Parliament for Cat Island and Rum Cay said when asked about the allegations.
He continued:" "I don't need anyone to respond for me...But I am heartened to know that people feel sufficiently warm about me to come to my defence if they feel I am unduly attacked. Of course I am not going to sit by idly and allow people to attack (others)."
When asked directly if the website is run by PLP operatives, Mr Davis said: "I wouldn't say that's the case." He told The Tribune that the comments posted were "crossing the line."
Among other things, the post also alleges that the minister engaged in extra-marital affairs while on official duty at the World Cup match in South Africa and benefited from alleged criminal proceeds passed down to him by his father, Andrew "Dud" Maynard, a former PLP chairman.
Mr Maynard said his father, a veteran politician, can handle the aspersions but they take a harder toll on his wife.
"From my father's point of view he's been in politics all his life and knows it gets dirty. My wife is new to politics and not very happy about it - to me it's a new low.
"It goes out into the public domain, despite the fact that it's lies, it's still something that nobody would like to be said about them."
Still it doesn't appear that Mr Maynard plans to sue the handlers of the website for defamation.
He explained that Bahamian law has not caught up with the influence of the world wide web.
He said he hopes the Ingraham administration can advance some sort of legislative reform to address these matters, particularly before the next general election when campaigns on both sides of the party divide will heat up.
July 07, 2010
tribune242
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:
CULTURE Minister Charles Maynard yesterday accused Opposition Deputy Leader Philip "Brave" Davis of hiring Internet bloggers to post "scandalous lies" that link him to alleged corruption and extra-marital affairs.
Mr Davis strongly denied the allegations when contacted by The Tribune yesterday morning and said he had no idea who is behind the website in question. He added that he had no time for - and did not condone - smear campaigns or personal attacks on fellow politicians.
The post in question, published on Monday, lashed out at Mr Maynard for criticisms made on a talk show earlier this week - and also in the House of Assembly last month - alleging that criminal defense attorneys and Mr Davis specifically who "profited" from and "manipulated" the slow-moving legal system.
According to Mr Maynard, every time he publicly criticises Mr Davis a scathing story about him appears on the website, making it "obvious" to him who is driving the rumours.
"I know as a fact that Brave Davis is behind it, that the person who does this works directly for him." Mr Davis emphatically denied the accusation.
"I don't think that it's fair for me to say something in the House - generally speaking and also directed to him in terms of how I felt about what he would have done earlier in his law practice - and his way of dealing with it is to have these scandalous things on blogs.
"It was so obvious in this latest attack, yesterday I appeared on a talk show and said something about him and they allude to that (in the blog) and it makes it obvious. It's immature (and) does nothing to forward the political system," Mr Maynard said.
Mr Davis, on the other hand, said he had no part in the disparaging remarks made against the minister adding that he cannot control the thoughts and actions of persons who may support him.
"That's unfortunate if he thinks every time he talks negatively about me he is negatively attacked - then he ought to consider whether he should be negatively attacking me. If he is attacking me and he finds himself being attacked, just as he has supporters out there I have supporters too. I have no interest in nor will I condone negative attacks on anyone. I have no interest in running any negative campaign - we have too many challenges in our country," the PLP Member of Parliament for Cat Island and Rum Cay said when asked about the allegations.
He continued:" "I don't need anyone to respond for me...But I am heartened to know that people feel sufficiently warm about me to come to my defence if they feel I am unduly attacked. Of course I am not going to sit by idly and allow people to attack (others)."
When asked directly if the website is run by PLP operatives, Mr Davis said: "I wouldn't say that's the case." He told The Tribune that the comments posted were "crossing the line."
Among other things, the post also alleges that the minister engaged in extra-marital affairs while on official duty at the World Cup match in South Africa and benefited from alleged criminal proceeds passed down to him by his father, Andrew "Dud" Maynard, a former PLP chairman.
Mr Maynard said his father, a veteran politician, can handle the aspersions but they take a harder toll on his wife.
"From my father's point of view he's been in politics all his life and knows it gets dirty. My wife is new to politics and not very happy about it - to me it's a new low.
"It goes out into the public domain, despite the fact that it's lies, it's still something that nobody would like to be said about them."
Still it doesn't appear that Mr Maynard plans to sue the handlers of the website for defamation.
He explained that Bahamian law has not caught up with the influence of the world wide web.
He said he hopes the Ingraham administration can advance some sort of legislative reform to address these matters, particularly before the next general election when campaigns on both sides of the party divide will heat up.
July 07, 2010
tribune242
Bahamian Communities have called for police to stop the bloodshed
'Stop the bloodshed'
It is also up to the Bahamian People in The Bahamas to ensure the place in which they live is a community
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
A spike in murders once again has everyone on the alert. Communities have called for police to stop the bloodshed.
Tribune Staff Reporter
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
They want to see more officers on the streets preventing the murders - like the six that occurred in a space of just six days last week - from happening in the first place.
This is a challenge police will struggle to face on their own,
Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade explained as he sought to reassure residents of Pinewood in a walkabout with his senior officers on Tuesday...
But as residents saw the convoy of shiny police cars crawling through their corners with a small fleet of media vehicles, they closed their doors.
One young man came out to talk to Mr Greenslade, but upon seeing the magnitude of the procession, the swarm of police officers, and reporters with television cameras, others ducked back in behind the safety of their own four walls.
Talking to the police does not look good in Pinewood.
A man was gunned down here just days ago and that was the latest in a string of violent killings over the years.
Although the majority of people say they feel safe in Pinewood (85 per cent according to MP Byran Woodside's August 2009 survey), it is also well known that being too cosy with law-enforcement does not make you popular with "the people in power."
By "the people in power" they do not mean the police, or Mr Woodside and the political big-wigs, but the young men, and less frequently women, who are arrested, charged and arraigned in connection with crimes as serious as firearm possession, armed robbery, or violent assaults, and then walk freely from jail, their bail bonds secured by self-interested lawyers.
They are released and welcomed back into the working-class families of Pinewood Gardens, and other neighbourhoods like it.
These criminals are not foreign to us, Mr Greenslade said.
They are not from the immigrant Haitian or Jamaican communities who Bahamians so willingly blame for our social strains and rising violent crime.
None of the six murders over six days bear signs of Jamaican-style "yardie" killings.
The deaths were not connected to any particular ethnic group or nationality.
They were simply committed by people with "evil in their hearts", the Commissioner concluded.
He also said the bloodshed is not confined to "hot spots" or no-go danger zones to be avoided in order to avoid gunfire.
No, the senseless killings, the unconscionable shootings, such as that of pregnant Marie Claude-Saintilien, 23, and of 30-year-old Fresh Creek, Andros, resident Tevaris Minnis, the week before last, are not indicative of good neighbourhoods turning bad.
The deaths are not happening as a result of an influx of violent foreigners carrying out an attack in an otherwise peace-loving nation.
No, these violent crimes are being committed by people in our own families, living in our homes and in our neighbour's homes, in suburban areas like Pinewood Gardens, where they are not only known to us, but they are known to their local police officers, detectives, prosecutors, magistrates and prison guards.
"These are people known to you," Mr Greenslade said.
"These are our relatives, and they are in and out of the system, having been arrested and then allowed to walk freely in our communities. That is very powerful."
How or why those suspected of such serious crimes are released into communities at the risk of being a menace to society - which the Commissioner asserts they are - begs a bigger question and one the Commissioner was unwilling, or unable, to answer.
But his unnerving assertion, said to reassure Pinewood residents and other neighbours of the most heinous crimes that it is not their community that poses a threat but people in it, is still not the most comforting of statements.
Nor is it any comfort to know many of those who have been killed have also been through the wheels of the criminal justice system.
Because several of them are also due to appear as witnesses in court, or like the four-year-old boy shot in Pinewood recently, they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Perhaps Mr Greenslade wanted to somewhat diminish the power these bailed criminals have by showing the people being killed are also not strangers to crime.
It certainly puts a damper on the attraction of the gangster lifestyle presented by these freed suspects who serve as examples of just how much Bahamians can get away with.
Sadly they become role models for the most vulnerable youngsters who lack the support and protection of good parents and guardians who might tell them any different, Pinewood resident Angelo King, 21, told me last week.
They show these youth how easy it is to get by in a bad economy if armed with a handgun.
Dealing drugs, robbing people in the street and breaking into their homes at opportune times to steal whatever may be worth selling will surely help you get by without having to worry about the high unemployment rate, taxes, traffic, and all those other hassles and stresses associated with having a job and being a functional and productive member of society.
And with no repercussions - at least not in the criminal justice system - it would seem to many a smart path to choose.
Children as young as 10 are drawn into housebreaking rings and trained to steal anything worth selling instead of going to school.
Mr King said the only thing that saved him from the influence of this path was his basketball talent, which he developed and worked hard at to earn a university scholarship and then graduate degree in psychology.
He said more positive role models are needed, and the police Commissioner tried to live up to this need when he invited the 4ft members of the Bahamas American Football Alliance team to Police Headquarters to meet some positive role models.
He explained how it is possible to carry a gun on the right side of the law and still get to play in Nassau's great game of the Wild West.
Certainly police appear to be stepping up to the plate as the Commissioner responds to calls from the public to speak out when they need reassurance, and shake-up the force as necessary, increasing the number of detectives on the homicide squad from two to five in recent months.
Duty officers have taken more than 133 illegal firearms and over 2,600 rounds of ammunition off the streets since January.
And as the rate of crime continues to plateau at a stomach-churning level, with the occasional peaks and troughs making us feel either less sick or more so, police are consistently charging suspected criminals and bringing them before the courts.
As of Friday, at least three people had been charged in connection with three of the six murders, which took place between June 21 and 26, and the Commissioner expects investigations will result in the charging of suspects in the remaining cases.
Among those arraigned last week was Kendrick Sands, 33, of Matthew Street, Nassau Village, who was charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Atlantis worker Kifftino Davis, 20.
Mr Davis, of Peardale Street off Wulff Road, was gunned down by an unknown assailant, near his home at around 2am last Sunday.
His mother said he was due to testify in the upcoming murder trial of Pinewood Gardens resident George Carey, 21, a friend and colleague of Mr Davis' who was stabbed multiple times near Lockhart's Bar, Wulff Road, in May.
For Sands it is the second murder charge he has faced in just over a year, as he was arraigned on charges in connection with the January 2009 Nassau Village shooting of Onando Newbold in February last year and had been released on bail.
After his arraignment on Thursday he was remanded in custody. Police also charged Prince McPhee, 34, of High Vista Estates, last week, in connection with the fatal shooting of murder-accused Bradley Ferguson in Sequoia Street, Pinewood Gardens, on Saturday June 26.
Ferguson had been acquitted of murder charges earlier this year, having been accused of killing pregnant Rosemary Bennett-Wright and her five-year-old son Jakeel Wright in March 2002, as well as of the attempted murders of Devonna Brown and Omega Fox.
Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and his team stopped near Ferguson's home during their procession through Pinewood, which is within site of the crossroads where seven murders had occurred in recent memory - including the double murder of a mother and son in January last year.
But police did not make clear whether this unmarked road - first said to be Sequoia Street and then Avocado Street - was also the place where Ferguson - armed with a handgun and bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds - forced himself into the parked car of a mother and her three children and severely traumatised the whole family before he became the country's 47th homicide victim last Saturday.
Mr Greenslade spoke to people in the strip-mall business places on that corner in an effort to reassure upstanding members of the community that police were doing their utmost to prevent violent crimes, but he also had to remind the suffering public there is only so much he and his men can do.
With the criminal justice system bursting with a whopping 257 murder cases pending as of April this year - and areas of the prison also oversubscribed - the crime level is more than just a policing issue.
As Mr Greenslade said in his roundabout way - there are other executive bodies to also be held accountable.
Just last week Magistrate Carolita Bethel granted $10,000 bail to a suspect arraigned on several serious charges, including the shooting of a child in Pinewood Gardens two weeks ago.
Pinewood resident Tyson Deveaux, was charged in connection with the shooting of a four-year-old boy in Brazilletta Street, on June 14, an incident in which he also was shot.
He had previously been accused of the murder of Marlon Smith on April 19, 2009, and was also accused of the murder of Corrie Bethel on May 10, 2007.
When he was first arraigned on June 18, Deveaux was remanded in custody by Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez.
But when he reappeared before Magistrate Bethel, facing two additional firearms possession charges in connection with the Pinewood shooting on June 24, he was freed on $10,000 bail with two sureties - one being that he had to surrender his travel documents to ensure he stayed in the country.
Why the suspect in connection with such a serious succession of crimes was granted bail by a magistrate regarded as one of the strictest in Nassau's court system is not known, but the public has no choice but to welcome him back into their communities until he returns to court on August 14 for the rest of his future to be decided - or adjourned.
Because if some of them are not welcomed with open arms, the fear is that by resisting their return we will become the next bloody mess, and murder victim number 48, 49 or 50 - no small number for halfway through the year.
The Commissioner was right when he said their bail release is very powerful indeed.
Perhaps this is why Bahamians are so "tolerant" as the Commissioner said.
"I am very concerned that we as Bahamians are so tolerant," said Mr Greenslade.
"We cannot allow young Bahamian men to continue to walk the streets of our country 24/7 with illegal weapons, selling drugs in our communities, and poisoning our children.
"That's not a policing problem - that's a Bahamian problem.
"If a person is walking our streets on bail and believes he or she is above everybody else, I don't know how policing will prevent that.
"It's very important that all Bahamians report these matters.
"This is about all of us as Bahamians saying 'enough is enough'."
I am certain for many of those who heard or read his statements genuinely feel "enough is enough" whether they have experienced murder and violent crime directly, read about them daily in the newspapers, or choose to avoid the news altogether in an effort to protect themselves from having to digest the unsavoury facts.
I am sure the residents of Pinewood who were intrigued by the uniformed police chiefs parading through the area, but were too intimidated - either by the police officers themselves or the criminals living in their neighbourhoods - to speak to Mr Greenslade and his colleagues, have had enough of the crime.
Who wants to live in a community where you are afraid to speak out?
Where if you witness a murder, you could be the next victim?
Perhaps it is a situation people have become used to, but surely it's not the lifestyle of choice - and, yes, you do have one.
Unfortunately the intimidation of witnesses has become so common it may seem to be the only way of going about things.
As suspects' families celebrate the homecoming of their bailed loved-ones, witnesses of crimes that the suspects may or may not have been involved in, cower in their homes and lock their doors.
Pinewood mother Maria Scott lost her son Marcian Clarke, 31, four years ago. He was shot dead outside their Willow Tree Avenue home in Pinewood Gardens shortly before he was due to testify as a key witness in the murder of his former police patrol partner.
It's hardly surprising that after his partner was killed Mr Clarke left the police force for a job at Atlantis, but changing jobs was not enough to leave the front-line.
As a key witness, even his own efforts and the efforts of police could not protect him.
And with the recent case of Mr Davis's killing, it's little wonder people are so unwilling to come forward when it comes to informing the police.
As a reporter I have walked through neighbourhoods in Pinewood, off Wulff Road or East Street, to try to talk to residents about the latest crime, and the dozens of people sitting around who may or may not know something about it will not say a word.
Sometimes an unwary child will point me in the right direction, or divulge some interesting details, and very occasionally someone bold enough to speak out will do so.
But the long and short of it is - they do not feel safe to appear to be on the right side of the law.
Just as witnesses in murder cases whose names appear on court dockets and are called to testify in court may be vulnerable to freedom-hungry predators with blood on their hands, anyone who happens to see one of the dozens of cold-blooded killings committed in public places, and often in broad daylight, is also exposed to the vulnerability of a witness.
Ways of protecting witnesses could be worked out - by removing their names from the dockets, and having them sign a sworn statement rather than appear in court.
Ways of protecting people from bailed suspects could also be maintained by keeping enough officers on foot patrols in neighbourhoods to ensure the criminals are the ones who are cowering and not the law-abiding citizens.
This simple suggestion was put to me by a pair of bright young men who spoke candidly about Pinewood, the home they know and love, as a place neglected by anyone with the power to change it, as it lies hidden from critical eyes in some central south-eastern area of New Providence to be visited only by those who live there.
They brushed off the police "walkabout" as a PR exercise that would not change the problems of their community, because under the scorching mid-morning sun, there is little criminal activity for them to survey in Pinewood Park.
The officers need to be there on the streets day and night if they are going to maximize police efforts to stop the bloodshed; then even if the criminals are going to be freed on bail, at least they will not get the opportunity to strike again.
As Mr Greenslade said, without these "evil-hearted" individuals the neighbourhoods would be safe, so the balance has to be altered to bring it back to the good.
Young people in Pinewood want more resources to be given to community groups, or invested in the beautification of the community, and they need positive role models.
They criticised their FNM MP for not doing enough to support community groups, and for letting community resources fall into disrepair.
And taking the criticism with the sensitivity of an insecure teenager, or a politician, Mr Woodside chose not to return my call to answer questions about why the swings in Pinewood Park hang broken, why the basketball hoop has not been repaired for years, or why the garbage cans are overflowing, and the grass is overgrown and dumping is so common on empty lots, home to rusting abandoned vehicles.
Instead, Mr Woodside released a press statement highlighting what he had done to clean up the area, including spending nearly all of the $200,000 allotted to the community between 2007 and 2009 on community projects, including a clean-up campaign ($34,500).
And to be fair to Mr Woodside, it's not really up to him to baby-sit the children, teenagers and young adults who keep breaking the basketball hoops, or are reluctant to stop tinkering with rusted broken down cars over the decades so new cars may feed off their old parts.
It is also up to the people themselves to ensure the place in which they live is a community.
If Kevin Moss, the 20-year-old Pinewood resident who spoke to me this week, is as passionate about helping the young people in the community as he said he is, surely he can do that without a handout from his MP.
Yes, he needs support, but if the handful of families who want to keep Pinewood crime free can work together, perhaps they can crystallise those common ideals they have for their children and their neighbours' children, and realize those opportunity for the next generation.
By taking their own angle on the fight against crime, through increasing positive activities, showing they are not afraid, and being courageous enough to reclaim their neighbourhoods, they can help improve their communities while the police keep an eye on those system-worn suspects they know to look out for, and court administrators can get to work on addressing that mammoth backlog churning out bailed suspects who put us all at risk.
July 05, 2010
tribune242
This is a challenge police will struggle to face on their own,
Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade explained as he sought to reassure residents of Pinewood in a walkabout with his senior officers on Tuesday...
But as residents saw the convoy of shiny police cars crawling through their corners with a small fleet of media vehicles, they closed their doors.
One young man came out to talk to Mr Greenslade, but upon seeing the magnitude of the procession, the swarm of police officers, and reporters with television cameras, others ducked back in behind the safety of their own four walls.
Talking to the police does not look good in Pinewood.
A man was gunned down here just days ago and that was the latest in a string of violent killings over the years.
Although the majority of people say they feel safe in Pinewood (85 per cent according to MP Byran Woodside's August 2009 survey), it is also well known that being too cosy with law-enforcement does not make you popular with "the people in power."
By "the people in power" they do not mean the police, or Mr Woodside and the political big-wigs, but the young men, and less frequently women, who are arrested, charged and arraigned in connection with crimes as serious as firearm possession, armed robbery, or violent assaults, and then walk freely from jail, their bail bonds secured by self-interested lawyers.
They are released and welcomed back into the working-class families of Pinewood Gardens, and other neighbourhoods like it.
These criminals are not foreign to us, Mr Greenslade said.
They are not from the immigrant Haitian or Jamaican communities who Bahamians so willingly blame for our social strains and rising violent crime.
None of the six murders over six days bear signs of Jamaican-style "yardie" killings.
The deaths were not connected to any particular ethnic group or nationality.
They were simply committed by people with "evil in their hearts", the Commissioner concluded.
He also said the bloodshed is not confined to "hot spots" or no-go danger zones to be avoided in order to avoid gunfire.
No, the senseless killings, the unconscionable shootings, such as that of pregnant Marie Claude-Saintilien, 23, and of 30-year-old Fresh Creek, Andros, resident Tevaris Minnis, the week before last, are not indicative of good neighbourhoods turning bad.
The deaths are not happening as a result of an influx of violent foreigners carrying out an attack in an otherwise peace-loving nation.
No, these violent crimes are being committed by people in our own families, living in our homes and in our neighbour's homes, in suburban areas like Pinewood Gardens, where they are not only known to us, but they are known to their local police officers, detectives, prosecutors, magistrates and prison guards.
"These are people known to you," Mr Greenslade said.
"These are our relatives, and they are in and out of the system, having been arrested and then allowed to walk freely in our communities. That is very powerful."
How or why those suspected of such serious crimes are released into communities at the risk of being a menace to society - which the Commissioner asserts they are - begs a bigger question and one the Commissioner was unwilling, or unable, to answer.
But his unnerving assertion, said to reassure Pinewood residents and other neighbours of the most heinous crimes that it is not their community that poses a threat but people in it, is still not the most comforting of statements.
Nor is it any comfort to know many of those who have been killed have also been through the wheels of the criminal justice system.
Because several of them are also due to appear as witnesses in court, or like the four-year-old boy shot in Pinewood recently, they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Perhaps Mr Greenslade wanted to somewhat diminish the power these bailed criminals have by showing the people being killed are also not strangers to crime.
It certainly puts a damper on the attraction of the gangster lifestyle presented by these freed suspects who serve as examples of just how much Bahamians can get away with.
Sadly they become role models for the most vulnerable youngsters who lack the support and protection of good parents and guardians who might tell them any different, Pinewood resident Angelo King, 21, told me last week.
They show these youth how easy it is to get by in a bad economy if armed with a handgun.
Dealing drugs, robbing people in the street and breaking into their homes at opportune times to steal whatever may be worth selling will surely help you get by without having to worry about the high unemployment rate, taxes, traffic, and all those other hassles and stresses associated with having a job and being a functional and productive member of society.
And with no repercussions - at least not in the criminal justice system - it would seem to many a smart path to choose.
Children as young as 10 are drawn into housebreaking rings and trained to steal anything worth selling instead of going to school.
Mr King said the only thing that saved him from the influence of this path was his basketball talent, which he developed and worked hard at to earn a university scholarship and then graduate degree in psychology.
He said more positive role models are needed, and the police Commissioner tried to live up to this need when he invited the 4ft members of the Bahamas American Football Alliance team to Police Headquarters to meet some positive role models.
He explained how it is possible to carry a gun on the right side of the law and still get to play in Nassau's great game of the Wild West.
Certainly police appear to be stepping up to the plate as the Commissioner responds to calls from the public to speak out when they need reassurance, and shake-up the force as necessary, increasing the number of detectives on the homicide squad from two to five in recent months.
Duty officers have taken more than 133 illegal firearms and over 2,600 rounds of ammunition off the streets since January.
And as the rate of crime continues to plateau at a stomach-churning level, with the occasional peaks and troughs making us feel either less sick or more so, police are consistently charging suspected criminals and bringing them before the courts.
As of Friday, at least three people had been charged in connection with three of the six murders, which took place between June 21 and 26, and the Commissioner expects investigations will result in the charging of suspects in the remaining cases.
Among those arraigned last week was Kendrick Sands, 33, of Matthew Street, Nassau Village, who was charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Atlantis worker Kifftino Davis, 20.
Mr Davis, of Peardale Street off Wulff Road, was gunned down by an unknown assailant, near his home at around 2am last Sunday.
His mother said he was due to testify in the upcoming murder trial of Pinewood Gardens resident George Carey, 21, a friend and colleague of Mr Davis' who was stabbed multiple times near Lockhart's Bar, Wulff Road, in May.
For Sands it is the second murder charge he has faced in just over a year, as he was arraigned on charges in connection with the January 2009 Nassau Village shooting of Onando Newbold in February last year and had been released on bail.
After his arraignment on Thursday he was remanded in custody. Police also charged Prince McPhee, 34, of High Vista Estates, last week, in connection with the fatal shooting of murder-accused Bradley Ferguson in Sequoia Street, Pinewood Gardens, on Saturday June 26.
Ferguson had been acquitted of murder charges earlier this year, having been accused of killing pregnant Rosemary Bennett-Wright and her five-year-old son Jakeel Wright in March 2002, as well as of the attempted murders of Devonna Brown and Omega Fox.
Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and his team stopped near Ferguson's home during their procession through Pinewood, which is within site of the crossroads where seven murders had occurred in recent memory - including the double murder of a mother and son in January last year.
But police did not make clear whether this unmarked road - first said to be Sequoia Street and then Avocado Street - was also the place where Ferguson - armed with a handgun and bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds - forced himself into the parked car of a mother and her three children and severely traumatised the whole family before he became the country's 47th homicide victim last Saturday.
Mr Greenslade spoke to people in the strip-mall business places on that corner in an effort to reassure upstanding members of the community that police were doing their utmost to prevent violent crimes, but he also had to remind the suffering public there is only so much he and his men can do.
With the criminal justice system bursting with a whopping 257 murder cases pending as of April this year - and areas of the prison also oversubscribed - the crime level is more than just a policing issue.
As Mr Greenslade said in his roundabout way - there are other executive bodies to also be held accountable.
Just last week Magistrate Carolita Bethel granted $10,000 bail to a suspect arraigned on several serious charges, including the shooting of a child in Pinewood Gardens two weeks ago.
Pinewood resident Tyson Deveaux, was charged in connection with the shooting of a four-year-old boy in Brazilletta Street, on June 14, an incident in which he also was shot.
He had previously been accused of the murder of Marlon Smith on April 19, 2009, and was also accused of the murder of Corrie Bethel on May 10, 2007.
When he was first arraigned on June 18, Deveaux was remanded in custody by Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez.
But when he reappeared before Magistrate Bethel, facing two additional firearms possession charges in connection with the Pinewood shooting on June 24, he was freed on $10,000 bail with two sureties - one being that he had to surrender his travel documents to ensure he stayed in the country.
Why the suspect in connection with such a serious succession of crimes was granted bail by a magistrate regarded as one of the strictest in Nassau's court system is not known, but the public has no choice but to welcome him back into their communities until he returns to court on August 14 for the rest of his future to be decided - or adjourned.
Because if some of them are not welcomed with open arms, the fear is that by resisting their return we will become the next bloody mess, and murder victim number 48, 49 or 50 - no small number for halfway through the year.
The Commissioner was right when he said their bail release is very powerful indeed.
Perhaps this is why Bahamians are so "tolerant" as the Commissioner said.
"I am very concerned that we as Bahamians are so tolerant," said Mr Greenslade.
"We cannot allow young Bahamian men to continue to walk the streets of our country 24/7 with illegal weapons, selling drugs in our communities, and poisoning our children.
"That's not a policing problem - that's a Bahamian problem.
"If a person is walking our streets on bail and believes he or she is above everybody else, I don't know how policing will prevent that.
"It's very important that all Bahamians report these matters.
"This is about all of us as Bahamians saying 'enough is enough'."
I am certain for many of those who heard or read his statements genuinely feel "enough is enough" whether they have experienced murder and violent crime directly, read about them daily in the newspapers, or choose to avoid the news altogether in an effort to protect themselves from having to digest the unsavoury facts.
I am sure the residents of Pinewood who were intrigued by the uniformed police chiefs parading through the area, but were too intimidated - either by the police officers themselves or the criminals living in their neighbourhoods - to speak to Mr Greenslade and his colleagues, have had enough of the crime.
Who wants to live in a community where you are afraid to speak out?
Where if you witness a murder, you could be the next victim?
Perhaps it is a situation people have become used to, but surely it's not the lifestyle of choice - and, yes, you do have one.
Unfortunately the intimidation of witnesses has become so common it may seem to be the only way of going about things.
As suspects' families celebrate the homecoming of their bailed loved-ones, witnesses of crimes that the suspects may or may not have been involved in, cower in their homes and lock their doors.
Pinewood mother Maria Scott lost her son Marcian Clarke, 31, four years ago. He was shot dead outside their Willow Tree Avenue home in Pinewood Gardens shortly before he was due to testify as a key witness in the murder of his former police patrol partner.
It's hardly surprising that after his partner was killed Mr Clarke left the police force for a job at Atlantis, but changing jobs was not enough to leave the front-line.
As a key witness, even his own efforts and the efforts of police could not protect him.
And with the recent case of Mr Davis's killing, it's little wonder people are so unwilling to come forward when it comes to informing the police.
As a reporter I have walked through neighbourhoods in Pinewood, off Wulff Road or East Street, to try to talk to residents about the latest crime, and the dozens of people sitting around who may or may not know something about it will not say a word.
Sometimes an unwary child will point me in the right direction, or divulge some interesting details, and very occasionally someone bold enough to speak out will do so.
But the long and short of it is - they do not feel safe to appear to be on the right side of the law.
Just as witnesses in murder cases whose names appear on court dockets and are called to testify in court may be vulnerable to freedom-hungry predators with blood on their hands, anyone who happens to see one of the dozens of cold-blooded killings committed in public places, and often in broad daylight, is also exposed to the vulnerability of a witness.
Ways of protecting witnesses could be worked out - by removing their names from the dockets, and having them sign a sworn statement rather than appear in court.
Ways of protecting people from bailed suspects could also be maintained by keeping enough officers on foot patrols in neighbourhoods to ensure the criminals are the ones who are cowering and not the law-abiding citizens.
This simple suggestion was put to me by a pair of bright young men who spoke candidly about Pinewood, the home they know and love, as a place neglected by anyone with the power to change it, as it lies hidden from critical eyes in some central south-eastern area of New Providence to be visited only by those who live there.
They brushed off the police "walkabout" as a PR exercise that would not change the problems of their community, because under the scorching mid-morning sun, there is little criminal activity for them to survey in Pinewood Park.
The officers need to be there on the streets day and night if they are going to maximize police efforts to stop the bloodshed; then even if the criminals are going to be freed on bail, at least they will not get the opportunity to strike again.
As Mr Greenslade said, without these "evil-hearted" individuals the neighbourhoods would be safe, so the balance has to be altered to bring it back to the good.
Young people in Pinewood want more resources to be given to community groups, or invested in the beautification of the community, and they need positive role models.
They criticised their FNM MP for not doing enough to support community groups, and for letting community resources fall into disrepair.
And taking the criticism with the sensitivity of an insecure teenager, or a politician, Mr Woodside chose not to return my call to answer questions about why the swings in Pinewood Park hang broken, why the basketball hoop has not been repaired for years, or why the garbage cans are overflowing, and the grass is overgrown and dumping is so common on empty lots, home to rusting abandoned vehicles.
Instead, Mr Woodside released a press statement highlighting what he had done to clean up the area, including spending nearly all of the $200,000 allotted to the community between 2007 and 2009 on community projects, including a clean-up campaign ($34,500).
And to be fair to Mr Woodside, it's not really up to him to baby-sit the children, teenagers and young adults who keep breaking the basketball hoops, or are reluctant to stop tinkering with rusted broken down cars over the decades so new cars may feed off their old parts.
It is also up to the people themselves to ensure the place in which they live is a community.
If Kevin Moss, the 20-year-old Pinewood resident who spoke to me this week, is as passionate about helping the young people in the community as he said he is, surely he can do that without a handout from his MP.
Yes, he needs support, but if the handful of families who want to keep Pinewood crime free can work together, perhaps they can crystallise those common ideals they have for their children and their neighbours' children, and realize those opportunity for the next generation.
By taking their own angle on the fight against crime, through increasing positive activities, showing they are not afraid, and being courageous enough to reclaim their neighbourhoods, they can help improve their communities while the police keep an eye on those system-worn suspects they know to look out for, and court administrators can get to work on addressing that mammoth backlog churning out bailed suspects who put us all at risk.
July 05, 2010
tribune242
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
...disappointed by the Government's decision not to legalise gambling for Bahamians
'Good has come' from $6m Numbers Houses
By CHESTER ROBARDS
Business Reporter
crobards@tribunemedia.net:
Numbers Houses employ up to 3,000 Bahamians directly with an annual payroll of $6 million, and make $1.2 million in per annum charitable donations, a senior executive told Tribune Business yesterday, adding that the sector could become an $80-$100 million industry if legalised.
Making his case for legalising local gambling or playing numbers, Dicrius Ramsey, general manager of Island Luck, said numbers houses have come to employ directly 3,000 individuals - and indirectly 2,000 - a workforce just 3,000 less than the Bahamas' largest private sector employer, Atlantis.
And with government funding slashed to many community organisations, the Numbers Houses have taken over the role and inject as much as $100,000 per month into those organizations.
Mr Ramsey said, though, that many organisations are reluctant to receive their money publicly, as they are afraid of what some in the community might say about the origin of the funds.
"Some people take it on top of the table, some people take it under the table," he said.
Island Luck recently donated to Doris Johnson High School some $9,000 worth of new computers - the first in the school's history, according to Mr Ramsey. He has also personally made $5,000 donations to the Bilney Lane Children's Home and to the Unity Home.
Mr Ramsey argued that the Government has missed out on a substantial revenue source by choosing to not legalise gambling for Bahamians. Yet he added that shutting down the industry would mean a spike in unemployment and severe a revenue stream for countless entities.
He said the four leading numbers houses spend up to $50,000 per month on cable TV bills, $90,000 on electricity costs, and $75,000 on National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions, while creating indirect employment for the upkeep of their establishments.
Mr Ramsey said the four large number houses pay collectively more than $100,000 in rent for their locations, and carry a $500,000 per month payroll.
"You are talking about half a million in payroll alone and 3,000 people employed," he said. "We want serious consideration to call it a local gaming industry, and we are looking for some regulations to be put in place, so it is recognised as a viable entity. I don't know who outside of government has a half-million payroll monthly."
And Mr Ramsey's figures do not take into account the many smaller number houses that dot the islands.
He said those in the industry were disappointed by the Government's decision not to legalise gambling for Bahamians. He called the law that prohibits the practice archaic, and compared the choice to spend disposable income on gambling to the choice to spend money on the purchase of alcoholic beverages.
He argued that gambling does not contribute to the decay of the Bahamas' moral and social fabric, but that alcohol consumption does.
"Nobody can say that the gaming industry is wreaking havoc on the moral and social fabric," said Mr Ramsey. "Our position is that the local gaming industry... who does it really offend?
"We want people to understand this is a business and it is growing, and we want it to be here for a long time with a seal of approval."
Arguments have arisen from both sides of the fence, with some claiming legalised gambling would 'breed poverty', while others claim the extra tax revenues could be the answer to the Government's high debt.
"Good has come from these web shops," said Mr Ramsey. "They are contributing to the cultural development, and as profits continue to exist, I am quite sure the local community will see a lot more giving back because everyone will give back once it is profitable."
July 06, 2010
tribune242
By CHESTER ROBARDS
Business Reporter
crobards@tribunemedia.net:
Numbers Houses employ up to 3,000 Bahamians directly with an annual payroll of $6 million, and make $1.2 million in per annum charitable donations, a senior executive told Tribune Business yesterday, adding that the sector could become an $80-$100 million industry if legalised.
Making his case for legalising local gambling or playing numbers, Dicrius Ramsey, general manager of Island Luck, said numbers houses have come to employ directly 3,000 individuals - and indirectly 2,000 - a workforce just 3,000 less than the Bahamas' largest private sector employer, Atlantis.
And with government funding slashed to many community organisations, the Numbers Houses have taken over the role and inject as much as $100,000 per month into those organizations.
Mr Ramsey said, though, that many organisations are reluctant to receive their money publicly, as they are afraid of what some in the community might say about the origin of the funds.
"Some people take it on top of the table, some people take it under the table," he said.
Island Luck recently donated to Doris Johnson High School some $9,000 worth of new computers - the first in the school's history, according to Mr Ramsey. He has also personally made $5,000 donations to the Bilney Lane Children's Home and to the Unity Home.
Mr Ramsey argued that the Government has missed out on a substantial revenue source by choosing to not legalise gambling for Bahamians. Yet he added that shutting down the industry would mean a spike in unemployment and severe a revenue stream for countless entities.
He said the four leading numbers houses spend up to $50,000 per month on cable TV bills, $90,000 on electricity costs, and $75,000 on National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions, while creating indirect employment for the upkeep of their establishments.
Mr Ramsey said the four large number houses pay collectively more than $100,000 in rent for their locations, and carry a $500,000 per month payroll.
"You are talking about half a million in payroll alone and 3,000 people employed," he said. "We want serious consideration to call it a local gaming industry, and we are looking for some regulations to be put in place, so it is recognised as a viable entity. I don't know who outside of government has a half-million payroll monthly."
And Mr Ramsey's figures do not take into account the many smaller number houses that dot the islands.
He said those in the industry were disappointed by the Government's decision not to legalise gambling for Bahamians. He called the law that prohibits the practice archaic, and compared the choice to spend disposable income on gambling to the choice to spend money on the purchase of alcoholic beverages.
He argued that gambling does not contribute to the decay of the Bahamas' moral and social fabric, but that alcohol consumption does.
"Nobody can say that the gaming industry is wreaking havoc on the moral and social fabric," said Mr Ramsey. "Our position is that the local gaming industry... who does it really offend?
"We want people to understand this is a business and it is growing, and we want it to be here for a long time with a seal of approval."
Arguments have arisen from both sides of the fence, with some claiming legalised gambling would 'breed poverty', while others claim the extra tax revenues could be the answer to the Government's high debt.
"Good has come from these web shops," said Mr Ramsey. "They are contributing to the cultural development, and as profits continue to exist, I am quite sure the local community will see a lot more giving back because everyone will give back once it is profitable."
July 06, 2010
tribune242
Tension in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Assembly failure to meet regularly
Senior PLPs butt heads
By JUAN McCARTNEY ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ juan@nasguard.com:
Tension has erupted in the Progressive Liberal Party over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Assembly's failure to meet regularly and shed light on how the Ingraham administration is spending the public's finances, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
The party's national chairman Bradley Roberts has reportedly criticized the party members for not taking the job seriously.
He reportedly believes opposition members — who hold the majority on the committee — are missing key opportunities to hold the government's feet to the fire as it relates to public spending.
The PAC is responsible for auditing government accounts and ensuring that money designated for public spending is being properly managed.
The Nassau Guardian understands that Roberts has threatened to take on this issue at the PLP's National General Council's next meeting.
The Guardian also understands that former chairman Glenys Hanna-Martin has taken exception to the criticism levied by Roberts on this matter.
Chief Clerk Maurice Tynes said the PAC is obligated to report to the House of Assembly at the end of every parliamentary session. He noted that Parliament was prorogued earlier this year, however, the group did not present a report.
PAC, which is chaired by Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage, has reportedly not met since the new team was appointed.
Other members of the PAC include Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, St. Thomas More MP Frank Smith, South Abaco MP Edison Key and Pineridge MP Kwasi Thompson.
Smith said last night the committee has not met "in a little while" and he could not say when it will meet again.
It is reportedly Roberts' contention that the opposition is missing key opportunities to expose any shortcomings that may exist related to the public purse and how money is being disbursed.
Roberts said last night he had no comment on the matter. Nottage could not be reached.
The Guardian understands that several other issues have caused contention among the upper echelon of the party. Recently memos were circulated within the party by its top brass to parliamentary members warning them to bring their public disclosure filings up to date, according to inside sources. The party has also recently expressed internal concern that PLP leader Perry Christie failed to spend the $200,000 allotted for MPs to spend in their constituencies in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 budgets.
The tension comes as the PLP seeks to get a jump on the upcoming elections.
The PLP has recently named several candidates that it proposes to run in the upcoming elections.
July 6, 2010
thenassauguardian
By JUAN McCARTNEY ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ juan@nasguard.com:
Tension has erupted in the Progressive Liberal Party over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Assembly's failure to meet regularly and shed light on how the Ingraham administration is spending the public's finances, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
The party's national chairman Bradley Roberts has reportedly criticized the party members for not taking the job seriously.
He reportedly believes opposition members — who hold the majority on the committee — are missing key opportunities to hold the government's feet to the fire as it relates to public spending.
The PAC is responsible for auditing government accounts and ensuring that money designated for public spending is being properly managed.
The Nassau Guardian understands that Roberts has threatened to take on this issue at the PLP's National General Council's next meeting.
The Guardian also understands that former chairman Glenys Hanna-Martin has taken exception to the criticism levied by Roberts on this matter.
Chief Clerk Maurice Tynes said the PAC is obligated to report to the House of Assembly at the end of every parliamentary session. He noted that Parliament was prorogued earlier this year, however, the group did not present a report.
PAC, which is chaired by Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage, has reportedly not met since the new team was appointed.
Other members of the PAC include Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, St. Thomas More MP Frank Smith, South Abaco MP Edison Key and Pineridge MP Kwasi Thompson.
Smith said last night the committee has not met "in a little while" and he could not say when it will meet again.
It is reportedly Roberts' contention that the opposition is missing key opportunities to expose any shortcomings that may exist related to the public purse and how money is being disbursed.
Roberts said last night he had no comment on the matter. Nottage could not be reached.
The Guardian understands that several other issues have caused contention among the upper echelon of the party. Recently memos were circulated within the party by its top brass to parliamentary members warning them to bring their public disclosure filings up to date, according to inside sources. The party has also recently expressed internal concern that PLP leader Perry Christie failed to spend the $200,000 allotted for MPs to spend in their constituencies in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 budgets.
The tension comes as the PLP seeks to get a jump on the upcoming elections.
The PLP has recently named several candidates that it proposes to run in the upcoming elections.
July 6, 2010
thenassauguardian
How Perry Christie could have spent that $200k constituency allowance
How Christie could have spent that $200k for his constituency
NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
RESIDENTS of Farm Road and Centerville - the constituency represented by opposition leader Perry Christie - have many ideas about how $200,000 could be spent in their area.
Some community members were unaware of the funds available to their representative. Others said they had a "big problem" with it.
"I was trying to figure out what he was doing with the money a long time ago. I do have a problem with it. I would like to see them add a playground for the children. Put computers in the community centre; put a building up for the after school programme so the children don't have to work out in the yard," said Janice Farrington, a Farm Road resident.
Between 2007 and 2009, Mr Christie spent only $31,000 of a possible $200,000 worth of funds in his constituency allowance. The accumulated money rolled over three years, but was set to be redistributed when the 2009/2010 budget year ended Wednesday. Minister of State Zhivargo Laing said that due to the government's tight fiscal position, constituency allowances were not being rolled over.
Given the politics of Farm Road and Centerville, a constituency member said the actions of Mr Christie would not affect him politically, because there is a strong allegiance to the Progressive Liberal Party.
One resident said even if the money were spent, community members would still question what the money was spent on. Depending on where it was spent the question of favouritsm might arise. He said unless the residents received direct benefit from the money, they would likely be indifferent or have complaints.
"No one would even worry themselves about that now, unless the opposition makes a flair of it. They are caught up in the hoopla; they don't even know what the man stands for. They go to rallies to drink and have fun, but they don't follow the issues," said Ras Charlie, a resident in the community, whose family lived there from the 1930s.
He said money could be used to train small business owners in the community, to provide computers and training in computer technology. He said the two local Junknaoo groups, One Family and the Music Makers, would welcome access to the funds. He said local parks were in need of refurbishing, and some schools might need resources.
"People in the community have an attachment to the party. He is the face of the party, but really whoever is the party leader it is the party they support. They say he is still a weak leader. They admit that amongst themselves, but they will still support him because they support the party," said Ras Charlie.
Before the cut off date, Mr Christie submitted requests for the funds to be used to purchase interactive whiteboards, desks, projectors and other items to benefit local schools.
Mr Christie said he made a request in 2008 for the funds to be used to purchase a plot of land next to the Joe Billy/Blind Blake Park in Fowler Street, as well as property near the Hay Street Park and the Sunlight Village Park. He did not confirm the status of the request until The Tribune broke the news that his funds were in jeopardy of being reallocated by the government.
Community members said they recalled hearing about Mr Christie trying to purchase land to expand the parks, but that was a "long time ago."
Mr Christie admitted that the did not feel rushed to spend the allowance because "he was assured that the money would be carried over."
"Plenty people are not aware of it. If you tell them now, they would be trying to figure out what you are talking about. I would use the $200,000 to hire small time workers from the ghetto to redo the bathrooms in the park, not big time contractors. Get the people from the ghetto who have skills and put them to work," said Mr Sears, a constituency member.
"I would use the money to fix up people's houses: change boards, fix the roofs, put bathrooms on. Some people still do not have bathrooms on their houses. That is what people want. For years they were supposed to build a concrete concession stand for the park a long time ago. They were supposed to take down the fence and build a wall," said Mr Sears.
July 05, 2010
tribune242
NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net:
RESIDENTS of Farm Road and Centerville - the constituency represented by opposition leader Perry Christie - have many ideas about how $200,000 could be spent in their area.
Some community members were unaware of the funds available to their representative. Others said they had a "big problem" with it.
"I was trying to figure out what he was doing with the money a long time ago. I do have a problem with it. I would like to see them add a playground for the children. Put computers in the community centre; put a building up for the after school programme so the children don't have to work out in the yard," said Janice Farrington, a Farm Road resident.
Between 2007 and 2009, Mr Christie spent only $31,000 of a possible $200,000 worth of funds in his constituency allowance. The accumulated money rolled over three years, but was set to be redistributed when the 2009/2010 budget year ended Wednesday. Minister of State Zhivargo Laing said that due to the government's tight fiscal position, constituency allowances were not being rolled over.
Given the politics of Farm Road and Centerville, a constituency member said the actions of Mr Christie would not affect him politically, because there is a strong allegiance to the Progressive Liberal Party.
One resident said even if the money were spent, community members would still question what the money was spent on. Depending on where it was spent the question of favouritsm might arise. He said unless the residents received direct benefit from the money, they would likely be indifferent or have complaints.
"No one would even worry themselves about that now, unless the opposition makes a flair of it. They are caught up in the hoopla; they don't even know what the man stands for. They go to rallies to drink and have fun, but they don't follow the issues," said Ras Charlie, a resident in the community, whose family lived there from the 1930s.
He said money could be used to train small business owners in the community, to provide computers and training in computer technology. He said the two local Junknaoo groups, One Family and the Music Makers, would welcome access to the funds. He said local parks were in need of refurbishing, and some schools might need resources.
"People in the community have an attachment to the party. He is the face of the party, but really whoever is the party leader it is the party they support. They say he is still a weak leader. They admit that amongst themselves, but they will still support him because they support the party," said Ras Charlie.
Before the cut off date, Mr Christie submitted requests for the funds to be used to purchase interactive whiteboards, desks, projectors and other items to benefit local schools.
Mr Christie said he made a request in 2008 for the funds to be used to purchase a plot of land next to the Joe Billy/Blind Blake Park in Fowler Street, as well as property near the Hay Street Park and the Sunlight Village Park. He did not confirm the status of the request until The Tribune broke the news that his funds were in jeopardy of being reallocated by the government.
Community members said they recalled hearing about Mr Christie trying to purchase land to expand the parks, but that was a "long time ago."
Mr Christie admitted that the did not feel rushed to spend the allowance because "he was assured that the money would be carried over."
"Plenty people are not aware of it. If you tell them now, they would be trying to figure out what you are talking about. I would use the $200,000 to hire small time workers from the ghetto to redo the bathrooms in the park, not big time contractors. Get the people from the ghetto who have skills and put them to work," said Mr Sears, a constituency member.
"I would use the money to fix up people's houses: change boards, fix the roofs, put bathrooms on. Some people still do not have bathrooms on their houses. That is what people want. For years they were supposed to build a concrete concession stand for the park a long time ago. They were supposed to take down the fence and build a wall," said Mr Sears.
July 05, 2010
tribune242
Monday, July 5, 2010
A drug turf war has escalated within New Providence inner city
Drug war has escalated in inner city, say police
By STAFF WRITER ~ Guardian News Desk:
A drug turf war has escalated within the inner city following the death of a notorious drug dealer, according to police sources.
Police have witnessed an upsurge in murders following the drug dealer's death in 2007, as members of his gang have carried out retaliatory killings and the battle for control of the murdered man's turf has waged on in communities off East Street. A significant number of the 87 murders recorded last year were attributed to this turf war, police said, adding that murders outside of the east Street community are also linked to the war.
Some of those murders remain unsolved as law-abiding citizens fear reprisals for cooperating with police. The fear is real with police acknowledging that witnesses have been killed to prevent them from testifying.
However, this year murders related to the inner city have decreased in part because some of the alleged perpetrators are in prison or are dead, sources allege. Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade promised to focus on the 'drug war' when he took office in December 2009.
With 48 murders recorded as of yesterday, the country could record its third murder record in four years.
National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest told the House of Assembly recently that more people who are charged with murder are on bail than on remand at Her Majesty's Prison.
Up to April 30, 130 people charged with murder were on bail and an additional 127 were on remand, according to Turnquest. In total, there are 257 outstanding murder cases.
July 5, 2010
thenassauguardian
By STAFF WRITER ~ Guardian News Desk:
A drug turf war has escalated within the inner city following the death of a notorious drug dealer, according to police sources.
Police have witnessed an upsurge in murders following the drug dealer's death in 2007, as members of his gang have carried out retaliatory killings and the battle for control of the murdered man's turf has waged on in communities off East Street. A significant number of the 87 murders recorded last year were attributed to this turf war, police said, adding that murders outside of the east Street community are also linked to the war.
Some of those murders remain unsolved as law-abiding citizens fear reprisals for cooperating with police. The fear is real with police acknowledging that witnesses have been killed to prevent them from testifying.
However, this year murders related to the inner city have decreased in part because some of the alleged perpetrators are in prison or are dead, sources allege. Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade promised to focus on the 'drug war' when he took office in December 2009.
With 48 murders recorded as of yesterday, the country could record its third murder record in four years.
National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest told the House of Assembly recently that more people who are charged with murder are on bail than on remand at Her Majesty's Prison.
Up to April 30, 130 people charged with murder were on bail and an additional 127 were on remand, according to Turnquest. In total, there are 257 outstanding murder cases.
July 5, 2010
thenassauguardian
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