Ingraham, crime and the FNM’s election chances
thenassauguardian editorial
The focus of the entire country appears to be on crime. Bahamians are concerned that we are days away from a third homicide record in four years. More and more Bahamians are either telling stories about being victims of crime, or of close friends and relatives being attacked or robbed.
Hubert Ingraham is seeking a fourth mandate. If successful, it would mean he would have ruled this archipelago for 20 years. In 1992, few would have dreamed he would attempt this based on his criticism of Sir Lynden Pindling’s long 25-year stay.
If he is to reach the mark of 20 years as prime minister, Ingraham has to fight through a crime problem that cannot be won by executing a well thought out communications strategy. He and the Free National Movement (FNM) will need successes in 2011.
There appear to be two main problems, on the response side of the equation, fueling the crime surge in The Bahamas.
On the one hand, the national system of prosecution has become dysfunctional. When crimes are committed there must be competent investigations by police, efficient case management by prosecutors and proper trial management by the judiciary.
Our police have not been producing the best cases, our prosecutors have prosecuted little and we do not have enough criminal courts.
The government seems to agree with this analysis.
It has changed leadership at the Royal Bahamas Police Force and at the Department of Public Prosecutions. It is also providing the funding and legislative change necessasry for more courts to begin hearing cases.
But for these changes to lead to the desired results, there must be someone with the strength of will present overseeing the justice system as a whole to ensure they work. That person would also need to have the capacity and energy to ensure other necessary reforms occur.
Both the FNM and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) have a laissez faire attitude towards crime. The parties assume that the bureaucrats can deal with the problem. The parties must realize they cannot. Many of the institutions of government left by the British have not been evolved by our post-Independence leaders.
In fact, through years and years of cronyism, they have been eroded. Wholesale reform is needed. And a leader, passionate about the problem and competent enough to fix it, must be found.
The second problem relates to the state lack of willingness to use the necessary type of force when faced with crisis. On Monday night police shot and killed Walden Mitchell, 38, in the rear of the Grove Police Station.
Mitchell had gone on a little crime spree of sorts in the days preceeding his death. This included trying to kill a police officer. Police sourced also said Mitchell sent them a message that he was armed and ready.
What police did in response was what needed to be done. Mitchell was found and eliminated. There are others who need to be found and eliminated.
If the state would use those same officers who so skillfully eliminated Mitchell to find and eliminate some of the hit men, armed home invaders and robbers that are wrecking havoc in The Bahamas, the crime rate would begin to decline.
The state is not as feared as it used to be. People are rioting in front of police stations and attacking senior police officers. People are breaking into police stations and courts. Our leaders must find the courage to sanction what is necessary to push back against those who only understand force.
The saving grace for Ingraham and the FNM is that the PLP has no answers to the crime problem and the electorate knows this. However, voters usually voice their frustrations against incumbents. If “Papa” is to win his forth term, maintaining the status quo on the crime front will not work.
The PLP has the luxury of issuing statements rambling on and on about the crime problem because it is not in power. The FNM has to deliver solutions now because it is the government.
11/24/2010
thenassauguardian editorial
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