It's Every Bahamian Duty to Keep The Bahamas Safe

Bahamians Demand and Deserve a Safer Bahamas

Dr. Duane Sands, Chairman of The Free National Movement: The Duty to Keep Bahamians Safe Endures

Last year’s reduction in murders is welcome news in a country that has felt the heavy toll of violent crime.  Any reduction in murder matters, and every life saved matters.  But no Bahamian believes that a single statistic means the work is done.

We can acknowledge progress and still be clear-eyed about reality.  Bahamians want to feel safe walking home, sending their children to school, and going about their daily lives without fear.  That remains the standard by which success must be measured.

A decline in murders, while important, does not on its own mean we have a safer society.  Crime trends can shift quickly if the underlying system remains weak.

Even the Minister of National Security has acknowledged the need to study where crimes occur, when they occur, and who is affected.  That analysis must lead to action because public safety is built on execution, not explanations.

What Bahamians are asking for now is clarity and follow-through: clear priorities, clear timelines, and clear results.  Too often, crime plans are announced but not fully delivered, leaving communities frustrated and victims underserved.

That is why the Free National Movement has put forward a comprehensive 10-point plan to address crime.  Our plan is not a slogan and not a copy.

It is a correction, and focuses on tougher, smarter policing, faster justice, and a public health approach that works to prevent violence before it spreads.  It calls for stronger enforcement against gangs and illegal firearms, improved intelligence-led policing, modern forensic capacity, and real accountability across the justice system.

Any serious crime strategy must also confront sexual violence head-on.  Reported sexual offences continue to rise, disproportionately affecting women and children.  Protecting them must be central to national security.

Laws alone are not enough.  Survivors must be supported, believed, and protected, and cases must move quickly through the system.  The continued absence of a national forensic lab, leaving victims waiting months for DNA testing, is unacceptable.

Public confidence also depends on capacity.  Visible policing, adequate manpower, modern tools, and an efficient court system are essential if gains are to be sustained.  Without them, progress risks being temporary.

Bahamians do not want a victory lap.  They want solutions.  If murders are trending down, that is a positive step.  But safety cannot be seasonal, and it cannot depend on short-term measures.  The duty to keep Bahamians safe endures, and it demands serious leadership, real investment, and decisive action.