To address our crime problem comprehensively, we must address our way of life comprehensively... But we haven’t the will

Gangster’s Paradise Part 2

By Ian G. Strachan

This week we continue our series on crime in The Bahamas.  It seems fitting to take stock of the research and consultative work that Bahamians have already undertaken. We will work backwards about 20 years, with reports we have easy access to.

We begin with Police Sergeant Chaswell Hanna’s 2011 study, “Reducing Murders in The Bahamas: A Strategic Plan Based on Empirical Research” (available at 62foundation.org/resources).  These are among the more interesting facts and observations made by Hanna.

First, the murder rate for the past 12 years (I have added the last two years):  2000-74; 2001-43; 2002-52; 2003-50; 2004-44; 2005-52; 2006-61; 2007-78; 2008-72; 2009-79; 2010-94; 2011-109 so far.

Between 2005 and 2009, the period Hanna studies most closely, 13 percent of murders involved domestic violence, 18 percent took place during robberies, eight percent happened outside or in bars and night clubs and 61 percent involved a firearm.

Hanna notes that of the 349 classified murders between 2005 and 2009, police were only able to build 243 cases – 231 charges were filed but only 130 murder cases were sent to the Supreme Court.  Only 34 cases were completed in the time frame and there were 10 murder convictions, eight manslaughter convictions and zero executions.

So for cases that actually were completed, there was a 53 percent conviction rate.  But of the 349 classified murders between 2005 and 2009, only 37 percent resulted in a trial.  And, so far, only five percent of murders resulted in someone being convicted of either murder or manslaughter.  To put this another way, 95 percent of the murders during this period remain unpunished.  This is despite the fact that police believe they have identified the murder suspect 73 percent of the time between 2005 and 2009.  Hanna claims that 54 percent of murder suspects offered a full or partial confession.

Hanna noted that “most local murder incidents in New Providence occurred in communities where annual household incomes fell below the island’s average.  This indicates that preventive strategies aimed at particular offenses ought to be complemented by, and complementary to, broader long-term initiatives to address poverty and social exclusion.”

There’s more.  He adds: “Findings in this study revealed that 46 percent of persons charged with murder [2005-2009] had prior criminal records involving violence.  In fact, 15 percent of these suspects had been previously charged with another murder.  Further analysis disclosed that 34 percent of persons charged with murder during the study period were on bail.”

 

Previous crime reports

From Hanna’s report we move to the 2008 National Advisory Council on Crime Report (available at 62foundation.org/resources).  The council was headed by Bishop Simeon Hall.  This report makes an array of recommendations from the standpoint of policing, the judicial system, incarceration and rehabilitation and prevention.  In addition to calling on government to encourage and assist citizens to establish voluntary crime watch programs, such as the citizens on patrol program and to expand the educational, vocational and entrepreneurial projects and programs currently being taught at the prison, inclusive of the training of personnel, the report pays particular attention to youth development.  It calls on government to:

• Strengthen and/or develop community centers and national afterschool programs.

• Strengthen rehabilitative services for all special populations – youth, disabled, substance abusers and persons diagnosed with mental illnesses by the use of multidisciplinary support teams.

• Promote positive lifestyles and culture for young people.

• Ensure the wider dissemination of information on youth organizations, programs and services.

• Strengthen the national educational curriculum to instill a greater sense of national pride and self-esteem in young people.

• Significantly raise the standards and performance of our education system and our nation’s students.

• Support and/or expand existing parental training.

• Strengthen and make mandatory the family life studies program in all schools.

Thirteen years earlier, in 1998, Burton Hall, David Allen, Simeon Hall, Jessica Minnis and others submitted the National Commission on Crime Report.  I have a particular interest in the following points made by the team, although these are only a fraction of the ones made:

• The incidence of “domestic violence” throughout The Bahamas is of such a level as to be a cause for grave concern among all residents, and innovative measures are required to cure this plague which replicates its consequences among succeeding generations.

• Commissioners are of the view that the reversal of our present problems begins with the elementary need to teach people how to parent.

• Commissioners add their voices to the lament of the small number of men who have remained as teachers in the system.  This problem tends to perpetuate itself in that young men, seeing teaching as “womens’ work,” would not be inclined to themselves become teachers.  The reasons for this are complex, and obviously tied up in the question of remuneration.

• New Providence is filthy.  That is the stark reality ... squalid surroundings strongly suggest a mentality conducive to other forms of anti-social activities, extending even to criminal behavior.

• We have no evidence that Haitians are, as a people, any more prone to violent or criminal behavior than are other peoples, including Bahamians.

• While a number of churches have developed community centers and host, for example, afterschool homework quarters, it appears to us that the physical facilities controlled by various churches remain largely underutilized.

The 1998 report revealed that really, nothing much had changed since the Consultative Committee on National Youth Development, led by Drexel Gomez, shared its findings in 1994.  Among many other things, it called on government to:

• Discontinue social promotion and, at the same time, produce alternative programs for under-achievers.

• Establish a training/research center for teachers to provide ongoing monitoring of the educational system with appropriate emphasis on the social, emotional and cognitive needs of Bahamian youth.

• Provide ... special incentives to males to enter the teaching profession.  Our committee considers that the virtual absence of male members of staff in the primary system is adversely impacting on the performance of male members of the student body.  Our committee is also of the view that this matter should be addressed as a national emergency requiring special measures to alter the present imbalance.

• Commission the Department of Statistics to conduct a youth labor survey

• [Initiate] A “Media Summit” at which the government and all social partners, particularly the media, advertisers and sponsors, will be invited to consider a national policy on the media and to identify ways and means to establish stronger indigenous media.

• [Cause] The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas [to] place special emphasis on the production of appropriate youth programs for television and radio.

• Encourage sponsorship of local educational programs by the creation of fiscal incentives.

• [Encourage] The private sector to promote and sponsor productions that convey a sense of Bahamian identity.

• [Develop] Community centers at the neighborhood level or constituency level.

The committee wishes to recommend that community centers be established as part of the fabric of each community to assist young people and adults with lifelong skills and personal enrichment programs.  Such facilities can rekindle the sense of community participation and cooperation among the people who must take charge of their communities.  The strategy employed by the government to ensure that at least a park is in each constituency throughout The Bahamas is an important step in the right direction. Equally important is the need for a policy decision to ensure that a community center is part of each community.

 

What have we done with this research?

More on this final note.  The committee envisioned that these centers would develop programs to “satisfy the educational, social, economic, spiritual, cultural, sporting, civic and community service needs.  Additionally, areas of day care, children’s programs, afterschool programs, teen programs, school drop-outs and adult education and senior citizens activities can be provided at the community center.  The goal should be to establish a community center in each neighborhood or settlement.”

Of course, former MP Edmund Moxey tried to model this in Coconut Grove as far back as the late 1960s and early 1970s, with his Coconut Grove Community Centre on Crooked Island Street and the now demolished, but not forgotten, Jumbey Village.

These initiatives involved a high level of community effort.  Sir Lynden Pindling is credited with calling for national service in the 1980s, but this idea was being advanced in his cabinet by men like Moxey from the nation’s first years.  Sir Lynden bulldozed and starved Moxey’s dream to death.  And in the 44 years since majority rule, I know of no other effort like the Coconut Grove initiatives by any church, state or civic group.

Why haven’t we acted on these recommendations as common sense as so many of them are?  What are we waiting for?  The people’s anguished call for the blood of the murderer will continue to go unanswered.  There will be no shortcut to peace and prosperity.  The hangman’s noose won’t save us.  The policeman cannot be everywhere at all times.  The prison cells cannot hold all the people who need to be confined, disciplined and punished.  There will be no shortcut to commonwealth.  To address our crime problem comprehensively, we must address our way of life comprehensively.  But we haven’t the will.

More next week.

Oct 31, 2011

Gangster’s Paradise Part 3

Gangster’s Paradise Part 1

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

The government is expected to unveil changes to the Bail Act when the House of Assembly reconvenes... ... it is still hard for Bahamians to understand why so many dangerous criminals are out on bail, mocking our system of justice and terrorizing us in our homes and in our businesses

Bahamians want action on bail

thenassauguardian editorial

It would appear that a public spat has erupted between the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest and Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett, over the effectiveness of the country’s judicial system.

Last week, Minister Turnquest repeated a statement he made in the past that criminals must be kept behind bars, and said that if judges were elected officials some of them would be run out of town.

Turnquest said that while he has no wish to encroach on the independence of the judicial system, in his opinion some judges have been far too “liberal” when it comes to granting bail to career criminals and those accused of serious offenses — and he believes the police and the public agree with him.

Sir Michael hit back hard. He described Turnquest’s criticisms as unfortunate. “I am always concerned when people attack the judiciary because persons have to be careful in what they say, so as not to undermine the public confidence in those of us who serve in judicial office,” Sir Michael said.

The Chief Justice stressed that judges are independent and do not make decisions based on public sentiment; and are aware of what goes on in society.

Sir Michael makes a good point, and perhaps Minister Turnquest should have chosen his words more carefully, but that does not erase the challenges faced by the judiciary and the impact those challenges are having on the country’s crime problem.

The government and Minister Turnquest should be commended for implementing the electronic monitoring bracelet system, which it is hoped will go a long way in preventing suspects from re-offending.

But it is still hard for Bahamians to understand why so many dangerous criminals are out on bail, mocking our system of justice and terrorizing us in our homes and in our businesses.

Our murder count - now over 100 - would have been lower over the past several years if a number of those out on bail were still in custody.

The country has now recorded four record-breaking murder counts in five years. And we are on pace to far outstrip last year’s record of 94.

The government is expected to unveil changes to the Bail Act when the House of Assembly reconvenes next month.

We hope these changes meet the needs of the country.

We are also eager to hear what Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has to say in his upcoming national address on crime.

In addition to the questions over why so many dangerous criminals are out on bail, there is also still a great deal of confusion surrounding the rulings of the Privy Council and how they have impacted our judicial process.

A ruling by the Privy Council in which it held that it would be cruel and inhumane to execute someone under the sentence of death for more than five years has had unintended consequences, mostly arising from how unprepared our national leadership was to deal with such a momentous ruling.

Bahamians want and deserve a better explanation in terms of the various issues surrounding the matter of bail. But, more importantly, they are demanding action, arising out of fear for their very lives and livelihoods.

Sep 26, 2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

Suggestions for lowering crime in The Bahamas

Limiting the number of children a woman can have 'could fight crime'

tribune242




LIMITING the number of children a woman can have to two could be one way of fighting the growing crime problem, a panel hosted by the New Covenant Baptist Church suggested.

The proposal is one of more than a dozen that the group presented to those attending a community meeting at the East West Highway church last night. The meeting was held to get public input on ways to curb the escalating murder rate.

Bishop Simeon Hall, who did not come up with the suggestion, said such a policy could be instrumental in limiting the number of unwanted children in the country - who often end up as statistics or in penal institutions.

"The person who proffered that idea is suggesting that at the core of our social problems is the indiscriminate way Bahamian women have children - now obviously women can't have children by themselves so the blanket statement (should be) the indiscriminate way we have children," said Bishop Hall, pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church.

"Since the majority of our children are born to unwed parents, we need to look at the unwed parents who have the children and just lean on the rest of society to care for the children.

"What we are saying is in the long term, a child who is born to parents who didn't want them and is left to rear himself, he is likely to become a statistic so there is some merit to that (idea)," he told The Tribune.

The panel's other suggestions for lowering crime include:

* carry out capital punishment;
* give life sentences without the possibility of parole to more classes of convict;
* institute a national curfew for minors;
* bring foreign officers into the Royal Bahamas Police Force;
* remove the Privy Council as the highest court of appeal;
* charge parents in connection with the minor criminal offences committed by their children;
* radically restructure the country's educational system.

August 05, 2011

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

Our governing party appears to be overwhelmed by the crime problem and the opposition seems to have no solutions to it

The third party and a crime plan

thenassauguardian editorial



More murders have happened in the first seven months of this year than during any other such period in the history of the modern Bahamas. Most of us, however, were still shocked by the news of the triple homicide that took place in southwestern New Providence Saturday morning. Two women and a man were murdered in what police suspect was a retaliation killing for previous killings.

The Bahamas is averaging around 12 homicides per month. On this pace, by the end of 2011 the murder count would be 145 in a country of only 350,000. This would be the fourth homicide record in The Bahamas in five years and the homicide rate in the country would be 41 per 100,000 population. This rate is eight times above the desired international rate of five per 100,000 population.

The governing party has a problem on the crime front. Homicide records have been set in all but one of the years of its five-year term. It has announced many new initiatives and brought on new personnel. Yet, the killings keep happening more frequently. It is hard to imagine what success could be reasonably claimed during the general election campaign by the Free National Movement (FNM) on the issue of crime.

The opposition also has a problem. It is stuck in the past. Whenever Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie talks about crime he keeps mentioning the police-led urban renewal program his administration championed. That urban renewal program would not have stopped the triple homicide on Saturday morning. And Bahamians know Christie’s repeated references to urban renewal only make him appear out of touch with the realities of the modern Bahamas when it comes to crime.

So with a governing party whose crime fighting measures, thus far, have been unable to reduce the homicide rate in our country, and an opposition that is stuck in the past, there is room for the third party to present a crime message Bahamians will at least listen to.

The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) should realize that crime is issue number one for Bahamians. Many feel as if the two main parties collectively are at a loss as to what to do to bring order to our streets and order to our criminal justice system. In an effort to appease a frustrated public, police charge people often with killings and robberies, but few of these people spend long terms in prison for the offenses they commit.

If Branville McCartney and his party continue to speak intelligently and constantly about the crime issue, with spokespeople such as attorney Wayne Munroe, more and more people will perceive the party as a group that is at least in touch with the main concern of the people.

Some in our country argue that bad people are killing bad people. Some senior politicians have said this. Many of the killings this year have been as a result of feuds between criminals. Our streets, however, are not war zones and no group should be so unafraid of the state that it openly conducts its business of murder while police officers simply collect the bodies. Our politicians and police should also not think that it is less important if killings result from criminal feuds. If those criminals today are not afraid of killing each other openly without being punished, one day soon they will feel so empowered that they will attack the public officials charged with capturing, prosecuting or sentencing them.

Order must be restored and our law enforcement officers must be able to intervene in these conflicts when they begin so that the first murder or attempted murder is the last.

Bahamians do not accept that we should just sit passively by and watch our country become increasingly violent. Our governing party seems overwhelmed by the crime problem and the opposition seems to have no solutions. The Bahamas needs a crime plan and a group capable and interested enough to carry it out. The new guys have an opportunity here. They should seize the moment.

Aug 02, 2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

...no end is in sight to high crime rates in The Bahamas, said a United States Embassy in Nassau February 2009 confidential cable titled “Bahamas: Crime concerns simmer as economy softens”

'National anxiety' over crime travel advisory


By BRENT DEAN
Deputy News Editor
thenassauguardian
brentldean@nasguard.com


The United States Embassy in Nassau closely monitors the crime situation in The Bahamas, noting the potential for a “high-profile violent crime tragedy” and resultant media disaster as a result of the high rate of crime in the country. It is also very aware of the immense fear many Bahamians have of the issuance of a travel advisory by the U.S. government, according to several cables in the WikiLeaks cache obtained by The Nassau Guardian.

“Against the background of economic crisis, the crime numbers, trends, and daily headlines, as well as the expressions of concern about the state of society, all indicate that no end is in sight to high crime rates in The Bahamas,” said the February 2009 confidential cable titled, “Bahamas: Crime concerns simmer as economy softens”.

There have been three homicide records in The Bahamas the last four years, and in 2011 the country is on pace for a fourth such record in five years.

Over the last five years, armed robberies have trended up towards the highs of the mid-1990s. In the property crime category the 2010 police report reveals other disturbing trends. The 3,120 housebreakings recorded were the most in the country since 1998 (3,165).

The Free National Movement (FNM) administration has done much to try to fix the crime problem. Along with refurbishing the courts, there have been three commissioners of police, two chief justices, four attorneys general and two directors of public prosecutions during this term.

The government has also spent millions of dollars buying new equipment for police; it has introduced a plea bargaining system; it has amended the Juries Act reducing the number of jurors from 12 to nine in non-capital cases; and it has put in place an electronic monitoring system for accused offenders.

Despite all of these measures, the crime problem has not improved.

In the December 2007 unclassified/for official use only cable, ‘Bahamas grapples with sharp rise in violent crime’, the embassy noted that that Juries Act amendment alone, which was implemented before the other measures mentioned, would not fix the Bahamian crime problem.

“No recent initiative, including the Juries Act amendment, is likely to make an immediate impact on the crime rate as long as the criminal justice system effectively puts indicted criminals back on the street to commit more crimes,” said the cable.

“Without introducing specific measures to monitor suspected offenders out on bail, break the logjam in the courts, or increase or optimize space in the prison to keep violent offenders in and others out, the GCOB (Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas) is unlikely to make much progress in addressing the underlying causes of the latest ‘crime wave’ to shake The Bahamas.”

The government has increasingly made statements indicating that it is working to improve the prosecution system.

Recently, Attorney General John Delaney and Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette-Graham Allen held a news conference explaining that the establishment of a case management unit at their office is expected to result in significant improvements in the administration of justice.

Recent public focus on the crime problem in The Bahamas has shifted to the quality of cases being produced by police and the quality of prosecution by the AG’s Office.

In his new book, “Reducing Murders in The Bahamas: A strategic plan based on empirical research,” police researcher Sergeant Chaswell Hanna reveals that from 2005 to 2009 there were 349 murders recorded and only 10 murder convictions and eight manslaughter convictions.

The Americans realized, based on the cable, that as long as The Bahamas is unable to prosecute and convict those it suspects of committing crimes, the crime problem in the country will continue to worsen.

Effects of the crime problem

The cables reveal that the U.S. does not think The Bahamas is that safe a place.

In a February 2006 unclassified cable, “Country Clearance: For consular management assistance team (CMAT) visit,” the embassy advised its visiting team to be careful in this country.

“Threat analysis: The threat against Americans from political activity is considered low. The threat from criminal elements is high. Incidents of violent crime have risen significantly in The Bahamas during the past few years,” said the cable.

“Travelers should use caution and common sense when moving about the island of New Providence. Visitors should travel in pairs, avoid areas prone to higher crime such as the Over-the-Hill area, and avoid isolated, deserted and/or poorly illuminated areas.”

In a January 2006 unclassified/for official use only cable, the embassy again expressed concern for the safety of its citizens in The Bahamas.

“During Spring Break, sexual assaults against American tourists are extremely high,” said the cable, which added that its Regional Security Office has also stressed the growing pattern of violence to embassy personnel, reminding employees to always be vigilant about their surroundings.

The fear of the American response

There have been several high profile criminal acts in New Providence in recent years, in tourism areas, which have alarmed Bahamians.

The November 2009 robbery of a group of tourists on tour at Earth Village; Sunday’s armed robbery at John Bull in the middle of Downtown Nassau; and the January 2008 murder of teenager Deangelo Cargill at a bus stop, also in Downtown Nassau, are some of the events in such areas that attracted national attention.

Referring to the 2008 Cargill murder, the embassy said in a cable that January, “How the government meets the crime challenge will play an increasingly decisive role in how the public perceives its overall effectiveness.

“This event has brought home to the Cabinet that it has no higher priority than beating back the surge in crime before the violence begins to impact The Bahamas' tourism-dependent economy.”

In these cables on crime the Americans do not seem to be near to taking a decision to publicly intervene and apply full pressure on the Bahamian government to accelerate worthwhile reforms to the local criminal justice system.

The U.S. already assists The Bahamas in significant ways regarding law enforcement — most noticeably through funding and manpower via Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands.

The U.S. does understand, however, that Bahamians have an extreme fear of the issuance of a travel advisory informing Americans that The Bahamas is not a place they should travel to.

In that same 2008 cable after the murder of Cargill, listed as unclassified/for official use only, the embassy described the fear of such an advisory as a “national anxiety.”

“The downtown killing at the peak of the afternoon rush hour prompted renewed concern in the public and press about the potential issuance of a travel advisory or warning by the U.S. Embassy — an almost compulsive anxiety within the tourist-dependent island,” said the cable.

“In fact, the media have speculated for months, as the murder tally rose, over such an announcement and its potential negative effects on the all-important tourism sector, which forms the backbone of the economy in Nassau and The Bahamas.”

The embassy noted that officials had to make public statements indicating that no such advisory was imminent. Public consular information is already available for Americans advising them of safety issues in The Bahamas.

The realization by the Americans of this Bahamian fear likely means that if The Bahamas was to become uncooperative, as it was during the ‘drug days’ of the 1970s and 1980s, the use of this punishment would at the least get the attention of the leaders of the country.

5/25/2011

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International

The culture of the Attorney General’s office needs to change

Standing with the commissioner
thenassauguardian editorial



The Bahamas has a crime problem. No reasonable person would question this statement.

There have been three homicide records in four years. This month the killings have continued at the same record pace as in 2010. The Bahamas has one of the highest murder rates in the region.

Whenever there is a crime problem, Bahamians look to the commissioner of police. He is expected to bring things under control and stop the bad guys. This view is overly simplistic.

On the response side, there are four divisions of the state that are critical regarding the crime fight. Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the court and prison must all function well if a society is to have a functional response to crime. No one of these divisions can fix a crime problem alone.

Others must step forward as public faces in this fight along with the commissioner. Here we will address one of the other three agencies: the AG’s office.

Prosecutors are as important as police in ensuring that criminals are dealt with. Police arrest those responsible for committing violent crimes. Police then marshal evidence and prosecutors lead cases in the Supreme Court.

If the prosecutors are incompetent, then there is little consequence to committing violent crime. As we have said before, the AG’s office is too detached.

The police commissioner speaks regularly. He is also criticized regularly. Police release crime statistics regularly. The police commissioner is mandated to release a policing plan annually. The director of public prosecutions and the AG’s office, however, are not held to the same standard.

Where is the DPP’s prosecution plan for 2011? Has the office prepared one? Shouldn’t Vinette Graham-Allen have to present such a plan to the public and defend it in front of the media just as Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade has to?

Why do the AG’s office and its Department of Public Prosecutions not regularly release data about its work? They must keep records. Does the office think it is above scrutiny? Or is it that the performance of the office is so poor that it does not want the public to know the depths of the failure?

Recently, the AG’s office released its annual report for 2010. This is a good thing. Annual reporting is a part of the accountability process. The AG’s office now has a website. This is also a good development. However, the annual report had no data included in it regarding the work of the Department of Public Prosecutions.

If the level of violent crime is to be reduced in The Bahamas, citizens and the political ruling class must demand more from our prosecutors. The office must be subjected to greater public scrutiny. It should be mandated by law that the AG’s office and police release quarterly statistics. It should be mandated by law that an annual plan is released by the chief prosecutor just as such a standard is mandated of the police commissioner. And the politicians should mandate that the chief prosecutors hold regular news conference to inform the public of the work of the department.

If the prime minister can subject himself to questions from the media, then surely the DPP can do the same.

This commentary is not a criticism of Graham-Allen. The culture of the AG’s office needs to change. Greenslade subjects himself to scrutiny and take the blows that result. In the process the democracy is strengthened. The DPP must be made to do the same.

1/24/2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Bahamas Blog International

No Quick Fix to Crime Crisis

The Bahama Journal Editorial


For what it is worth, we suggest that all who would wish to help make the Bahamas a safer and healthier place for its citizens and its residents might begin with taking it as fact revealed that, no matter what this or that politician says to the contrary; there is no easy fix to the crime crisis that has for so long engulfed this island-nation of ours.

Were we to move in this direction, we would find that – as a people united in service and love- could and should work together to do more to help stamp out this scourge.

It is also indubitably the case that our great friend to the north [the United States of America] bears a great degree of responsibility for some of the damage done to small island states such as ours where – despite the expenditure of huge amounts of money – gangsters are able to pollute and pervert many who cross their paths.

While this is self-evident to all right-thinking Bahamians, there are still those Bahamians who relish in concocting placeboes or otherwise, conjuring up easy rationalizations concerning a crime problem that has become endemic.

In addition, and therefore regrettably; the question concerning crime, policing and public safety has become highly politicized; with the prime minister claiming that, he was satisfied that the police are doing a good job, and as such, commended them for their work.

In stark contrast, the Opposition Progressive Liberal Party is convinced that, The Free National Movement (FNM) Government has no clue how to tackle crime and has “miserably failed” Bahamians and visitors alike by not dealing with various crime challenges, according to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

In a sense, this complaint is far too easy; ignoring as it does, the fact that, the roots of crime run deep in an island-nation that has been described by some, as a smugglers’ paradise.

In this regard, then, both the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party and that of the Free National Movement and the hundreds of thousands of decent law-abiding people they represent have all been victimized by criminals in our midst.

This is a fact; and so as today we revert to some of what Mr. Ingraham says in his administration’s defense, we note that, the nation’s chief insists, "I am very pleased with the job they are doing. I suspect that they will have even a greater success in the coming weeks and coming months because I suspect they will be more focused on specific areas and persons who are presumed to be involved in significant activity.

Mr. Ingraham also suggested that, "One of our biggest problems in this country is drugs. Drugs are influencing many of the crimes that are being committed - especially those that are related to murder. Many of them are hit killers, where people are contracted to do so, or where there are turf wars between various persons…”

Tellingly, while Mr. Ingraham also admits that, "Our system, to some extent, is not quite functional…” the fact remains that, the system needs serious overhaul, renovation and re-tooling if a dent is to be made in a congeries of problems that continues to pose a clear and present threat to all decent, law-abiding Bahamians and residents.

Indeed, those who lead and those who would lead should be either up and doing or sending out for help in dealing with this crime scourge.

It stands to reason that if there was a quick fix to this nation and to this region’s struggles with the scourge of crime; that so-called ‘solution’ would have been found.

And so, with this conclusion as our opening gambit; we would venture that, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham’s hope that, he – for whatever reason – expects that – the police will have "greater" successes in the coming weeks and months in battling crime.

The prime minister claims that, “There will be a greater focus on "specific" perpetrators of violent crime within the country…”

Here we presume that whatever the prime minister is saying comes by way of informed advisement from the nation’s top cop, the Commissioner of Police.

While we understand and appreciate what the prime has said about how the police will now go about their work, we seriously question the thinking behind this notion of this or that person labeled as ‘specific perpetrators of violent crime’.

Here we would have thought that, this would have been the norm for our nation’s police force and its proactive leadership.

The sum of the matter then is that, we are today absolutely convinced that, the time has come for all Bahamians to work together to help in rooting out the canker that crime has become in our beloved Bahamas.

December 2nd, 2010

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International

Hubert Ingraham, Crime and the FNM’s 2012 election chances

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

Bahamas Blog Internayional

The victims of crime in The Bahamas

The victims of crime
thenassauguardian editorial


The Bahamas should not become comfortable with, or used to, chronic delays in its criminal justice system. Impediments to justice are a further indignity to those who suffer at the hands of the violent. The vicious and debased things done to mothers, daughters, fathers and sons, sometimes during their last moments on earth, occupy media headlines for a day. Then, they are forgotten in the maze of confusion and disorganization called the Bahamian criminal justice system.

On Monday night armed men robbed and threatened to kill Bishop Elkin Symonette of Ebenezer Mission Baptist Church and his wife following a prayer meeting. The robbers later attempted to burn down the church.

During a series of armed home invasions in the Chippingham/Fort Charlotte area earlier in the year a woman was raped.

That woman will never be the same. Rape is a violation of the body, soul and mind. And sadly, based on the backlog of cases before the Supreme Court, there is no guarantee that the Office of the Attorney General will prosecute that case anytime soon.

Three men were charged in a magistrates'court early in July with burglary, robbery and rape. The courts will decide if they are guilty or not.

The sharp rise in the level of crime in this country is tragic. It's heartbreaking.

It is even more heartbreaking when you hear what actually happened to the victims; the level of fear that remains with those who survive; the depth of the loss felt by family members.

Bishop Symonette's wife, Inez, said the fear experienced during the robbery was inexplicable.

"I can't explain how I felt,"she said during a Nassau Guardian interview.

It is remarkable that the heirs of men and women who argued against the inadequacy of colonial rule would so poorly manage the criminal justice system.

Cases have been badly investigated and many not prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the victims and families of victims sit enraged and frustrated.

There are two logical consequences to the continued rise of violent crime in The Bahamas. One is vigilantism. Those who come to conclude that the criminal justice system is not concerned about their pain may soon, in greater numbers, seek their own justice.

The other consequence should concern our ruling class.

The poor, the working and middle classes of this country have no private security or police guards to protect them at night.

They have been preyed upon.

If solutions are not found soon to our crime problem, more and more of the privileged will also fall prey to the violators.

It would be a sad development in our country's history if this is required for change to take place.

10/19/2010

thenassauguardian editorial

Bahamas Blog International

Bishop Simeon Hall: The Bahamian people, by and large, have bought into the lie that only lawyers are best suited to sit in Parliament

Bishop Simeon Hall speaks out against electing lawyers to Parliament
By TANEKA THOMPSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net:



BAHAMIAN voters should throw their support behind "ordinary" members of society instead of continuously electing lawyers to the halls of Parliament, said Bishop Simeon Hall.

The senior pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church reasoned that lawyers - many of whom profit from the "present culture of criminality" - cannot be expected to solve the crime problem or change the systems in place which have led to this "national nightmare."

He added that men and women who have proven themselves successful in community building and business would make better political candidates. While several lawyers are the architects of the nation's foundation, and have an indispensable role in nation building, Parliament needs more contractors, successful entrepreneurs, farmers and community builders to take the Bahamas to the "promised land," said the religious leader.

"It is time for the country's electorate to help in reducing the number of lawyers we have in our Parliament and allow more persons from the ordinary walks of our society to participate in our national debate," said Mr Hall in a statement released yesterday.

"There exists an urgent and immediate need for ordinary persons to represent the common masses. It cannot be expected that this national nightmare of crime will be (remedied) by the wisdom of one group. While lawyers, in the main, do not cause crime, they are the major beneficiaries of the present culture of criminality and this cannot be expected to do what is needed to change things."

"The Bahamian people, by and large, have bought into the lie that only lawyers are best suited to sit in Parliament," said Mr Hall as he called all political parties to choose ordinary persons with a reputation of community leadership for their election tickets.

The country needs fresh ideas and new perspectives in the national dialogue, he added, "if we are to change the status quo which sees ordinary persons on the edge of desperation".

August 23, 2010

tribune242

Bahamas Blog International

The United States State Department's international travel web site has detailed The Bahamas' grim crime problem

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

Bahamas Blog International

Crime in The Bahamas 'scaring away investors'

Crime 'scaring away investors'
By BRENT DEAN ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ brentldean@nasguard.com:



Co-owner of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Sir Jack Hayward has 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 yesterday in an interview with The Nassau Guardian.

He also noted that the worrisome situation is scaring some potential investors.

At the end of the first half of 2010, there were 47 homicides in The Bahamas. The country appears on pace to near 100 homicides for the year.

The Bahamas set homicide records in both 2007 and 2009. The current homicide record from last year is 87.

The current homicide count puts the country on pace to record its third homicide record in four years.

Sir Jack said that the disturbing crime trend in the country could threaten both tourism to, and investment in, the country.

"When a potential investor or a potential visitor sees the headline, Up to record levels – More than last year, and so on, they are obviously going to say, 'Hey is this a safe place to travel?'," said Sir Jack.

"I mean the government has got to do something about the crime rate."

The government acknowledges that the Bahamian criminal justice system is facing significant challenges.

Two weeks ago in the House of Assembly National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest revealed 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 were 257 outstanding murder cases.

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.

Sir Jack expressed concern about the high number of accused murderers on bail.

"God knows what they are doing? The whole thing is out of control," he said.

As recently as 1991, the homicide count in The Bahamas was as low as 28, according to police records.

The international homicide standard countries seek to be at or under is five murders per 100,000 persons. Ideally, The Bahamas would have around 18 homicides per year if it was near this mark.

The projected population count for The Bahamas this year by the Department of Statistics is 346,900.

If the homicide rate continues on the same pace in the second half of 2010, The Bahamas would have a homicide rate of around 27.17 per 100,000 population.

The Bahamas is moving towards a homicide rate comparable with countries in the region that have serious crime problems.

In 2008 the homicide rate for Jamaica was 59.5 per 100,000 population; it was 39.7 per 100,000 population the same year in Trinidad and Tobago, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.


July 1, 2010

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International