The Decline of The Bahamas

The Steady Decline of The Bahamian Nation - The Bahamas

By Dennis Dames
Nassau, The Bahamas

The public's perception of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) is at an all time crying low - in my view. Recent bad news about the Force and some of its Officers has added unfavourably to how the Bahamian people see the Police, and their organization.

The Coroners Court has concluded lately that a number of Police Officers have committed manslaughter in the excution of their duties. This has left a totally bad taste in the mouths of many citizens and residents generally - and has widen the distrust between the Police and the general public - which has eroded further the national security of The Bahamas.

To make matters horribly worse, a senior Officer of the Force - who occupied a high position of trust and responsibility - is accused of engaging in serious criminal activities with a high profile, highly and politically connected, potentially rogue and criminal-minded attorney, and street gangsters; some of whom have been murdered on the streets of Nassau in recent times. This has created a public scandal of monumental proportions.

The leadership of the Police Force along with the government of the day - seem to be taking the matter very lightly - in my opinion. Thus, the Bahamian community's view of the Police and the government - is one of complete disgrace. The handling of such a serious situation to date has left one to wonder if the powers that be have decided that they will gamble politically and just pretend that all's well.

Well, all is not well in The Bahamas under the political and immoral leadership of the status quo and its devoted facilitators. The Bahamian public feels as if endemic wholesale corruption, incompetence and criminality in high places throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas - is the order of the day which the shamelessly corrupt leadership of the nation holds so dearly close to their demonic hearts and souls.

The fruit of such diabolical corruption in high places will continue to rip apart the Bahamian nation. The wickedly corrupt political and otherwise leaders in The Bahamas do not care about the future welfare of their own friggin children! So, the future of The Bahamas will be more and more of the much sought after devilish corruption in high places - while powerful criminals and blood-thirsty bosses have their way with impunity!

How very sad - as many so called good Bahamian men and women remained silent! It looks like every Bahamian citizen are standing on the sidlines just watching The Bahamas descend in to the pits of hell.

Latrae Rahming on Safety For American Tourists in The Bahamas

What About The Safety of Bahamians in The Bahamas, Mr. Latrae Rahming?

OPM DID NOT SEND CBS NEWS TEAM TO COVER MURDER SCENE

STATEMENT FROM COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR:

“The Office of the Prime Minister did not direct any news crew to cover a crime scene in The Bahamas. We have since contacted the team, who indicated they will not use that as part of their story.

The purpose of their (CBS News crew) trip is to show that The Bahamas is safe for Americans to visit and that incidents occurring in The Bahamas are outside of the tourist areas,” Communication’s Director, Latrae Rahming.

Source

Coalition of Independents (COI) Respond to The Communications Director at The Office of the Prime Minister, Latrae Rahming On Safe Areas for Tourists in The Bahamas

"Director Latrae Rahming, your statement is not only a slap in the face to every Bahamian but also a clear indication of where the government's priorities lie. The audacity to publicize areas safe for tourists while leaving your own citizens to navigate through violence and fear is beyond appalling.

It's a blatant display of negligence towards the very people you've sworn to protect and serve. Our nation should not resemble a resort, where safety is a luxury afforded only to those holding foreign passports.

The reality that our own streets have become battlegrounds for our sons and daughters, while the government seems more preoccupied with the nation's image abroad, is shameful. It's a gross failure to fulfill the most basic duties of governance and law enforcement.

Furthermore, let this serve as a stern reminder that the Bahamian people are exhausted by this blatant disregard for their safety and well-being.

Our children, the future of this nation, are growing up in an environment where their lives are undervalued. The government's apparent indifference to the escalating violence within our own borders, while ensuring tourists can sunbathe in peace, is unacceptable.

We demand more than just words and reassurances; we demand tangible actions and policies that prioritize the safety of every Bahamian. The time has come for the government to stop treating its citizens as second-class and start addressing the root causes of this violence.

The people of The Bahamas deserve to feel safe in their own country, not just survive. Our patience has worn thin, and our tolerance for excuses has reached its end. It's high time our leaders took their responsibilities seriously and made the safety and security of their own people their top priority.

I fully understand that tourism is our number one industry, and we've seen how fragile that is, especially when we were struck by COVID-19, and now it is being further threatened by crime. While the need to protect this industry is clear, it's crucial that we move past this outdated model.

The safety and needs of our people must not be overlooked in the process. The continuous focus on the welfare of tourists at the expense of our own citizens' safety is a dangerous imbalance that cannot be sustained.

It's time to explore and invest in sustainable development models that do not sacrifice the well-being of Bahamians. Our people's lives and safety should always be the priority, and any model that fails to recognize this is fundamentally flawed and unacceptable."

Charlotte Green

National Chairman

Coalition of Independents

Source 

Does The Bahamas Government understands the prudence of a national sovereign wealth fund?

It would be wise of The Bahamas govenment to implement a sovereign wealth fund

“One People United In Sovereign Wealth!"

By Dr. Kevin Turnquest-Alcena

As the nation continues preparation to trod toward the road of celebrating 50 years of Independence, the need for the preservation of our country is now!

Prime Minister Brave Davis must be cognizant of the fact that the country's debt is out of control, crime is high, the cost of living has increased and as such a solution to these impending issues need to be found.

Hence, while attempting to pass the mining legislation, it would be a very prudent and wise of our govenment to implement a sovereign wealth fund component for several reasons.

A sovereign wealth fund is - a state owned investment that invests globally in a variety of financial assets. Several countries utilize this strategy, including: Singapore, China, France and Norway.

Benefits of SWF include, but not limited to:

1. Protecting and stabalizing budgets and economies from excess volatility in revenues and exports.

2. Diversify from non-renewable commodity exports.

3. Diversify revenue streams.

4. Better earning potential on foreign exchange.

5. Long-term capital growth.

So, why should The Bahamas consider implementing such a strategy?

Firstly, due to the issue of global warming, entire countries are being harmed environmentally. This will surely affect the areas of South Beach and even islands like Andros to be under water. As a country, we need to be very proactive and strategic in our resolve to secure the problem.

The question to ask is, "Does the Brave Administration understand the importance of a national sovereign wealth fund?" Planning true nation building and not the subpar colonial system we continue to adhere too takes hard work, along with persistence. This is necessary as we have seen an increase in debt, crime, the educational system, over staffed public services, low performance in terms of productivity, even the idea of feeding ourselves have become obsolete.

Secondly, the SWF will be beneficial in that it is open to all Bahamians regardless of color, class or creed, no one would be exempt. It can be set up in such a way that rather than issue money, it could be invested towards nation building. This investment fund will subsidize the issues we are now facing with National Insurance and our pensions. The SWF gives you the opportunity to do this.

The Question one must ask is, "Does the "Brave" Administration have the will and the ability to implement a Sovereign Fund that will be for the greater good?"

As Proverbs 16:9 say, "A man's mind plans his way: but the Lord directs His steps and make sure.

Prime Minister Davis you are indéed a man that understands empathy and the importance of doing the greatest good for the greatest amount of people.

Source 

The Official Opposition - Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright calls on The Bahamas Government to act with urgency in the crime fight

FNM Deputy Leader, Shanendon Cartwright calls for urgency in crime fight

Following a spate of killings in recent days, Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright called on the government to act with urgency in the crime fight.

“Our hearts are with the families of the recent murder victims on the islands of Grand Bahama and New Providence,” he said in a statement.

“News of these three killings all within 24 hours is alarming.

“Amidst the global pandemic and ensuing economic hardship, we have experienced our share of challenges which we can ill afford to have compounded with a spike in murder cases. An increase in crime in our society threatens the safety and security of the Bahamian people and ultimately does not bode well in our overall standing as a country.

“The urgency of this moment calls for a comprehensive plan in the fight against crime from the government. The time calls for it now. The official opposition remains with a mindset of working with the government of the day in these matters with a view to returning to seeing a downturn in the number of murders as in recent times under the Free National Movement administration.

“We must intensify our efforts at every level so as to protect the Bahamian people and ensure a peaceful Bahamian society. We dare not turn a blind eye to this issue.”

Police reported that two murders happened on Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday.

Daily routines of many women affected by the threat of crime in The Bahamas

Living in fear

Taneka Thompson
Guardian Senior Reporter
taneka@nasguard.com

Every time Kayla Sands comes home she checks under the bed and looks in the closet for signs of an intruder.

Her fear of being surprised by an attacker interferes with daily errands, keeps her anxious and constantly on guard. Sands, whose name has been changed because she did not want her identity disclosed, considers herself ‘paranoid’ but said her fear is justified. A man held her up at gunpoint one afternoon last year as she picked up lunch at a popular restaurant.

Sands believed the gunman, who threatened to kidnap her and eventually stole her car, was going to kill her. Luckily she escaped the holdup alive, but in the months after the incident her anxiety over future attacks has intensified.

“I can’t even open my door to take out my garbage or sometimes even go to the bank to withdraw money by myself,” said Sands.

“I keep looking over my shoulder because of my fear that someone is going to follow me home. When I get home I look in the closets and check under the beds. It makes me very uncomfortable doing my daily routine.”

Her fear has grown after news broke Monday that over the past few months numerous women in New Providence have reportedly been raped during home invasions.

“I want a gun now. I want to be locked and loaded - I want two. [My fear] is amplified now. I didn’t even know a rapist was on the loose,” Sands told The Nassau Guardian yesterday.

She is not the only woman in New Providence who now wants to arm herself against potential rapists and other would-be attackers.

“This makes me want to go and buy a gun,” Rochelle Wells, whose name has also been changed, said yesterday, referring to the reported rapes. “It’s one thing to get robbed and even killed but I think getting raped - I can’t imagine that not being the greatest fear for any woman.”

Wells said she was the victim of a gun attack on a night in 2010. She said two armed men robbed her and her boyfriend as they pulled up to her home in eastern New Providence. The attackers shot at her car and made off with her purse.

Wells, an avid runner, is now thinking about adjusting her exercise schedule to make herself less vulnerable to attackers.

Karen Davis, who also did not want her real name disclosed, said she found out about the rapes through Facebook long before the reports made the news. She said the police should have warned the public earlier.

“We live in an Internet age and it is common to find out information from the Internet before anywhere else,” Davis said. “When you read something on the Internet, you are not sure if it is true or if the story is being exaggerated but once it was in the news, I took it more seriously.”

She said the fear of crime has not altered her life too much but she is vigilant when driving home at night.

“I do take the extra time to check the windows and doors and my surroundings before I go outside or when coming home,” Davis said.

On Monday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said four alleged victims who live in eastern New Providence, reported sexual assaults over the past few weeks. This led police to increase patrols in undisclosed areas.

Four more alleged rapes occurred in western New Providence over the past few months, Ferguson said.

He added that police have received reports of one or two men breaking into homes in quiet communities and holding residents at gunpoint between 2 a.m and 6 a.m. to steal jewelery, cash and sometimes rape women.

Jun 27, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Urban Renewal 2.0 is a direct response to past and current problems facing a number of inner city communities in The Bahamas ...such as crime, poor housing conditions, joblessness, illiteracy, homelessness, and other social ills that contribute to crime and anti-social behavior

What Urban Renewal 2.0 Will Mean For The Bahamas
tribune242


The commissioner of police's statement on Urban Renewal:

THE flagship Urban Renewal 2.0 Programme is a direct response to past and current problems facing a number of inner city communities in the Bahamas such as crime, poor housing conditions, joblessness, illiteracy, homelessness, and other social ills that contribute to crime and anti-social behavior.

The project is the brainchild of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Perry Gladstone Christie and it has the full support of the commissioner of police, the executive management team, and all members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The tenets of Urban Renewal 2.0 are included in the Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2012 and are clearly delineated under priorities one, two and three.

The Urban renewal Community Based Policing programme is one of the most ambitious crime prevention programmes in the Bahamas.

It is a comprehensive approach to crime, antisocial behavior, and community safety.

It emphasises both innovation and integration of efforts and resources by a wide range of agencies and the community at large.

Objectives of the Urban Renewal Project

• To prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in the community.


• To identify and tackle the main causes of the social conditions which promote the occurrence of crime and deviant behavior.


• To examine and improve the quality of life and the social and environmental conditions of high crime communities.


• To involve the community in problem-solving and empower citizens to play an active role in their communities.


• To identify the problems facing our young people and to engage them in positive activities and programmes geared toward making them productive citizens.

A brief history of the Urban Renewal Pilot Project

Urban Renewal was first launched as a pilot project in the constituency of Prime Minister Perry Christie, called Farm Road, in June 2002.

The community was identified as the pilot area because it showed trends that were prevalent in other communities in the Bahamas such as crime, social ills and urban decay.

Within just six short weeks of its inception, police officers assigned to the Farm Road Project visited every household and business establishment in the community.

They collected data and intelligence on environmental concerns, health issues, housing problems and criminal activities.

The police team was later joined by representatives from the Department of Social Services, the Ministry of Housing, Health Services and the Ministry of Works.

The team removed derelict vehicles, organised the demolition of abandoned buildings, dismantled street drug peddling groups, and arrested a number of prolific offenders. These initiatives resulted in a significant reduction in crime.

Within one year of the project's inception, the team established computer literacy centres, a youth marching band, a community development association and the national Urban Renewal Commission.

It also set up similar projects in eight other areas of New Providence, five in Grand Bahama and one in Abaco.

The team was awarded the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police Motorola Community Policing Award in May 2003 and won two other community policing awards from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

Role of the police in Urban Renewal

Members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force who are assigned to the Urban Renewal 2.0 Programme have an expanded scope of police work which includes crime, the fear of crime, quality of life offences, social and physical disorder, and community decay.

These officers are expected to use a full range of talents, skills and abilities to not only prevent and interdict crime, but to also enlarge their role and become community problem-solvers.

About community policing

Community policing focuses on bringing the police and citizens together to prevent crime and solve neighborhood problems. In community policing, the emphasis is on preventing crime.

Preventing crime is a big job. The police are more effective when they can depend on residents for help.

Community policing calls for a commitment to improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. Community Resource Officers (CRO) look to residents for help in solving neighborhood problems.

In essence, community policing gives citizens more control over the quality of life in their community.

General duties and activities of the police under the programme

• Directed patrol - patrols are specific and intelligence driven, designed to deal with existing and emerging problems in the community. These patrols can be done on foot or in vehicles to facilitate communication and the building of relationships between the officers and community members.


• Community involvement - Urban Renewal officers must build trusting relationships and partnerships with community members to address their specific problems.


• Identifying and prioritising problems - community members are encouraged provide officers with information about the problems they face and work with them prioritise issues and problems.


• Reporting - the Urban Renewal officer must share information with other police officers as well as the RBPF generally and with special sections (DEU, CDU, CIB, SIB, et cetera) about the specifics of his community.


• Organising - organising activities oriented to specific problems and working to enhance the overall quality of life in the community.


• Communicating - there are both formal and informal sessions aimed at educating people about crime prevention and other issues as well as managing communication with the media.


• Conflict resolution - the Urban Renewal officer mediates, negotiates and resolves conflicts formally and informally (and challenges people to begin resolving problems on their own).
• Referrals - the officer refers problems to specialised agencies.


• Visiting - Urban Renewal officers make frequent visits to homes and businesses to recruit help and to educate.


• Recruiting and supervising volunteers - the Urban Renewal officer works with volunteers to address social problems affecting the community.


• Proactive projects - the Urban Renewal officer works along with the community to solve both long-term and short-term problems aimed at improving the quality of life.


• Targeting special groups - Urban Renewal police officers will focus on special groups in the community such as the elderly, youth, women, physically challenged persons and the homeless.


• Targeting disorder - Urban Renewal officers place specific emphasis on social and physical disorders and the degradation of neighbourhoods.


• Networking with the private sector - the Urban Renewal officer actively communicates with and solicits the assistance of the business community for services and volunteer work.


• Get to know people - the Urban Renewal officers form relationships with residents so as to learn about their concerns and to build confidence and trust between citizens and the police.




June 05, 2012

The most pressing issue in The Bahamas today is crime and the fear of crime... highlighted by the fact that the murder rate is going in the wrong direction - up

Party By Party: Where The Candidates Stand On Crime


 

By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net



THE Bahamas put the world on alert in early 2010 after a country which is noted for its sun, sand and sea racked up 87 murders the year before.

Crimewave is a word too easily used by politicians and the media, but statistics showed crime was on the up, and for a nation of just 350,000, dependent on tourism, it was a worrying trend.

By the end of 2010, the country surpassed the previous record with an extra seven murders.

Bahamians at every level in society were puzzled as to what was going on, what 2011's numbers would be and what the government was going to do about it. The murder figure reached 127 for 2011.

The most pressing issue in the Bahamas today is crime and the fear of crime, highlighted by the fact that the murder rate is going in the wrong direction - up.

Democratic National Alliance leader Branville McCartney couldn't have worded it better during his party's anti-crime and violence march in Bay Street last Wednesday. He said things would get worse if there was not an immediate intervention.

The sentiments from the man who wants to be the country's next Prime Minister are not new. His rivals, current Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and opposition leader Perry Christie, have already said the same thing.

Mr Ingraham and Mr Christie have blamed each other for the rise in crime levels. The DNA leader has blamed both of them - branding them "failures".

Behind the rhetoric, angry faces and gesticulations, claim, counter claim and overused insults like "abysmal failure", what is their answer to beating crime?

What has caused this spike in crime? Do the politicians even have an answer?

Crime exists in every part of the world where there is civilisation, the same way that certain weak drinks are present at almost every party adults go to. If those drinks get spiked, there's chaos.

At the rate the country is going and with the world watching through their TVs, computer screens and smart phones, it is only a matter of time before this rising crime leads to the wrong kind of tourist being held up during a nature tour, robbed on Cable Beach or attacked with a cutlass in their hotel room on a Family Island. A celebrity or a police chief from another country.

Crime is one of, if not the biggest, concern for the voters going into the May 7 elections and the three leaders and their respective teams know it.

In 14 days, more than 170,000 voters will go to the polls to select a new member of parliament for the 38 constituencies up for grabs.

Marking an X next to the name of an DNA, FNM, PLP or independent candidate will ultimately decide which party will be the next government for the next five years.

How will the three leaders and their parties, DNA, FNM and PLP, match up and overcome the Goliath that is crime?

The FNM and the DNA have revealed their manifestos for public viewing so far and looking at both documents, crime is the top priority. The PLP has been very vocal about their plans for fighting crime.

The FNM, hoping to regain the trust of Bahamians, has released its full manifesto and addresses crime as a part of its "National Security Strategic Plan", Tough on Crime and Tough on the Causes of Crime.

The FNM before outlining its plan, stated what it had done and what it thinks is the root cause of the crime surge: "Trade and abuse" of illegal narcotics over the past several decades.

The party, according to its manifesto said it had "modernized and better equipped the Royal Bahamas Police Force, passed and implemented tough anti-crime legislation and improved conditions in our legal, judicial and prison systems."

The party, in its document goes on: "To complement these efforts, we have also worked with educators, social workers and other citizens to implement new prevention programmes"

Going forward, the FNM's goal is to have a "modern, efficient crime fighting machine," through a "properly manned, trained and equipped" police force "to prevent crime where possible, detect crime when it occurs and bring those responsible to account before the courts."

The FNM proposes to hire an extra 250 officers; specifically train officers from remote Family Islands to serve their communities; combine technology with community policing to strengthen crime prevention; ensure continued funding for police; create more police patrols and increase presence in neighbourhoods.

The party proposes "continued and adequate funding" of the judiciary, to complete the construction of the judicial complex and Supreme Court, and the appointment of a resident magistrate in Andros.

They are also seeking to empower magistrates, "in appropriate cases", to use their power to implement "alternative sentencing and restorative programmes to reduce the amount of non-violent juveniles returning to prison."

The FNM plans to "accelerate prison reform initiatives" to rehabilitate non-violent offenders so they are able to be reintegrated into society.

Weekly drug testing will be introduced, and a remand centre will be constructed in Grand Bahama.

The Defence Force is also a part of the FNM's plan to fight crime. It wants to increase manpower on the force by 180 and introduce a reserves list similar to that of the police force.

The Defence Force is also expected to receive additional equipment in the form of sea and aircraft to help in the fight against illegal migration, poaching and drug smuggling.

While not as detailed at the governing party, the DNA's The Vision 2012 and Beyond manifesto lists crime as the first issue to be tackled after the election.

The party will focus on six areas:

■Enforce laws without political interference.

■Support the development and strengthening of a Bahamian criminal justice system that works.

■Develop a comprehensive and research-proven system to rehabilitate offenders, including academic programmes, and work readiness and skill building programmes.

■Commit necessary finance and people to the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to ensure "they are in the best position to be effective in their roles".

■Ensure the enforcement of capital punishment and that bail is not granted for accused murderers.

There are some similarities between the FNM and the DNA's plans.

Both parties are looking to strengthen the capacity of the judiciary and the various law enforcement agencies. They also recognise the importance of reforming and educating prisoners to reduce the number of repeat offenders.

The similarities end there.

The DNA has publicly stated its intention to carry out the death penalty. There is no mention of capital punishment in the FNM's manifesto.

The FNM government removed the Magistrates Courts' discretion to grant bail for murder and other serious offences. However, persons eligible who can prove they should to be granted bail can be given a bond by the Supreme Court.

Is the DNA proposing to support this move? Regarding the death penalty, how will the DNA get past the ruling of the Privy Council, based in the UK?

Mr McCartney answered this question last Wednesday.

"We're making sure that if it goes to the Privy Council, we'll have the laws in place that will force their hands when there is a conviction on murder, that the death penalty will be enforced."

What is the PLP's stance on capital punishment?

The country will find out when the party releases its manifesto for the country's 170,000 voters to see.

People will then be better placed to cast their votes in the ongoing fight against this particular Goliath.

April 23, 2012

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

...four years after the ‘Great Recession’ commenced, the Bahamian economy continues to struggle... ...the government is challenged with reduced revenues, soaring energy and food prices, high unemployment, rising crime levels and social ills... ...with unemployment at its highest in years and individuals on reduced pay... it seems fair to state that the mortgage sector and housing market in The Bahamas are in a crisis...

Confronting the Bahamian debt crisis pt. 1

By Arinthia S. Komolafe

In the aftermath of the worst recession since the Great Depression, the government is challenged with reduced revenues, soaring energy and food prices, high unemployment, rising crime levels and social ills.  In response to these challenges and in order to stay afloat, the government has resorted to borrowing.  The reality is that imprudent borrowing practices prior to and during the economic downtown have exacerbated the economic soundness of our government.

The story of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the lessons learned are well documented.  However, four years after the ‘Great Recession’ commenced, the Bahamian economy continues to struggle.  It was reported that the Bahamian banking system was resilient to the crisis and to some extent the economic downturn because of our credit policies as administered by the Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBB).  However, was this assertion truth or fallacy?  One wonders if based upon the facts and looking back in hindsight whether the current mortgage and ultimately debt crisis was an accident waiting to happen.  Could it be that the economic downturn exposed flaws in our monetary policy and credit risk management framework?

Background

A journey down memory lane and history, will show that the CBB in August 2004 in an attempt to ensure that credit expansion was consistent with economic growth, advised banks to monitor borrowers’ creditworthiness by limiting the debt service ratio (DSR) on loans to a range of 40 percent to 45 percent of ordinary income and require a minimum of 15 percent equity contribution on all personal loans with exceptions to those secured with mortgage indemnity insurance.  A short one month later, the CBB temporarily relaxed those policies by eliminating the 15 percent equity requirement and raised the DSR threshold to 55 percent.  It is noteworthy to state that the reason given for this change was to aid in relief due to the effects of Hurricane Frances.  It is unclear, however, how many banks took advantage of this flexibility, the immediate impact on the economy and how long these policies actually remained in effect.

However, some four months later, the CBB reduced its discount rate (DR) from 5.75 percent to 5.25 percent and the prime rate (PR) was consequently reduced by 50 basis points to 5.5 percent.  It is imperative that we examine the aforementioned policy decisions made by the CBB in the context of the Bahamian economy which is primarily consumer driven.

In the absence of an established credit bureau, it is difficult to assess the creditworthiness of Bahamian consumers and almost impossible to assess whether a consumer’s DSR truly falls within the 40 percent to 45 percent range.  Taking a conservative hypothetical approach (and I must emphasize that this may be extremely conservative) and assuming that a majority of consumers had a ‘real’ maximum DSR of 55 percent as opposed to the required maximum 45 percent, it follows that an increase of the DSR to 55 percent would increase the ‘real’ DSR to 65 percent, leaving the consumer with an ultimate disposable income rate of only 35 percent.

In addition to the scenario painted above, a decrease in the DR and PR all things being equal, should further encourage borrowing and expand credit.  This brings into question whether the objective of ensuring that credit expansion was consistent with economic growth was achieved.  In 2004, with the CBB’s policy to restrict credit expansion, the amount of mortgages for new construction of single dwelling homes stood at a mere 894.  To highlight the effect the aforementioned policy change had on the mortgage market, in 2005 and 2006 government revenue on stamp tax for mortgages almost doubled in 2005 compared to 2004 and increased significantly in 2006.

Further, residential mortgages for new construction of single dwelling homes stood at 1,428 and 1,137 in 2005 and 2006 respectively.  The total processed value amounted to approximately $300 million for these years.  It is uncertain how many persons painted a true picture of their DSR and the real question is whether the majority of persons who obtained mortgages during this period should have actually qualified for those mortgages. This is bearing in mind that as at December 31, 2011 mortgage delinquencies stood at approximately $650 million.

Mortgage sector and housing market in crisis

Today with unemployment at its highest in years and individuals on reduced pay, it seems fair to state that the mortgage sector and housing market are in a crisis.  It is not surprising that many Bahamians have defaulted on their mortgage obligations with mortgage delinquencies standing at approximately $650 million in arrears for the entire Bahamas.  In order to appreciate the extent of this debacle, a look in the newspapers will reveal a fraction of the number of foreclosed properties advertised for sale.  It has been argued that the reduction of the DR and PR by 75 basis points in June 2011, although welcomed came too late and that the reduction was inadequate.

The government is being called upon to provide mortgage assistance for those who are losing their homes.  Proponents of this relief effort cite the millions of dollars expended on capital infrastructure by the government in justifying this move as the right action required.  They submit that if the government could spend such exorbitant amounts on infrastructure and the purchase of shares, it is only fair that the government would provide relief to struggling homeowners.  Opponents of any form of mortgage relief efforts by the government argue that in a capitalistic society, the government should not interfere with private enterprise.  After all, opponents submit the free market economy is designed to have minimal government intervention and market forces must be left to control the market.

In the final analysis, there is enough blame to go around; starting with the government, the lending institutions and the consumer.  In the years leading up to the financial and economic downturn, the government benefitted from the credit expansion as a result of monetary policy in the form of increased stamp tax revenue, the lending institutions turned over record profits and consumers benefitted from unprecedented access to credit facilities.

It is only fitting, therefore, that the aforementioned benefactors should come together to bring resolution to this crisis.  In order to avoid further deepening of this crisis, the government on its part, should explore establishing a fund to assist eligible homeowners in retaining their homes.  Adjustments to the DR and PR by the CBB should be stalled until a credit bureau and robust consumer protection agency as a matter of urgency have been established.  The lending institutions should take significant steps to refinance mortgages on more favorable terms for consumers and more importantly consumers should exercise increased prudence in the management of their finances.

 

•Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law.  Comments can be directed at: arinthia.komolafe@komolafelaw.com

Confronting the Bahamian debt crisis pt. 2

Mar 09, 2012

thenassauguardian

caribbean Blog International

Bishop Simeon Hall appeals to the homosexual community to seek help so that they can play their God ordained role in our communities already distressed with crime, social distress and disorder

Hall: Homosexuals must not be demonized

By Royston Jones Jr
Guardian Staff Reporter
royston@nasguard.com



Baptist Bishop Simeon Hall said yesterday that homosexuals ought not to be demonized by homophobic clergy, but they, like anyone else, should be invited to the church to, “experience the transforming power of God.”

“Over the last three days, three young men contacted me since I made this statement to all those with a sexual orientation to seek help,” said Hall at a Rotary Club of West Nassau luncheon at Graycliff.

“One of these men came to my office on Tuesday evening, the other on Wednesday and the other has an appointment.

“Their painful and sordid stories were frightening, but my response to them was pastoral.” In a statement on Monday, Hall urged homosexuals to seek help to turn away from their “non-productive and deadly practice”.

Hall said yesterday, “I do not demonize anyone, their sexual preference notwithstanding. “But what I find disturbing is men absent, men unable to take care and provide for their families, men dying and leaving children to fend for themselves and men infecting their partners with HIV/AIDS.

“All this negatively contributes to a society already on the edge of disintegration.” Hall claimed that the sexual practice of men who have sex with men (MSMs) is negatively impacting the growth and development of The Bahamas.

“If this sexual practice [has led] to an increase of 14 percent of our men contracting HIV/AIDS, then it is clear that this practice, which, by the way, can produce nothing, is now...deadly and is a threat to our national infrastructure.”

Hall released his statement on Monday in response to a Nassau Guardian article that revealed that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in The Bahamas among MSMs is near 14 percent, which is nearly double the eight percent documented in 2008 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

“All over this nation leaders are crying about the absence of men; the church, the schools [and] young women looking for strong male men to marry them,” Hall said yesterday.

“My appeal, therefore, is to the homosexual community to seek help so that they can play their God ordained role in our communities already distressed with crime, social distress and disorder.”

The Government of The Bahamas is co-sponsoring the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference at Atlantis
Resort. The conference opens today and ends Monday.

Nov 18, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Community policing, Urban Renewal and The Bahamas' crime problem

tribune242 editorial



ANY POLITICAL party that tells a community that Urban Renewal, whether it be Urban Renewal 2.0 or 4.04, is a quick fix for this country's crime problem is fooling the people by encouraging them to clutch at moonbeams.

This is not to denigrate Urban Renewal, which is a long-term solution, the effects of which will probably not be able to be properly assessed until the next generation.

However, for those who want to see the ugly head of crime crushed with the utmost speed, community policing is one of the many answers. In fact, community policing - the initiative of the Royal Bahamas Police Force - morphed into Urban Renewal and, unfortunately, into the arms of politicians during the Christie administration.

We have been told that the Urban Renewal programme received an international award. In fact, it was not Urban Renewal that received the award from the International Association of Commissioners of Police (IACP). Rather, it was the Royal Bahamas Police Force. And this was how their community initiative was described in the IACP's 1999-2006 report: "The Royal Bahamas Police Force worked with area residents to form a community task force comprising officers, members of local churches, the business community, residents, and reformed gang members. The task force patrolled the streets on foot, and in vehicles 24 hours a day, seven days a week, leaving criminals little time or space in which to operate."

Now this is where Urban Renewal came in: "The task force," said the IACP, "also worked with the Departments of Social Services, Housing, Environmental Health, and Public Works to improve living conditions."

One of the award winners was Farm Road's marching band, started by the police with the assistance of business persons. There was no political affiliation with this programme. The boast today of the Eastern Division's marching band, again a police creation, is that they are of award-winning standard. When Urban Renewal came along, the police continued their community policing programmes, but got diverted to add muscle to the work of social workers who government had introduced into the various communities under the name of Urban Renewal. Of course, things moved more efficiently when backed by a police officers' orders.

For example, if an Environmental department employee gave instructions for the removal of derelict cars, they could expect some "lip". But for the order to come from a police officer, it was a "yes, suh" and a shuffle into speedy action.

However, one of the many criticisms of what is now known as Urban Renewal was that the workers who were attached to the programme were especially selected by PLP politicians. It was soon discovered that serious people were sitting around a table having discussions with persons who could hardly read or write.

It did not take the Ingraham administration long to understand how community policing had been hijacked. As a result, the police were removed from the social services side of the programmes and sent back to doing what they did best and for which they had won an international award -- community policing. That does not mean that if needed the various social services cannot call on them for assistance. They are called on, and they do respond.

According to Mr Christie, the urban renewal programme established by his government offered people hope. It had had noteworthy results in communities in which it had been established. He promised that if returned he would renew Urban Renewal with a stepped-up programme -- Urban Renewal 2.0.

"There is a compelling need in this country for us to recognise that we are out of control with crime and that we do know the influences that are affecting the young people," Mr Christie told members of the House in discussing the various crime bills then being debated.

Meanwhile, the police are continuing with their community programmes - among them after-school programmes for young people. There are the after-school programmes in the Eastern Division, highlighting Fox Hill, the Western Division, and the Central division with the 242 model programme for young people with behavioural challenges. The Southern Division has included in its programmes a Crime Watch Group for business persons to assist them in patrolling their businesses.

And so social services -- a branch of Urban Renewal -- continues with its programmes in the communities, while the police are now free to step up their community programmes in addition to tracking down criminals.

November 01, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Caribbean Blog International

The marriage of politics and crime in The Bahamas is a long standing one shrouded in silence

Gangster’s Paradise Part 1

By Ian G. Strachan

Crime and the political class

There is no greater problem facing The Bahamas, as far as the average Bahamian is concerned, than violent crime.  Unfortunately, violent crime is itself merely a manifestation, a symptom of deeper problems, troubling weaknesses in our systems, institutions, communities, families, psyches.  Some of the weaknesses are beyond our control – such as our size, our geographical fragmentation and proximity to the largest consumer society in the world.  Others exist because of our own neglect, incompetence, complicity, fear and ignorance.

It seems sometimes as if we want with all our hearts to do away with the shameful symptoms of our disease: Murder, rape, armed robbery, as if these were ugly, painful lesions on a pretty face, but we have no matching zeal to cure ourselves of the disease that lurks deep within, creating these conspicuous eruptions.

Over the next few weeks we will explore the vexing matter of crime in The Bahamas.  We will try to be guided by the research and considered thoughts of those who have already dedicated time and effort to these problems (because I have no interest in re-inventing the wheel).

Where we are

First, let us put our current situation in The Bahamas in perspective – regional perspective.  Here, we are alarmed at our murder rate.  I don’t wish to say that the alarm is misplaced, but I’d like to look at the murder rate for a moment as a regional phenomenon.  Where do we stack up?  In 2010, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Trinidad and Tobago had 472 murders or 35 per 100,000 people.  The Dominican Republic had 2,472 murders or 24 per 100,000.  St. Lucia had 44 or 25.2 per 100,000.  Puerto Rico had 983 murders or 26 per 100,000.  Jamaica had 1,428 or 52 per 100,000; Dominica 15 or 22 per 100,000 and The Bahamas 96, or 28 per 100,000 people.  (Police now say we only had 94 in 2010.)

The Caribbean nation most like our own demographically and historically, Barbados, had 31 murders in 2010.  By comparison, the U.S. had five murders per 100,000 people, Canada had 1.8 per 100,000 people, Japan and Singapore had 0.5 murders per 100,000 people and Germany 0.8 per 100,000.  You can see then that as a region we are recording very high murder rates compared to the industrialized countries.  In fact, the Caribbean has many of the highest murder rates in the world.  I could not find murder rates higher than The Bahamas’ anywhere outside of the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America.  Before this series is done I shall have discussed that phenomenon with some of our criminologists and sociologists.

Crime is much, much broader than murder, as we know, but murder captures everyone’s attention because it is the most serious, most shocking of crimes.  A 2007 World Bank report on crime and its impact on development in the Caribbean noted that: “The high rates of crime and violence in the region have both direct effects on human welfare in the short-run and longer run effects on economic growth and social development.”

That should sober us.  Crime and violence have deep seated economic impacts.  The report also noted that “the strongest explanation for the relatively high rates of crime and violence rates in the region – and their apparent rise in recent years – is narcotics trafficking.”

The drug trade drives crime in a number of ways: Through violence tied to trafficking, by normalizing illegal behavior, by diverting criminal justice resources from other activities, by provoking property crime related to addiction, by contributing to the widespread availability of firearms, and by undermining and corrupting societal institutions.

Perhaps most importantly, the report warned that in trying to reduce crime, violent crime especially, “There is no one ‘ideal’ approach.  The common denominator is that successful interventions are evidence-based, starting with a clear diagnostic about types of violence and risk factors, and ending with a careful evaluation of the intervention’s impact which will inform future actions.”

Whose side are the legislators on?

Over the next few weeks we’ll discuss a variety of crime fighting strategies available to us in this country.  But I wish to begin by discussing the role lawmakers and aspiring lawmakers have played in sanctioning, enabling and rewarding criminality in this country.  To put it bluntly, our politicians must choose sides: Either they are on the side of those who are accused of committing crimes or they are on the side of the rest of society.  They should no longer be able to have it both ways.  What do I mean?

We have sitting members of our Parliament and men aspiring to sit there, who have represented and continue to represent, accused drug dealers, accused rapists, accused operators of illegal gambling houses, accused murderers.  I distinctly remember interviewing a very accomplished politician once, a man at the center of many of the nation’s most important political events of the last 50 years.  This gentleman boasted to me of the number of accused murderers he had gotten off (it was close to 30 if I recall correctly).  His intention was to convince me of his legal prowess.  Instead I was chilled at the thought that this legislator, this champion of our democratic achievements, had also possibly had a hand in freeing nearly 30 cold-blooded murderers.  Someone’s got to do that job; I understand that.  But I cannot accept that it must be my elected representatives.

I have mentioned on a number of occasions the troubling fact that the Member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, and now deputy leader of the PLP, Philip “Brave” Davis, was the lawyer for the most wanted drug trafficker in this country, Samuel “Ninety” Knowles.  But Davis is not special, nor is he unique.  We simply happen to remember the name of his most famous client.  What about Carl Bethel, Desmond Bannister, Dion Foulkes, Alfred Sears, Glenys Hanna-Martin, Branville McCartney, Damien Gomez, Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Wayne Munroe?  Who have they defended over the course of their careers?  How many people accused of violent crime, or of brazenly flouting our laws, have they defended for a handsome fee?

These men and women will no doubt defend themselves by insisting they are not doing anything that is contrary to the rules of our Westminster system.  They will no doubt ask why they should be singled out and denied a living while physicians, accountants, engineers, businessmen are allowed to conduct their affairs and are subject to no such criticism if they serve or aspire to serve in Parliament.

I believe all MPs should be full time and should not be allowed to work for anybody else while they serve the people, first of all.  But that aside, the practice of law must in my view be treated differently, since the business of the parliamentarian is to create laws.  Doctors make a living making people sick (they’re not supposed to anyway).  But the criminal defense attorney makes a living helping men and women evade punishment who are, in the considered opinion of police, guilty of violent crimes.  I repeat:  Someone’s got to do it.  But if you do, how dare you then ask me to make you attorney general, or minister of this or that, or member of Parliament.  And how dare you give speeches about how you feel for suffering victims.  What kind of country is this?

What is the message you send to the street thug, the murderer, the drug lord, the rapist, the arm marauder, or to the impressionable admirer of such people, or to the victims of such people, when you choose to represent them before the courts and potentially help guilty men escape justice – not just before you run for political office, but while you hold such an office?  Yes, we are all innocent until proven guilty, but with 1,000 lawyers, I think it is safe to say that criminals won’t have too much trouble finding legal representation.

The 41 men and women who sit in the lower house and those who sit in the Senate should be people who have spent their whole careers defending and building us up, not defending and assisting those who are tearing us down.

The marriage of politics and crime

There’s more.  The marriage of politics and crime is a long standing one shrouded in silence.  Remember the 1967 Commission of Inquiry into the connections between organized crime in the U.S., casinos and the Bahamian government?  Remember the 1984 Commission of Inquiry into drug trafficking and governmental corruption?  How many arrests and incarcerations of Bahamian politicians on charges of corruption have occurred in the last 50 years? What has become of the so-called investigation into the handling of Crown Land for instance?

And what connection has existed between politics and the numbers business?  How far back does that connection go?  To the very heyday of the majority rule struggle?  And how many politicians, FNM and PLP, walk the streets campaigning with accused criminals on bail, or ex-cons or men “known to the police”?  Do their services as campaign generals buy them immunity?  Free legal help?  In the fight against crime, we must strike at the root.  Zero tolerance begins in our own house –  the House in Parliament Square.

Oct 24, 2011

Gangster’s Paradise Part 2

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Bahamas: Increases in population lead to increased crime ...while increases in gross domestic product (GDP) lead to decreased crime

Study keys in on causes of crime

By Candia Dames
Guardian News Editor
candia@nasguard.com

A new scientific study by a College of The Bahamas researcher has concluded what may come as no surprise to policymakers: Increases in population lead to increased crime while increases in gross domestic product (GDP) lead to decreased crime.

“If you know what your population growth is going to be, the government would have to increase GDP by a certain amount to keep the crime rate at wherever their quota is,” said Dr. Yan Lyansky, an assistant professor in the School of Mathematics, Physics and Technology.

Lyansky has come up with a mathematical formula, which he said could accurately predict what the rate of crime would be at any given point in the future based on the population of The Bahamas and the size of its economy.

“Everybody is worried about crime, but according to the numbers it doesn’t look different historically from what’s been going on a very, very long time ago,” he said.

“What I mean is when you talk about population growth, you’re going to naturally get more crime and everything looks consistent.

“It looks like maybe in more recent history there is little more of a spike but there’s not enough data for that to analyze.”

The paper is one of the studies that will be presented at COB’s 2011 Violence Research Symposium on November 3.

The goal of the research conducted by Lyansky is to find the best predictors of violent crime in The Bahamas.

“We assume that the government will be able to change policy to lower the crime rate if it knows the determining factors that influence crime,” said the study’s abstract.

The paper notes that crime has been an escalating problem in the Caribbean.  In The Bahamas, the general public perceives that crime is out of control, it adds.

The paper also says, “The police commissioner is under pressure to find a solution to the problem.”

The study says that as the population increases, the government may need to invest an even greater proportion of its resources in dealing with crime as the number of crimes increase.

It adds, “Government policies should be designed to increase the prosperity of the nation, but what this data shows is that when the country can not position itself to compete or can not cope with external shocks, then crime would be expected to rise.”

In an interview with The Nassau Guardian, Lyansky said, “We can predict exactly where the crime rate’s going to be moving forward, given the fact that it has been very accurate in the past.”

He said that many people who speak about crime and the causes of crime — including some authorities — do not speak from a factual position.

“A lot of the things that are written about crime, that I’ve read, and the explanations that I’ve heard make me shake my head.  They’re not going to help advance a solution,” Lyansky said.

As an example, he said, “The police commissioner, he was close to my house one day giving a talk and his explanation was that it’s all based on drugs and you know, that’s a bunch of nonsense and the reason it’s nonsense is I would actually have liked to make a correlation between the two, however, there is no data on drugs, drug usage or anything here so to make a blanket statement like that, it’s just a statement.

“You’re not actually going to be making progress from [those kinds of statements].”

Lyansky said there are so many inconsistencies in explanations some people provide regarding the causes of crime that it’s impossible to make any scientific determinations about them.

Speaking of the importance of scientific research, he said, “It gives you a better predictor moving forward.

“…If you need GDP to increase and you know the population’s going up, you need to do this to GDP and hence that would be a basic way (to fight crime).”

Oct 24, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

All the pillars of society - the government, the opposition parties, the church, the judiciary, the security forces, the educational system, the family to name a few - must work cooperatively and congenially for the reduction of crime in our Bahamas ...The blame game is most dysfunctional and, at best, divisive...

IS THE SOLUTION TO CRIME TO CHOOSE ONE SIDE OR TO WORK TOGETHER?

By JOSEPH A WALKER
PhD, LLB (Hons) CLE



KINDLY allow me some space in your valuable column to make a few comments on the issue of crime in The Bahamas.

In recent times, it has become fashionable and convenient for those who were themselves at one point or the other, in one capacity or the other, in charge of our country to make public proclamations on the cause of crime and to point fingers at others for the same.

Nothing is wrong with this as it keeps focus on the problem but, in all of it, the proclamations appear to miss the real target. I will return to this point later.

One has heard the Leader of the Official Opposition pontificate about who is responsible for the crime wave we are experiencing and as to what he would do about it if he and his party were returned to political power.

It appears, however, that he has conveniently forgotten that he and his party had five years to deal with this said problem of crime but he and his party did little or nothing to solve the problem and they were removed leaving the problem to grow and fester.

When the crime, at the material time, touched personally, the Leader of the Official Opposition, there were many promises of what he was going to do to get to the bottom of it but, alas, nothing was done. The problem remained unabated.

The Leader of the DNA, like the Leader of the Opposition, has blamed the present government for the problem of crime going so far as to hold the Minister of National Security personally responsible for the problem, quite conveniently forgetting that he was a senior member and Cabinet Minister of the now governing party and therefore shares part of the blame.

While one acknowledges that the crime issue is one of grave concern, leaders as well as those aspiring to be political, religious and social leaders ought not to allow themselves to make pronouncements on this most serious issue based on emotions, spite, political pandering, personal, arbitrary and ascriptive criteria or on poorly understood facts or principles. To do so is to be divisive and it bodes no one well nor does it contribute to the solution of the problem which should be the aim of all those who engage in the debate on the issue.

With all the noise in the market place about crime, particularly crimes involving murder, the salient point that is being missed or ignored or not understood or factored in the analysis is that no one, not the government, not the Minister, not even the parent or spouse of the murderer can prevent a murder unless the murderer makes his intention known prior to carrying out the act.

Even so, one may articulate an intention and may not follow through on the expressed intention or follow through may be delayed.

Murder is ideally personal and, in most cases, private, even if it is committed in a public way. Some murders are spontaneous.

Thus, because murder and other violent crimes can only be prevented if one has prior knowledge of their impending incidence, it is shortsighted and, in many ways, unfair, in one's view, to hold any one personally responsible for them save the perpetrators.

It is for this reason that when the accused of a murder or other crime is convicted of his crime, not the government, the minister or his parents, is punished personally.

This is not to be construed to say crime cannot be prevented for surely certain measures can be put in place to discourage or reduce its incidence, but this will only be effective when we as a society have a clear understanding of the root causes of crime in our society.

Not the causes of crime in the US or other Caribbean territories as published in reports and textbooks, but those causes, if any, characteristic to The Bahamas.

The factors involved in causing crime are varied, multifaceted and, some cases, interrelated and, as such, any number of or any combination of them can synergise in any individual or group of individuals to result in the commission of a crime.

What we, as a society, need to do is to try through detailed and valid longitudinal scientific research, to identify, if we can, those factors, conditions, circumstances, community characteristics, family variables and even national linkages that are common among murderers and perpetrators of other violent crimes that may be trigger factors and therefore attempt to identify and develop and apply practical ameliorative strategies.

Even so, we may, at best, only make a small dent in the problem.

If we can, that would be a starting point from and on which we can build and learn. Crime is not a simple issue in any society.

There is no simple or easy solution therefore. If there were, other more developed and advanced societies would have solved it a long time ago because they have been grappling with it longer than we have.

All the pillars of society - the government, the opposition parties, the church, the judiciary, the security forces, the educational system, the family to name a few - must work cooperatively and congenially for the reduction of crime in our society. The blame game is most dysfunctional and, at best, divisive.

October 20, 2011

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

...we need to restore the quick connection between crime and punishment in The Bahamas... And we need to ensure that the people who lead the critical divisions of the police force and the AG’s Office related to investigating and prosecuting serious crimes are up to the task

The prime minister’s national crime address

thenassauguardian editorial

So much has been said in recent years about crime in The Bahamas. There have been four murder records in five years.  Over that same five-year period more that 13,000 cases of housebreaking have been reported.  Most of those homes were broken into in New Providence.

Bahamians are fearful.  Bahamians are not sure that their law enforcement agencies and politicians are up to the task to fix the problem.

Opposition leader Perry Christie and his party seem to understand that crime is likely the most significant issue on the minds of most Bahamians.  Christie, who is not known for leading the way, got out ahead of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in August.  He made a national address on crime and offered solutions on behalf of his party.

Some of the ideas Christie presented had promise; others did not.  However, in speaking to the country formally on the issue as the opposition leader and a former prime minister, Christie indicated that crime was an issue that must now be addressed and debated at the leadership level.

Ingraham said Sunday he would make a national address on crime Monday coming.  His address will come almost six months after he promised during the national address on public infrastructure to speak about the growing crime problem in The Bahamas.

Ingraham made the crime address pledge at Lynden Pindling International Airport as he arrived back in The Bahamas from an official visit to Washington, D.C.  He made the pledge after reporters asked him crime related questions.  It is unclear if Ingraham had previously decided to make the national address or if he made the pledge in an effort to end the questioning.

Nonetheless, the address is needed and it will be interesting to hear what the prime minister has to say.

Ingraham has a fine line to negotiate.  He will likely mention the millions of dollars his government has provided to the various agencies of the criminal justice system.  He will likely also bring up the refurbishment of the courts.

Ingraham and his government have also gone further.  Since coming to office in 2007 the chief justice has been changed, there have been three commissioners of police, two directors of public prosecution and at least five commanders at the Central Detective Unit.

His government has tried and it continues to try.  But, as the numbers show, the crime problem is worsening.

What the PM needs to address is the competency of the leadership of his law enforcement agencies and whether or not certain agencies are adequately staffed with competent people.

Police investigate serious crime and lawyers from the Office of the Attorney General prosecute the cases.  If the cases are poor and the prosecutors are less than capable, and there are too few of them, then few people will go to jail for the crimes they commit.

And, if the AG’s Office cannot bring forward cases fast enough, or if it does not want to because the cases were poorly prepared by police, then judges will grant bail to accused persons who would then be free to offend again.

There is too much talk now about everybody doing a good job.  In this time of civility we say the commissioner of police and his officers are doing a good job; we say the National Security Ministry is doing a good job; we say prosecutors are doing their best.  If police and prosecutors are doing their best, and the crime situation in The Bahamas is worsening, then those officers and prosecutors are not up to the task to help reverse the trend.

As we mentioned in a previous editorial, leadership is needed on the crime issue.

The prime minister must pledge bold action and show passion when he addresses his people.  The money spent so far has not yet led to any meaningful results.  We need to know what is next.

Simply put, we need to restore the quick connection between crime and punishment.  And we need to ensure that the people who lead the critical divisions of the police force and the AG’s Office related to investigating and prosecuting serious crimes are up to the task.

If they are not, something else should be found for them to do.

Sep 28, 2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

Rev CB Moss - executive director Bahamas Against Crime (BAC) says: ...the new murder record "ensures that 2011 will be the bloodiest year in The Bahamas' history... setting the fourth new record in the last five years."

Bahamas 'near the tipping point' in crime

tribune242



THE Bahamas is now "near the tipping point" a local anti-crime activist group has warned.

Calling the new record for murders set last week a "shameful" milestone, Bahamas Against Crime (BAC) urged authorities to change tack before it is too late.

"Only a collective effort, with less talk and more focused action, will prevent a deepening of the crisis, with the attendant social collapse," said BAC executive director Rev CB Moss in a statement.

Rev Moss said the new murder record "ensures that 2011 will be the bloodiest year in our history, setting the fourth new record in the last five years."

As if this were not enough, he said, other serious crimes are also at or near record levels.

"Obviously this state of affairs is providing opportunistic and self-serving entities a great platform to assign blame, and to promote their selfish agendas," he said.

"The truth is that most, if not all of them failed to respond when they should have, thereby making a direct contribution to the present sad state."

BAC noted that since 2005, its members have tried "with very limited success" to alert the country to the impending crisis.

"Some of those doing the most talking today were among the least responsive. On April 19, 2010 Bahamas Against Crime organised a summit for private sector organisations, followed by another on June 16, 2010. It is very interesting to note how many of the nearly 100 invitees failed to attend. A visit to our website, bahamasagainstcrime.net/news.asp, will reveal their identities, which should make interesting reading.

"Bahamas Against Crime is once again calling upon the nation to act now before it is too late. If we are not prepared to act, then stop the rhetoric," Rev Moss said.

September 20, 2011

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

The PLPs believe that their Urban Renewal policy, which is still in existence in a new form, is the answer to all prayers... They are fooling themselves... The social deterioration in this society is so deep that it will take more than urban renewal to bring it back to health

Crime should not be used by politicians

tribune242 editorial



IT would be a tragedy if this country's escalating crime were to become an election football.

Crime in the Bahamas has been steadily building from the politically violent sixties into the drug violent seventies and eighties until it is now hitting a crescendo in our time.

The PLP believe that their Urban Renewal policy, which is still in existence in a new form, is the answer to all prayers. They are fooling themselves. The social deterioration in this society is so deep that it will take more than urban renewal to bring it back to health.

"The government must send a clear and strong message to criminals that they will be swiftly caught and swiftly punished and I am not satisfied that this is being done under this present government," Opposition Leader Perry Christie told a press conference, called yesterday to discuss the escalating crime.

Maybe justice under this government is not swift enough for Mr Christie, but nor was it swift enough during Mr Christie's administration when the backlog of court cases grew out of all manageable proportions.

Under both governments -- PLP and FNM-- we have been complaining about the justice system. In our opinion it needs a complete overhaul.

So on this score, no fingerpointing can be justified.

The problem on our streets is obvious - most crimes are being committed by criminals killing criminals, all out on bail when they should be behind prison walls. And as the Commissioner of Police has often commented, the police can't be blamed. They do their part by arresting and taking the offenders to the bar of the court, where the lawyers with their crocodile tears bleat for their release, and the courts send them on their merry way to terrorise society. Witnesses could not be killed, if those who threaten them were in jail.

We hope that when the House reconvenes after the summer recess legislation will be introduced to curb the courts in its release of persons who could be a danger to society. When that debate takes place there shouldn't be a squeak from the Opposition about interfering with a judge's discretion.

The only way to cut down on many of these murders is to keep these persons with long criminal records in prison until trial -- not only for society's sake, but, as has already been shown by the number of their bodies in the morgue, for their own sakes.

And if judges will not exercise their discretion with this objective in mind, then legislation is the only solution. Society cannot have it both ways.

The same analogy can be drawn by the rules that now have to be followed when one travels by air. No one likes to be searched -- it is demeaning and interferes with a person's rights and freedoms. However, for the sake of safety, travellers are willing to relinquish some of their freedoms.

It is the same with the judiciary when one has to make a choice between the exercise of a magistrate's discretion and the mayhem on the streets. We can't have criminals laughing at the courts.

They must understand that if they do wrong they will be punished -- swiftly and severely. And until their date in court, they will be incarcerated, not out on the streets pushing up the murder count.

In the meantime, this society has to be analysed as to what has gone wrong, what has caused us to move from a once courteous, decent people to what we see today.

To find a cure, we need parents, teachers, psychiatrists and a whole gamut of professionals to work together to try to save the next generation.

Persons complain that no one respects our institutions. That is true, and the reason is that many of the people who head them do not understand that in their positions they have to lead by example -- if they do not respect themselves, or their organisation, they cannot expect anyone else to have respect. Members of the House of Assembly should take note.

The breakdown of family life is our greatest tragedy - no father in the home, the mother out to work and the children left at home to join the village gang. In the old days when the mother was at work, the grandparents took care of the children.

Today children are having illegitimate children, so that when the young mother is at work, the grandmother is still young enough to hold down a job and so is the great grandmother.

As a result no one is at home to guide and correct little Suzy and Johnny. A great burden is put on the schools, not only to teach these little ones their ABC's, but also their manners, to point out what is right and wrong, and to make them understand that for every right there is a corresponding duty, and when they break the code, there are consequences, and those consequences can be serious.

Instead of pointing the finger of blame, these politicians should get back to basics. They should start with an examination of themselves, determined to lead by example, and then move on to helping society get back on course.

September 16, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Caribbean Blog International