When will the gun court be ready?
thenassauguardian editorial
Late in January of this year, the government made a big announcement that in conjunction with the judiciary it had set up a gun court in a move to ensure that those found in possession of illegal firearms are quickly prosecuted.
Attorney General John Delaney, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest,Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force all attended the news conference, which was held after a meeting with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on gun crime.
According to police data, guns were used in 69 out of the 94 homicides recorded in 2010. Out of 17 homicides recorded so far for the year, 14 involved guns. Also last year, 351 illegal firearms and 6,224 rounds of ammunition were seized – an increase over the year before.
That announcement was made on Friday, January 28. Turnquest said that they expected suspects to appear before the court on that following Monday.
Just over four weeks later, The Nassau Guardian reported that while a magistrate had been designated for the speciality court, it still did not have a prosecutor.
And the magistrate who had been hearing the new gun cases has yet to complete any of those new gun cases.
In this space, following the announcement of the gun court, we commended the government for the court’s establishment as part of an overall strategy of driving down the high crime rate in the country.
Today we must ask if the news conference was simply a public relations exercise designed to help quiet the public’s outcry against the country’s troubling crime trends.
We saw a record-breaking murder count last year, and so far we are on pace to repeat that trend.
More than one month after the announcement, the new court is still not functioning in the way that it should.
The government is obviously making an effort to attack the problem of crime and the fear that it has created in our society; however, big news conferences attended by big names in the judiciary and the government need to be followed through with action and results.
There are a lot of illegal guns in this country.
And we still think that a gun court, if run properly and given the necessary resources, could help ensure that suspects are quickly prosecuted. This is an important part of any crime fighting strategy.
Results are not expected overnight, especially in a system that is beset with a significant case backlog. However, announcing the establishment of a court and that suspects would start appearing in a matter of days gives the distinct impression that the facility is ready to function.
This was obviously not the case.
The people deserve more than just lip service.
3/2/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Showing posts with label gun court Bahamas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gun court Bahamas. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Lots of gun crime in The Bahamas
Driving down crime
The Nassau Guardian Editorial
There are many parts to the overall strategy of driving down crime.
Aggressive policing is a must. It helps as well if police officers work within neighborhoods to build relationships so residents are more comfortable talking with police officers before and after a crime is committed.
It’s also important that special task forces go after particular crimes or zero in on high-crime areas.
There’s another part of the strategy that’s important, and that has to do with reducing the number of guns on our streets.
According to the 2010 crime statistics released last week, firearms were used in 69 of the 94 murders recorded. Firearms were also used in other serious crimes, such as armed robberies, housebreakings and burglaries, and in many cases, threats of death.
In 2010, 351 illegal firearms and 6,224 rounds of ammunition were seized. Those figures are up over the year before. In 2009, 312 illegal firearms and 4,388 rounds of ammunition were seized.
Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade has even agreed that it is time for the existing Firearms Unit to become an autonomous body given the high number of gun-related crimes.
In this space last week, The Nassau Guardian called for the government and judiciary to consider the establishment of a Gun Court to expedite the trials of suspects of gun-related crime.
Attorney General John Delaney announced on Friday that a Gun Court would be created in an attempt to ensure that those found with illegal firearms are quickly prosecuted. Gun charges will be isolated from other charges an individual may face.
The goal is to ensure that those found in possession of illegal firearms are incarcerated rather than being allowed to reoffend.
“The government is determined to make a full-frontal assault on firearm offenses,” said Delaney at Friday’s press conference, which was also attended by Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest and senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and took place following a meeting with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on gun crime.
A special inter-agency task force has also been set up to address the issue of illegal firearm possession.
The government should be commended for establishing the special court and task force, but it should not stop there.
Our gun laws are reasonably strict when it comes to gun ownership and are among the toughest in the region. The maximum penalty for illicit possession of firearms is five years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000.
The Gun Court will help ensure that suspects are quickly prosecuted, but laws must also be beefed up to ensure that individuals found guilty of such crimes do not get off easy. Special legislation is also needed to punish those found in possession of illegal assault rifles and machine guns.
We have a lot of gun crime in this country.
But a Gun Court, if operated properly, should not only help get some of those guns off the streets, but also save lives and family trauma.
That’s an important part of any crime-fighting strategy.
1/31/2011
The Nassau Guardian Editorial
The Nassau Guardian Editorial
There are many parts to the overall strategy of driving down crime.
Aggressive policing is a must. It helps as well if police officers work within neighborhoods to build relationships so residents are more comfortable talking with police officers before and after a crime is committed.
It’s also important that special task forces go after particular crimes or zero in on high-crime areas.
There’s another part of the strategy that’s important, and that has to do with reducing the number of guns on our streets.
According to the 2010 crime statistics released last week, firearms were used in 69 of the 94 murders recorded. Firearms were also used in other serious crimes, such as armed robberies, housebreakings and burglaries, and in many cases, threats of death.
In 2010, 351 illegal firearms and 6,224 rounds of ammunition were seized. Those figures are up over the year before. In 2009, 312 illegal firearms and 4,388 rounds of ammunition were seized.
Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade has even agreed that it is time for the existing Firearms Unit to become an autonomous body given the high number of gun-related crimes.
In this space last week, The Nassau Guardian called for the government and judiciary to consider the establishment of a Gun Court to expedite the trials of suspects of gun-related crime.
Attorney General John Delaney announced on Friday that a Gun Court would be created in an attempt to ensure that those found with illegal firearms are quickly prosecuted. Gun charges will be isolated from other charges an individual may face.
The goal is to ensure that those found in possession of illegal firearms are incarcerated rather than being allowed to reoffend.
“The government is determined to make a full-frontal assault on firearm offenses,” said Delaney at Friday’s press conference, which was also attended by Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest and senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and took place following a meeting with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on gun crime.
A special inter-agency task force has also been set up to address the issue of illegal firearm possession.
The government should be commended for establishing the special court and task force, but it should not stop there.
Our gun laws are reasonably strict when it comes to gun ownership and are among the toughest in the region. The maximum penalty for illicit possession of firearms is five years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000.
The Gun Court will help ensure that suspects are quickly prosecuted, but laws must also be beefed up to ensure that individuals found guilty of such crimes do not get off easy. Special legislation is also needed to punish those found in possession of illegal assault rifles and machine guns.
We have a lot of gun crime in this country.
But a Gun Court, if operated properly, should not only help get some of those guns off the streets, but also save lives and family trauma.
That’s an important part of any crime-fighting strategy.
1/31/2011
The Nassau Guardian Editorial
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A heavy focus is placed on stemming the flow of illegal drugs into The Bahamas... the same must be given to stopping the influx of illegal guns
Gun trafficking and murder in The Bahamas
thenassauguardian editorial
On Monday, The Nassau Guardian in its National Review section published some revealing figures on the homicide rate in the Caribbean.
Out of 15 countries in the region, The Bahamas had the fifth highest homicide rate last year, with 29 homicides per 100,000 people.
The international homicide standard that countries seek to be at or under is 5 per 100,000.
The Bahamas recorded a total of 96 homicides last year, and along with the vast majority of other countries in the region is far off that mark set by the United Nations.
While the latest statistics on gun killings in The Bahamas are not available, it is reasonable to state that the vast majority of killings and armed robberies in the country are done using handguns. A special license is needed to possess a handgun.
So how are these guns getting into the country and what is being done about it?
The Bahamas has reasonably strict laws when it comes to gun ownership. They are among the toughest in the region. A genuine reason must be given to obtain a firearm licence, an applicant must pass background checks, there is a limit on the number of guns any one person is permitted to possess, there is a limit on the quantity of ammunition, and gun owners must re-apply and re-qualify for a firearm license every 12 months, among other regulations.
The maximum penalty for illicit possession of firearms is five years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000.
Local law enforcement agencies must ensure that constant surveillance initiatives are conducted to break up gun smuggling operations to and through The Bahamas.
The government must be commended for putting in place additional tools and key personnel in the battle against violent crime; however, the gun laws on the books must be enforced, and amended where needed.
The government and judiciary should also consider re-establishing a ‘gun court’ in order to expedite the trials of suspects of such offenses.
If we can help stay the flow of guns into the country surely we can impact the troubling homicide rate.
A heavy focus is placed on stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the country, the same focus must be given to stopping the flow of illegal guns.
Special legislation is also needed to punish those found in possession of illegal assault rifles and machine guns. These are weapons of war. Those who use these weapons are usually involved in the drug trade. It would seem reasonable to incarcerate these individuals for a period of up to ten years if they are found on our streets with such weapons.
1/18/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
thenassauguardian editorial
On Monday, The Nassau Guardian in its National Review section published some revealing figures on the homicide rate in the Caribbean.
Out of 15 countries in the region, The Bahamas had the fifth highest homicide rate last year, with 29 homicides per 100,000 people.
The international homicide standard that countries seek to be at or under is 5 per 100,000.
The Bahamas recorded a total of 96 homicides last year, and along with the vast majority of other countries in the region is far off that mark set by the United Nations.
While the latest statistics on gun killings in The Bahamas are not available, it is reasonable to state that the vast majority of killings and armed robberies in the country are done using handguns. A special license is needed to possess a handgun.
So how are these guns getting into the country and what is being done about it?
The Bahamas has reasonably strict laws when it comes to gun ownership. They are among the toughest in the region. A genuine reason must be given to obtain a firearm licence, an applicant must pass background checks, there is a limit on the number of guns any one person is permitted to possess, there is a limit on the quantity of ammunition, and gun owners must re-apply and re-qualify for a firearm license every 12 months, among other regulations.
The maximum penalty for illicit possession of firearms is five years imprisonment and a fine of $10,000.
Local law enforcement agencies must ensure that constant surveillance initiatives are conducted to break up gun smuggling operations to and through The Bahamas.
The government must be commended for putting in place additional tools and key personnel in the battle against violent crime; however, the gun laws on the books must be enforced, and amended where needed.
The government and judiciary should also consider re-establishing a ‘gun court’ in order to expedite the trials of suspects of such offenses.
If we can help stay the flow of guns into the country surely we can impact the troubling homicide rate.
A heavy focus is placed on stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the country, the same focus must be given to stopping the flow of illegal guns.
Special legislation is also needed to punish those found in possession of illegal assault rifles and machine guns. These are weapons of war. Those who use these weapons are usually involved in the drug trade. It would seem reasonable to incarcerate these individuals for a period of up to ten years if they are found on our streets with such weapons.
1/18/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
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