Branville McCartney calls for the enforcement of penalties for minor offences to bring a sense of order to The Bahamas

'We are living in a lawless society'
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A disregard for the country's laws and rising crime levels have created a "lawless" society, said former Cabinet Minister Branville McCartney as he called for the enforcement of penalties for minor offences to bring a sense of order to the Bahamas.

"When you look at crime, crime is out of control, we live in a lawless society, I don't care what the politicians say. We need to start sweating the small stuff," said the Bamboo Town MP during a recent interview with The Tribune.

The "small stuff", according to Mr McCartney, includes enforcing penalties for minor crimes like speeding, running stop lights and stop signs, parking in no-parking zones and the sale of counterfeit goods in business establishments.

Addressing the highly publicised arrests of nine straw vendors who are awaiting trial in New York for allegedly buying counterfeit designer bags they were planning to sell back home, Mr McCartney said this is an example of an area where the local authorities had fallen down on law enforcement.

"For example with the straw vendors recently, the fact of the matter is what they are doing is illegal," he said.

After the nine vendors were arrested, counterfeit bags bearing the logos of top designer brands remained on many shelves in the market. Some vendors claim the bags are top sellers, bringing in more revenue than locally made souvenirs.

This reasoning sends a "terrible message" to the nation's youth, Mr McCartney said.

He continued: "They also say that's what the tourists want. Well if the tourist wants illegal drugs are you going to give them that? If they want you to rob a bank, you going to do that?

"If people see that there are consequences for illegal actions, that's a deterrent. If people are parked in a no-parking zone they should be punished. You sweat the small stuff and things will start falling into place.

"You go to Miami, you click your seat belt. Persons will put on their seat belt because they will be fined. A simple camera on the stop light will be a deterrent (because) you know a ticket is coming right away."

Mr McCartney, former chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Crime Prevention Committee, said he is an advocate of corporal and capital punishment. "I believe in (flogging) 100 per cent. That makes an example and people will take note - drastic times require drastic measures.

"I also believe in capital punishment. That is still the law today, we have some road blocks but we are the government and we need to do things to remove these road blocks and start hanging these people who have been sentenced to death (because) the criminal is winning," he said.

Hanging and flogging remain on the country's law books, but have not been carried out for some time due to legal appeals.

All six condemned inmates at Her Majesty's Prison have active court proceedings: Maxo Tido is appealing his conviction and sentencing before the Judicial Council of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom, while Godfrey Sawyer, Wilfred McPhee, Edwin Bauld Jr, Frank Pinder and Renaldo Bonaby have all lodged proceedings at the Court of Appeal in Nassau.

October 05, 2010

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