No Quick Fix to Crime Crisis

The Bahama Journal Editorial


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 2nd, 2010

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International