PLP: Three hundred and forty-nine (349) murders under the FNM watch

The Progressive Liberal Party

“THE BAHAMAS LOOSING WAR ON CRIME: THE FNM GOVERNMENT MUST DO MORE

The Progressive Liberal Party has concluded that The Bahamas is loosing the war on crime and the Free National Movement Government must do much more to preserve our Country. The Bahamas is now witnessing its own crime Tsunami due to the indifference and ineffectiveness of the FNM Government to counter crime and criminality. Bahamian men and women are being killed in such gruesome unprecedented manner and the FNM Government does not have a clue as to how to stop the bloodshed of innocent lives. Most of the recent murder victims have left behind children who now have to be cared for by families and the State but nothing can ever replace the care, nurturing and love of a parent. The last murder victim was that of a young female whose body was found in a bag.

Despite his inability to introduce a national comprehensive anti-crime strategy, the FNM continues to leave Minister Tommy Turnquest as Minister of National Security. The FNM Government must be held answerable for this crime wave which has gripped the Country by fear.

Since coming to office in 2007, there has been a total of three hundred and forty-nine (349) murders under the FNM watch, ninety (90) more murders than was recorded between 2002 and 2006 – the entire period of the PLP’s administration (see table below).

For the first quarter of 2011, there have been at least twenty-nine (29) recorded murders. If this present trend continues, The Bahamas will witness some one hundred and sixteen murders by the end of 2011.

The PLP is deeply concerned not only by the number of murders that has been committed thus far in 2011, but also by a number of other factors surrounding these incidents, namely:

(1)  More than 50 %  of these murders occurred between the hours of 4pm and 12 midnight and more than 25 % occurred at residences when families and children are at home;

(2)  More than 50 % were the result of retaliation and unresolved conflicts;

(3)  More than 75 % were committed with the use of a high powered firearm;

(4)  More 80 % involved young victims between the ages of 18 years and 45 years; and

(5)  The detection rate has significantly fallen.

The PLP contends that this is unacceptable. While the PLP does not directly blame the FNM for crime causation, the PLP asserts that the ineffectiveness of the FNM to address growing crime trends and concerns to ensure that crime is kept at manageable levels, has resulted in this crime explosion.

For instance, more than half of the murders that were committed in 2011 so far occurred in the “over the hill” areas. During its term in office, the PLP recognized that these areas were most at risk for the commission of serious offences. Part of the PLP’s answer was to bring services and resources into the hearts of these communities through the Urban Renewal Programmes. The Police was very much involved in these Programmes and was able to gather information and intelligence on crime and criminals. This Programme was ‘scrapped’ or ‘watered down’ by the FNM Government as soon as they took office.

The FNM Government also stopped the School Policing programme, the Witness Protection Programme, the Swift Justice Initiative and the potent Intelligence Initiative that was put in place by the PLP Government to counter the proliferation of firearms and firearm violence.

 The PLP advises the Ingraham administration that we cannot continue to allow our citizens to be flagrantly executed in the prime of their lives’. We cannot continue to showcase The Bahamas to the world as a safe destination, and we certainly cannot turn a blind eye as our women, our children and daughters are being murdered.