The Tribune

THE PLP recognises that crime is quickly escalating and that the duty of a government is to keep the public safe, "but my God, give us some time!"

This was the plea of a harried PLP chairman, Bradley Roberts, when on a radio talk show yesterday he took a call from a Bahamian who questioned him about the alarming escalation in murders.

So far this year, there have been 57 murders. Of that number, 12 of them were committed since the PLP became the government -- in the short span of one week. We are not suggesting that the change of government had anything to do with the spike in murders. However, we must remind Mr Roberts that, according to the Greenberg, QuinlanRosner report -- commissioned by the PLP in 2007 - his party's support in general comes from a socio-economic group with less than a high school education. And, as Mr Roberts well knows, when this group is promised something, it wants instant results.

"Man, there was plenty noise in that bus this morning!" was the comment of an excited maid on arrival at work yesterday morning. "They all yelling and screaming 'bout PLP promise to end crime, instead crime going up! Boy, dem people mad!"

Apparently, that bus load of workers going to their various places of employment were all upset about the three weekend murders, especially on top of the nine during the week.

Of course, as Mr Robert pointed out, some of the new ministers have not yet found their way around their offices. These are issues that candidates should remember on the campaign trail when they are making impossible promises that they know they can't keep.

However, a simple electorate are foolish enough to take them at their word. In fact their supporters do expect the impossible, after all wasn't it the impossible that their candidate promised them at the various election rallies?

Persons in government also make the situation worse for themselves when they try to dance around the truth.

According to Mr Roberts, the PLP's crime prevention programme -- all wrapped up in their secret weapon, Urban Renewal -- "worked during the Christie administration's time and it was able to put a lid on crime and contain crime."

It is true that during the Christie administration crime was not as high as it was during the Ingraham administration, but it was steadily growing. No administration has put a lid on crime -- no, not even the first Christie government with its Urban Renewal.

As we have repeated in this column- and the figures will show -- crime started to climb in the seventies as the narcotics trade was getting off the ground. There was a PLP government that made it possible for Joe Lehder to plant his Colombian flag at Norman's Cay and carry on a flourishing drug trade, with drug dealers in-and-out and the economy flourishing on the narco dollar -- hitting a high point with the 1984 Commission of Inquiry exposing just how high the corruption went. This was this country's undoing -- its slide into perdition. The seeds of crime were planted then and ever since there has been a steady growth -- even through the Christie (2002-2007) years. There has been no slacking off, just a steady growth, with it appearing to have got an adrenaline boost during the past week.

So, the PLP should not fool itself by thinking the introduction of their crime prevention measures during those years will turn the tide this time. They have to show a great deal more imagination than that and with the Police and Defence forces work out their "additional features" that we have heard so much about. So if they have a secret bag of tricks, they better open them quickly and get moving, because their base support is already growing impatient.

Prime Minister Christie made a curious remark during the appointment of the seven PLP senators yesterday. He explained that swearing-in ceremonies were an integral and long-standing part of the constitutional process and served to display the quality of persons both elected and selected for governance.

"Those people who criticise," he said, "ought to really be focused on the very chilling reality that our predecessors in office have overspent on roads more than $100 million.

"If they want to talk about wastage, if they want to talk about ostentatious demonstration of money being spent, that's what they should be focused on."

We don't know who has been criticising the PLP's obvious spending on show, but we must remind Mr Christie that, during a recession, ostentatious ceremonies are put aside. At least with the roadwork, when completed, there is something worthwhile to show for money spent.

A party is here today, gone tomorrow -- at least good roads to drive on are here for the use of generations to come. During a recession, no matter how small, it is important to get our priorities right.