The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE arrested two women after seizing drugs and and a gun and are hunting a shooting suspect following two separate incidents yesterday, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander.

In the first incident, officers responded to reports of gunshots in the area of Peach Street, just off Montrose Avenue yesterday morning.

ACP Fernander said officers met a suspect, an adult male known to police, and gave chase.

Officers were unsuccessful in apprehending him, but did recover the firearm believed to be used in the incident.

ACP Fernander, the officer in-charge of crime investigations, said: "Before the day is out, I promise you that he will be in police custody."

Flanked by several officers, he added: "This is what the Bahamian people want. They want that quick response time. If they call the police to say there is a crime going on in their community, they want that quick response. And that is what you saw here this afternoon and you are going to see that consistently across the board."

Also on Thursday, officers executed a search of a home in the Deveaux Street area suspected of being the base of a known drug enterprise.

ACP Fernander said upon a search of the property, officers recovered several quantities of cocaine, marijuana and a firearm.

Police took two women from the home into custody.

Addressing the arrests, ACP Fernander said he would inquire what additional charges could be brought to the pair given that the discovery was made in such close proximity to a school.

ACP Fernander said the community is a hangout for many children, a factor he called concerning due to current crime statistics.

"It is so sad that just down the street is a school for special need kids, and you have a drug-house setup right in that area. Isn't that sad? That is something that we are going to look at.

"We have two female adults in custody for this same matter. And we will look at it because there is a school right there and we are looking at the time sentence if convicted . . . So we are going to look at all the laws to see whether that is covered."

He also said: "This community is known, as you look around you see a number of kids who are moving about and this setup is right in the heart of the community.

"So you see how we are losing our kids on both sides of the coin, as deceased persons and as accused persons who are charged for these crimes."

On Monday, police arrested about 30 people during an early morning operation in southwest New Providence.

ACP Fernander confirmed that several of these persons are still in police custody, but did give an exact count.

He also confirmed yesterday operation was in line with Monday's massive operation.

ACP Fernander reiterated that police will continue to strike unexpectedly, with massive force, in unsuspecting areas.

He said the strategy has already resulted in police gaining valuable information and making several key arrests.

"We are going to continue," he said. "All is not lost. We just want to ask you members of the public and these communities, don't let these criminals try to tie you in with them. Weed them out, assist the police in weeding these persons out of your community so you will be able to move safely through and with your kids who can be playing in the street and have no problems."