The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am immensely concerned about the increasing number of incidents of crime involving dangerous drugs and illegal firearms that are taking place on Harbour Island. Since the beginning of the year, the Royal Bahamas Police Force has reported several incidences of drug and firearm seizures on that island.

In the first instance – according to police reports, shortly after 9:00 am, officers attached to the Harbour Island Police Station proceeded to a residence situated on Barrack’s Street. Upon their arrival, they observed a male sitting on a bucket cutting up what appeared to be suspected marijuana. Upon further checks of the premises, a large quantity of suspected marijuana was discovered, and subsequently a male was arrested and taken into police custody.

Less than a month later on May 6th, sometime around 2:45 am, officers attached to the Harbour Island Police Station executed a search warrant on a residence located in the area of Dunmore and Munnings Street. The statement went on to say that a quantity of suspected marijuana along with a high-powered weapon and ammunition were discovered, and subsequently, a male resident was arrested and taken into police custody.

These incidents come on the heels of a brutal murder that took place back on February 8th 2021 when a man was found dead outside of a residence on Barrack Street. In that matter, officers responded to reports of a shooting incident shortly after 10pm on the night in question and on arrival in the Barrack Street area, found the victim lying on the ground near a residence with apparent gunshot wounds. A twenty-nine-year-old male resident of Harbour Island has since been charged with that particular offence and is currently on remand at The Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Being the father of a two-year-old male toddler who resides on Harbour Island, the alarming number and nature of crimes taking place in that district has me extremely perturbed. I humbly submit that Harbour Island is in a state of social disarray and that the aforementioned incidents are not isolated, but represent the continuous erosion of that out-island community’s moral and social fiber. To put things into perspective – on the outside, Harbour Island serves as a picturesque tourist destination and is considered the playground for the world’s rich and famous – however, deep within the crevices of that community exists a myriad of social ills and nefarious activities. The rapidly deteriorating state-of-affairs requires urgent intervention from both public and private stakeholders and as such, I am making a public appeal to the powers that be to do all that they can to restore and preserve ‘Briland’s’ once quiet dignity.

A CONCERNED FATHER

Nassau,

June 4, 2023.