Carlos Reid, a consultant in the Ministry of National Security. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
CRIME consultant Carlos Reid has called for accountability after a man accused of murdering a key witness in his armed robbery case allegedly breached his bail conditions 81 times before the killing, saying “somebody dropped the ball”.
Mr Reid said the repeated violations should never have gone unchecked and urged authorities to investigate how the accused allegedly failed to report to police for months without being brought back before the court.
“I think somebody should be accountable. Somebody should be made to bear,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “No, we can't wait until like somebody die before we sound that alarm.”
His comments came after a 39-year-old man was charged on Monday with murdering James McPhee on Carmichael Road on July 12, weeks before McPhee was expected to testify in the accused man’s armed robbery trial.
Prosecutors allege the accused failed to report to his local police station on 81 occasions between January 3 and July 8.
He attempted to plead guilty to violating his bail conditions, but the court entered a not guilty plea after he disputed the prosecution’s account of the offence.
Mr Reid said the electronic monitoring provider informed him that the accused remained under electronic surveillance and had not gone off the grid.
He argued that authorities could have easily located the man by checking the monitoring system or contacting the provider after he allegedly stopped reporting to the police station.
“That should’ve never happened and in the future, we hope that don't happen again,” he said. “If the court sanctions that you sign it, then you sign in. If you miss signing in, then you're in breach of a court order. You should be taken back to court and if there's any time that they wanted to find that person, that person was being monitored. They could have found him in a heartbeat.”
Asked whether police should have alerted McPhee, Mr Reid said the attorney general should examine the issue and determine what authorities are required to do when an accused person repeatedly breaches a reporting condition.
“We have to start someplace,” he said. “If there's a breach, what is the protocol for that? If somebody refuses to sign in when they have been summoned to sign in, then what is the next step? I think that needs to be looked at, and that should never happen and in speaking with the Minister of National Security, that will never happen again.”
However, Attorney General Wayne Munroe yesterday played down the public safety significance of the reporting condition, saying its purpose is to ensure that an accused person appears for trial.
“The more positive way that we have to protect the public with people on bail if they're considered dangerous is to electronically monitor them,” he said. “That way you know where they are 24 hours a day, as opposed to the one moment you walk in a police station and sign a book or do the biometric thing so the condition of signing into a police station is about preventing from you absconding.”
Asked whether the alleged breaches were nevertheless alarming, Mr Munroe questioned why someone being electronically monitored would also need to report to a police station.
“If he's being electronically monitored, I don't understand why somebody who's being electronically monitored needs to sign in at a police station,” he said. “You know where to find him 24 hours a day.”
Mr Munroe again said anyone who feels threatened can alert the police. He said officers would investigate and determine whether the witness should be removed from their home or relocated elsewhere.
Comments
Sickened 1 day, 9 hours ago
First off, more that one person should get the reports about someone not signing in. That way you can't just bribe one person to look the other way.
Second, Reid states that they could have found him in a heartbeat. That would only be true if the person on bail chooses to recharge his ankle bracelet, and obviously a fella who doesn't sign in is NOT recharging his own tracking device. DUH!!!
Thirdly, putting a criminal in charge of locking his own cell behind him (i.e. recharging an ankle bracelet) is STUPID. The process should be that a person being monitored must recharge his ankle bracelet as part of the process of signing in. If the bracelet looses power in less than a week, then the person must sign in more than once a week. SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tell_it_like_it_is 1 day, 7 hours ago
Crime consultant? Yeah, what you are actually doing to help fight against crime again?
licks2 1 day, 6 hours ago
Her we go again. . .talking nonsense about something that is not the issue in the discussions!! Both Reid and Munros are making sense. . .logic and reason is very important in making national decisions! Again, I do agree also that the bail condition made it clear that singing in was a part of getting to go free until trail. Therefore, I would go back to the Police as fault. . .their part of the process was to monitor signing in at the point-of-contact (station)! The Police dropped the ball. . .the consultant is right on target in his assessments!! Please remember that is what consultants do. . .tell us how to maximize activities. He is telling us how to repair this breach!
Sickened 1 day, 5 hours ago
He only told us that procedures need to be put in place if someone doesn't sign in. Surely these procedures are already in place? And Mr. Munroe doesn't seem to know if there are procedures or what they may be, if there are any. His comment about why have them sign in if they are being monitored is also very ignorant. There are several reasons why a person should show themselves in person and one of them should be to ensure that the bracelet has not been tampered with AND to recharge it at the station.
hrysippus 1 day, 4 hours ago
IMO CRIME consultant Carlos Reid is a disgraceful waste of our taxpayers dollars. An embarrassment.
bahamianson 1 day, 2 hours ago
We all know how to do this. We all know what goes on on the police force, defense force , immigration, customs, road traffic. This is a corrupt society. We do not need a crime consultant whom is a pastor. Seriously? So, how do we prevent from keep dropping the ball….. every month?!!! Nothing is every done .
TalRussell 23 hours, 44 minutes ago
-- Not all so obscenely waste the popoulaces' paid AG along with one of his many crime consultants; it seems they're learning. --Yes?
rosiepi 23 hours, 2 minutes ago
So if Mr Monroe, his prosecutors & his PD are doing that demanded by Bahamian law concerning their sworn duty “to support and protect witnesses and victims”, not jeopardize the “life, safety and well being of victims and witnesses..and…to use good judgment” as to any impending dangers, then why would none of them act proactively act to protect their witnesses?
Surely they don’t want us to think they care nothing about the ongoing intimidation and murderous efforts tanking their prosecutions.
pro_test 10 hours, 1 minute ago
The fact that this criminal was captured by his victim, held until the police came and is fighting a open and closed case says he has no plans on serving any time for his crime. He should of never gotten bail. OH and he has a history of violent offenses
Sickened 7 hours, 30 minutes ago
What we need is people with good morals and integrity in senior positions throughout our country. We do NOT need the people we have now.
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