The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE Nassau Guardian reported that the murder of Dario ‘‘China’’ Knowles marked the 100th murder for 2012.

But Bahamaspress.com said that that murder was murder number 103. Many Bahamians are confused about the true number of murders that have been recorded so far this year, because the media is giving us conflicting figures. So, which is it?

Was the murder of Knowles murder number 100 or 103? We need clarity in this matter. Right now it appears as if somebody is attempting to play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the Bahamian public regarding the true murder count for the year.

Either the media is falling down on the job or, God forbid, some high ranking Royal Bahamas Police Force official is intentionally doctoring the numbers in order to make the Urban Renewal Programme look effective in bringing down the high murder rate.

Ever since the introduction of Urban Renewal 2.0, it appears as if some are trying to make the Bahamian public believe that the criminal enterprise and law-abiding citizens in Nassau are now singing kumbaya.

In any event, something is fishy with the official murder count.

It is beginning to look as if somebody is attempting to insult the intelligence of the Bahamian people. I believe the Bahamaspress.com article gave a more accurate murder count. In fact, I think the true murder count is in the neighbourhood of 110 or thereabouts.

True, the murder count is not as high as last year’s murder count. But I think this is due to the fact that many of the gang leaders and drug lords have either been bumped off or are rotting away in Fox Hill Prison. I implore the Police Force to cut the act and be more forthcoming with the Bahamian people. We have a right to know how many of our fellow citizens have been murdered.

So please stop embellishing the crime situation. We know we have a serious crime problem in this country. No amount of PR spin is going to convince us otherwise.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama,

December 4, 2012.