The Tribune

WHILE Bahamians slept, a handful of rapists were on the prowl in eastern and western New Providence. They were attacking women in their homes in the early morning hours -- but mum was the word. There was no warning from the police, which was most unusual, nor was there any warning from government, which in view of its election promise to bring crime quickly under control if elected, was not unusual. This sudden turn of criminal events was obviously an embarrassment to the Christie government.

The news only leaked out when a reporter pressed Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson for information about a woman who had been raped around 5am in a suburb out west last Monday. The truth then started to flow -- four rapes in the east had been reported to police in the past few weeks and at least four in the west over the past month. But since the new government's election on May 7, nothing was mentioned about any of these cases in the crime report. Why?

There was an outcry when the public learned that such important information was being kept from them -- women were particularly incensed. They were vocal in letting their feelings be known. They felt they had been let down, betrayed.

Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, for whom we have great regard, protested that his organisation was professional, and knew what it was doing. He could not, he said, have everyone telling him what he should do.

"You also have to understand on the other side of this discussion," he said, "are innocent victims and their families whose identities must be protected and whose locations must be protected and who I do not wish to be repeat victims as a result of negligence on my part or my organisation in saying too much."

Commissioner Greenslade should know that the press also appreciates the need to treat these situations with a great deal of discretion. The press never names a victim nor does it give an address. But at least residents, for their own safety, should be informed that rapists are out there, and extra precautions should be taken throughout New Providence, especially in the east and west. Bahamian families feel let down, abandoned by their police force.

If Commissioner Greenslade had headed the force during the Pindling years, he would fully understand what we are writing about. It is because of the strict censorship of the police's crime reports in that era that lost the force the public's confidence - it is the same monkey that the force carries on its back today. For the past several years, the police have fought hard to regain that confidence. They have invited the public to come on board to partner with them in the fight against crime. What many are now asking is: How can we be partners if information is being kept from us? How can we continue to have confidence in our police force?

It is our opinion that today with social media -- Facebook and Twitter -- there can be no more secrets. It would have been better if the police had been the first with the information. If they had trusted the people enough, the people would have lost no confidence in them. Unfortunately, after this one, many fences will have to be mended.

On January 21, 1975, The Tribune announced in an editorial on its front page: "Censorship began today."

On the previous day, the Pindling government had announced that reporters would no longer go to the Criminal Investigation Department for their daily crime briefing. In future, Cyril Stevenson of Government Information Services would do the briefing only when he could make himself available -- which was not every day and, for The Tribune, never. Also he would be selective in the crime reports, releasing only those he felt would not damage our tourist image.

Mr Stevenson, like the late Bill Cartwright, was one of the founders of the PLP. However, by 1986 he and his party had parted ways. On July 23, he released a statement to The Tribune for publication. He told how from the "highest levels of government" he was instructed not to make certain information available to The Tribune.

During this period, there was a spate of rapes in the east. We knew nothing about them. Therefore, we published nothing. It was so bad that the victims felt that we were working with the police to suppress the news. One can imagine how we reacted to this accusation. Many victims felt that the public should be warned so that women could protect themselves. As a result we invited victims, who were willing to talk, to contact us. They responded and so whatever rape articles were published in The Tribune during that period came from the victims themselves - not the police. They did this because they felt it their duty to warn other women of the dangers. Their identities were never disclosed.

On this page today, we publish a letter from someone who had been a victim earlier. She refutes the Commissioner's and National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage's claim that the police go into the areas where the rapes are being committed to quietly alert the neighbours, "without," said Dr Nottage, "creating what could be unnecessary panic among women throughout the country". Can you imagine when each woman reaches for her Blackberry and flashes the news to her friends -- the panic is on, but our police force is silent.

Our letter writer -- four houses down from where a rape took place recently -- felt that she was one the police should have warned. They did not. She learned it by word of mouth in the community.

So, for what it is worth, our advice to our Commissioner: Be first with the news so no one can accuse you of a cover up, or of being influenced by embarrassed politicians. This will build public confidence in the force.