The Tribune

By Gamal Newry

Crime’s negative impacts are not unique to the Bahamas, and when one visits other countries, you realise this very quickly. Crime is a phenomenon that transcends race, financial status, political alliances and religion. What is important is that the world is getting very much smaller, and crime-related events are now, more than ever, crossing borders.

This wild card, as I would like to call it, makes preparation and responses to such events very complex. This is because the perpetrators may not be living in the Bahamas, or can quickly escape to other jurisdictions, making the readiness and response to such matters more multifaceted and costly.

If you think that international crime does not impact you, then you perhaps are one of those persons who does not use the Internet or own a credit card. The simple act of ‘logging in’ immediately makes your presence international, and subsequently exposes you to the numerous global threats that exist.

Some important questions need to be asked regarding what we are doing to battle crime here in the Bahamas. In 2013, what were some of the strategies that the police, you, the business owner, and private citizens, implemented to reduce your exposure to loss events related to crime? What worked and what did not?

Starting with you, the citizen, what were some of the things you did to make your environment a little safer? Perhaps this year you invested in an alarm system, cameras, intrusion detection..... the whole gambit. How much did it cost, and do you feel safer? What is the response and reliability of the service provider?

These are some key questions to ask yourself, but in my opinion, do you know who lives across the street from you? As a matter of fact, do you know how they look or where they work? Can you call them if your alarm system is triggered? What about the age old ‘Neighborhood Watch’? The last few questions are very small investments, and can go a long way in ensuring your safety and survival. Remember, the alarm system and the police usually only show their worth during or after the intrusion. There are many things that were done. Now is a good time to check and revise your strategy to reduce your exposure, and increase your chances of survival.

What of the business owner? Certainly, you have invested in everything from point of sales systems to alarms, burglar bars, security guards and the like. But do you really know anything about the employee who is working for you? Have proper and continuous background checks been done?

What about forming your own local business watch or professional association, and sharing information on crime trends, inclusive of solutions. The dynamics of your business - from cash operations to merchant services - demand a more critical and aggressive approach to loss prevention. These are the types of demands you should be making of the police and your in-house security representatives. They should be more than just first responders to crime events, but should also provide tips and initiatives to reduce loss.

What of the police? Yes, the police, who are always asking the public’s help in solving crime. How have they performed? How successful is ‘Community Policing’ or the ‘12-Hour shift’? These questions should be asked and answered, as they impact our perception of the quality of life we enjoy in the Bahamas.

More cars and equipment again, but how are they being used and managed? More officers are needed, but is there proper management and deployment of the current manpower? More is good, but what are you doing with what you have? According to the crime statistics released on May 12, 2013, why are incidents such as causing harm and assault not being reported? We eagerly look forward to the statistics for 2013, which should give us a better understanding of the success and failure rates of the police. This year, perhaps, these statistics should also tell us what you did with the resources.

With that said, all groups have a lot of work to do in decreasing crime - and the fear of crime - in the Bahamas. Times, along with values and culture, have changed, so strategy and tactics must do the same if we are to better manage change. We note with concern that crime over the last two decades has skyrocketed almost 100 per cent, with only 54 recorded murders in 1994 compared to 102 at the time of this article in December 2013.

What has happened? Have we become more violent, aggressive and intolerant? What is triggering this behaviour that is making it unsafe to work and live, for visitors and Bahamians alike? The ‘blame game’ gets us nowhere, especially considering that we do not just work here, we live here, too. Be it the courts, the Government, church or school, these are all made up of individuals, who must take initiatives in making the country safer. If this is to be done, then as communicated at the start of this article, from time to time we must assess our efforts and adapt accordingly.

It was Albert Einstein who said: “To continue to do the same thing the same way, and expect a different result, is insanity.” We are reminded that crime takes on a multitude of different faces, and attempts at reducing or solving crime must take on just as many characteristics. The question and, more importantly, the answers about what we are doing individually and collectively need to be searched out now. We cannot go into 2014 doing the same thing that produced such little success in 2013.

• NB: Gamal Newry is the president of Preventative Measures, a loss prevention and asset protection training and consulting company, specialising in policy and procedure development, business security reviews and audits, and emergency and crisis management. Comments can be sent to PO Box N-3154 Nassau, Bahamas, or e-mail gnewry@gnewry@preventativemeasures.org or visit us at www.preventativemeasures.org.