Prime Minister Perry Christie
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE a murder count now in the triple digits, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday he still thinks his government has the answer to the country’s escalating crime problem.
Mr Christie said while the levels of crime in the country have him “anxious” at times, he is optimistic that the government will get a handle on crime, very soon.
The Prime Minister’s comments came after the Opposition criticiSed the PLP for claiming to have all the answers to crime during the last general election but failing to deliver on their promise to reduce it.
In response, Mr Christie said the government is rolling out a new crime strategy that will saturate the streets of the capital with police and stop the crime before it happens.
“I really am optimistic that we are going to minimise the impact of crime. I am optimistic about the future and how we are going to deal with crime.
“We will continue to work towards ensuring the right programs are in place. We have to add more manpower and more equipment and that is what we are doing now,” he said.
“I think I still have the answer have in terms of the strategy.
“I have to be satisfied when I say saturation that my meaning of saturation is agreed to by police. Saturation to me means where I keep on dedicating new levels of resources to this island.
“It should be that when someone leaves an area, that is a hot area by the police standards and definition, they are picked up immediately and they are searched and there is some impositions on some freedoms but we are not going to allow people to drive this country away by walking into places and shooting people, that cannot happen.
“I want to continue towards ensuring that the strategy that we articulated is implemented and its a process that continues to require more material and manpower and more cars and we will reach the point where we have that level of saturation.”
Mr Christie said he wants to arrive at the point when every young man knows if he leaves his house with a gun, there is a 90 per cent chance he will be picked up before he reaches his intended destination.
Comments
realfreethinker 11 years ago
Every flipping month they rolling out a new crime strategy,more saturation patrols and other shit. maybe they need to go back to some old strategies cuz the new ones aint working. I just tired of all the damn talk get with it already.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
These people are crazy. They saturated the streets 4(?) weeks ago and while the streets were saturated there were at least two murders.
Do you have the answer to corruption as well?
B_I_D___ 11 years ago
Dang it...I hate it when that happens!! I was drinking some soda when I read the headlines...straight through my nose!!
proudloudandfnm 11 years ago
Seriously now. How many times can PGC say "very soon" and still be taken seriously?
Straight_Talk_Bahamas 11 years ago
Wow... Am I the only one that finds this statement disturbing?
atwr 11 years ago
Its just a matter of months now and the Bahamian people will demand an election to get leadership that gets results....
briwest1773 11 years ago
Government needs to understand that crime prevention starts from primary school..if we want the country to be better for those that will come after us...we need to teach our children to be decent human beings. Although that's a parent's job, if the parents are not doing it then some sort of program needs to be implemented in schools. Catching criminals is fine, but we are a society that is breeding criminals. So we must get to the root of the problem, which is, young people lack direction, and good life lessons. Unfortunately, schools will have to pick up the slack where some wutless parents fail...or else we are DOOMED!!
blackcat 11 years ago
I agree and just mentioned the importance of education in another post. A failing education system coupled with a complete lack of morals and decent values= disaster. We are reaping what we have sown in previous years. A greedy, all for me baby culture has been around for many years now and this is the fruit of our own labour.
These kids are shuffled through the education system, barely able to read and write by the time they leave school. They have no support from their parents, there is no one teaching them love and good, solid values. Kids need direction and when there is no emphasis on schooling (which can open minds and doors), and no love and support at home- what do we expect to happen?!
We must improve the education system and rule out corruption from the rich to the poor in order to save this country.
john33xyz 11 years ago
Unless you can get the Christian Council to order their member churches (and advise non-member churches) to donate 10% of what comes in the plate to a private group (authorized by the Min of Educ) to perform maintenance repair work and add additional lighting, and basketball nets, and softball field lights and pay for evening security guards - etc etc. Then we are wasting our time.
If the church is not willing to get behind such a campaign (and not just talk but give some of their endless supply of money) - then it will fail.
asiseeit 11 years ago
Politrickans will never have the answer for crime in this country because they are the reason for crime. They thrive on it. The political class of this country only cares about votes and if they where to stop crime they would hurt themselves more than anyone as they would loose votes. It is a numbers game. Just look at the crime of numbers, they will not shut it down because of votes and money but on the other hand they will not legalize numbers because of votes and money. They ask what is the root of crime and I say "LOOK IN THE MIRROR!" The political class of this country is the root of our crime problem.
John 11 years ago
Unless GOD is with the watchman when he guards the city, then his effort in vain...((in vain do they worship me))......2 Chronicles 33:1-25 Without GOD we cannot heal this land.
Hezekiah was a god-fearing king who brought about reformation among the Israelites. His son Manasseh, however, was an evil ruler. He had watched his father walk with God and live according to Scripture. Yet he chose to ignore the Lord.
Manasseh worshipped false gods, even to the point of sacrificing his sons by fire in order to praise Molech. He practiced much evil—including witchcraft and sorcery— and led Israel astray, thereby provoking God to anger. The king, along with the people, paid a high price for his rebellion.
This story illustrates the Lord’s intolerance of a nation’s disregard toward Him. Now consider our country. We, too, are a nation that pushes God aside—one that has turned away from the only true God and embraced idols. Perhaps these aren’t statues of stone, but we worship money, sports ability, fame, politicians, numbers and gambling and reputation, even drinking alcohol to name a few.
The Bahamas, like the United States of America, was founded on biblical principles with the intent to guarantee freedom of worship. But over time, we have removed the Lord from many aspects of public life. Prayer in schools, for instance, was deemed unconstitutional. What was once a “nation under God” has turned into a country that tolerates a growing number of sins and yet belittles absolute truth. If a nation turns its back on the Lord, His judgment is inevitable unless the people repent and make Him Lord once again. As believers, our responsibility is to pray that God would draw the heart of our country back to Himself—and to help the gospel and truth spread through our land.
banker 11 years ago
Well, I can blow your theory out of the water. Canada was one of the first countries to allow gay marriage. Canada was the first country to de-criminalise small amounts of marijuana. Canada was one of the first countries to open abortion clinics nationwide. Canada doesn't have prayers in school. They do not have the death penalty. And how did God punish Canada? He made it the number one choice of countries to live in, as rated by the UN. I direct you to the Canadian news at cbc.ca. There was an article today. Let me quote:
They have 34.88 million people and there were 543 murders.
So, actually those Canadian heathens where men sleep with men, and children are aborted on a daily basis, and marijuana is acceptable are blessed by your god. What does that tell you?
VS 11 years ago
Clearly it tells us readers that you are a GODLESS human being...........
briwest1773 11 years ago
Sodom was once a thriving city too!....Time will tell!
John 11 years ago
and Gomorrah!
JohnDoes 11 years ago
@banker it tells us that your rather gain the world and lose your soul. @banker doesnt believe in God. @banker is an atheist, conspiracy theorist that will do anything to twist facts to represent his own desires and beliefs. Yet to prove his point gay marriage was first on his list, he is not a believer, his morals are mixed up. @banker is the reason why so many are disconnected. He claims that the bible is a "book of fairy tales that is contradictory" he also goes on to say that "people will go to their graves believing that they will magically meet a prehistoric 33 year old Jewish man after they die, who's father "created" the universe. Life on earth, and especially life in the Bahamas should teach you that there ain't no magic. If there was, the Haitians would be rich with their voodoo." Banker is the devil in disguise, he preaches about change yet he is the root of the evil and confusion that is taking place.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
If you guys are trying to win banker over to Christianity you're doing a piss poor job of it. What a turnoff that would be, tell someone how great of a Christian you are by quoting a bunch of scripture and then tell them that their soul is worthless dirty and you think they'll be the last person to make it to heaven...come on people, read a chapter from How to win Souls and Influence Sinners.
I was trying to remember times Jesus actually got angry and the only time I can recall is when he was speaking against the church people, isnt that amazing!!?
John 11 years ago
That YOU need to move to Canada!
SP 11 years ago
Christie needs to stop talking and begin by getting rid of the damn illegals.
Crime, drugs, fire arms and human trafficking would immediately drop considerably and several thousand jobs will become available simultaneously.
Don't tell me you are serious about crime if you cannot acknowledge the relationship between illegals and illegal activities!!
We are not the 40 years proven idiots here.
pat242 11 years ago
Crime is everyone problem and everyone must work together and combat crime. So stop pointing fingers, complaining and work with the necessary agencies to combat and reduce crime. Parents need to be more patient and have a better interest in raising their children and do not take up for them when they are wrong. If you do, you are no better than the child who commits the crime. The government is doing all that it can reference to crime. But Bahamians need to come together and tackle this situation. Do not wait till crime effects you before you do something about it.
SP 11 years ago
Whats this crap about crime is everyones problem? You die hards better wake up and smell reality.
Citizens do not:
Write laws or allow criminals to waltz out on bail through the judicial system
Allow the country to be over run with white collar and blue collar illegal criminals
Catch Dominican poachers with huge boat loads of seafood and free them to try again
Uncover human smuggling rings, fine them $300.00 & free ride home to find another load
Capture illegals heading to jobs but do not fine the employer for hiring illegals
If GOVERNMENT would stop the STUPIDITY as above there will be a marked decrease in crime.....Citizens are powerless against the GROSS STUPIDITY OF GOVERNMENT!
Honestman 11 years ago
Mr. Prime Minister, how many fools do you think inhabit the islands of The Bahamas?
B_I_D___ 11 years ago
last count around the 300,000 mark and growing exponentially...
TalRussell 11 years ago
As 2013 draws to a close I decided to revisit my brain for an complete analysis of PM Christie's most overused word. And my Dear Comrades, da winner for 2013 is “anxious."
ProfessorTinker 11 years ago
Perry if you would take the time to read these comments you just might figure out how to run the country.
John 11 years ago
The answer to crime is simple::::: S T O P disenfranchising B A H A M I A N S, especially the young ones. They are sick and tired of seeing their country being given away. They are sick and tired of being re-enslaved by foreigners all over again. PUT BAHAMIANS FIRST...no other country in the world makes their citizens second and third class citizens, putting them behind tourists and foreign investors. BAHAMIANS must have a sense of direction, a sense of ownership, and the comfort of knowing that the BAHAMAS belongs to them. They must know that their country is no magic carpet that some carpet bagger from a distant land could make disappear from under them at the stroke of a pen. (LOOK at what is going on in BIMINI). Bahamians want ownership not just (slave) jobs.
John 11 years ago
Do something with these radio stations that promote crime and violence , even gang rape and robbery on a 24 hour basis. And what about that fast food chain, BURGER KING, that is promoting angry food? Does the angry burger have anything to do with mad cow disease, or is Burger King sending a subliminal message to our young people: that it is ok to be mad and angry and go kill someone even...wake up Bahamians!
bismark 10 years, 12 months ago
The police force needs more manpower 3000 police spread over an archipelago is simply not enough to police this population of over 350000.when you have almost 170000 living on New Providence alone,it is simply not enough police officers
LiangChang 10 years, 11 months ago
we china think Bahamas is very violent in my country we dont tolerate crimes consequencies are very brutal. you people must organize better this country.
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