THE average age of criminals in the Bahamas has decreased significantly over the last few years, according to State Minister for National Security Keith Bell.
Speaking at an anti-crime rally organised by psychologist Dr David Allen’s “The Family: People Helping People” programme, Mr Bell said many of today’s offenders are products of single parent homes.
Not long ago, he said, the average offender was between the ages of 18-34, but today, he is between 15-20.
He said a major contributor to the crime problem is the issue of absentee fathers.
“Absentee,” he said, doesn’t only refer to being physically absent – as there are fathers who are present in the home, but still missing from their children’s lives.
Mr Bell also pointed out that despite accusations that crime is being committed by Haitians and Jamaicans, most of the crime is being committed by young Bahamian men.
“We need to identify the reasons why there are repeat offenders. One reason could be that the conditions of the prison are conducive to being a breeding ground for animals,” he said.
Mr Bell added that over the past few years, the justice system has failed society, in the sense that thousands of persons have been released on bail for “heinous crimes” such as murder, armed robbery and rape.
Even worse, he said, serious criminals are now killing trial witnesses.
Bahamians are also executing suspected offenders, because they believe the system moves too slowly, Mr Bell said.
“We have lost ‘the village’ concept in the Bahamas. Many modern parents don’t know how to discipline their children; they treat their child as if they were peers,” he said.
“We then end up with a repeat of the vicious cycle. Gangs form because young boys are looking for someone to replace their absent fathers.
“Gang members take care of each other’s families. They offer support and loyalty. Hence, a sense of ‘community’ is felt when one is a member of a gang. One of the essential needs in this life is to feel as though one is a part of something.”
Mr Bell said “agents of socialisation” – including the church, schools, non-governmental organisations, the community, the media and the government – need to come together to restore peace.
But, the minister said, the Bahamas must also deal with the problem of “socially institutionalised corruption” which occurs when morals are blatantly disrespected, and society accepts it.
Crime cannot be isolated from the fact that societal values are being eroded and there is no protest, he said.
Programmes that have proven successful, such as Urban Renewal and the RBDF Rangers programme in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco, need to be duplicated and made mandatory in high schools, Mr Bell said.
The minister even suggested that the Bahamas emulates the Israeli standard, under which everyone is required to receive military training.
Comments
TalRussell 11 years, 4 months ago
Why have we turned Her Majesty's Prison into a complex for; "Housing for the poor?" Comrade Minister let's not forget the absentee bread winner's paychecks. Nothing more can decrease a 'good father's: sense of failure and vulnerability. When is this government, the party of Comrades Lynden Pindling and Milo Butler go'in to start paying serious attention to the poor? We never expected the poor to be included in the red shirts regime's agenda but this PLP administration can and should be a caring government.
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2013…
banker 11 years, 4 months ago
But they won't.
B_I_D___ 11 years, 4 months ago
Tal...if you think the PLP is out there to help the poor folk, you are sadly mistaken.
jackflash 11 years, 4 months ago
Finally,
He said something makes sense!
He is correct on all points, except for maybe the last sentence.
lazybor 11 years, 4 months ago
The last sentence is epic
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TalRussell 11 years, 4 months ago
The only epic that would ever make sense to this Comrade would be to to hear from at least one member of this government, or opposition, who is forever willing to isolate his/herself "out of reach" of the influential who never gives up a lil some'tin without expecting a bigger return on investment? Willing to fight for the very people any government's chief responsibility it is, to give a hand-up to the poor. There is some'tin seriously wrong when a government thinks they're succeeding by "promising" $10 million for urban renewal, when "one single damn Hotel owner" owes BEC a reported $10 million. Is it just me that thinks this way?
BahamaBoy 11 years, 4 months ago
Straight men are ruining this country. If they were reviled like gay men, things would be different. Right?
banker 11 years, 4 months ago
What makes you think that they are straight?
BahamaBoy 11 years, 4 months ago
OK; all these gay men having kids and abandoning them are ruining this country! More plausible? There is no stigma for being a straight man out of control. Not to mention having kids, not taking care of them and leaving them to grow up with a mother who has no idea what its like to be a man! It's high time we hold heterosexual men acceptable for breathing little terrors. Too often single mothers and homosexuals get the brunt of the discrimination.
B_I_D___ 11 years, 4 months ago
Hey Tal...you see the new Environmental Levy that debuted today? Taxes on car tires (new, used, passenger and truck), refrigerators, stoves, water heaters, washers, dryers, A/C units, motor vehicles, TV's, etc, etc...ON TOP OF the already existing duties and other taxes. Gotta suck every last penny out of the ones that cannot afford 'no new taxes'!!
SP 11 years, 4 months ago
State Minister for National Security Keith Bell has joined politicians in pointing fingers and hiding behind "absentee fathers" and so called "breakdown of the family" that has no avenue or voice to defend themselves.
Fox Hill prison is a training and breeding ground for criminals where decent people are sent to prison for foolishness, treated worse than any animal at the Humane Society and turned into vicious criminals just to survive.
These people are then let loose on the public where they practice survival skills learned in Fox Hill Prison.
The underlying major contributors to crime are undereducated, unemployed individuals and a tremendous lack of opportunity for these people. Many of whom could find employment if the illegal immigrant problem were dealt with.
PLP & FNM exclusion of the average person to participate in the growth of the nation is also another factor that cannot be ignored. People with good ideas and money were routinely denied opportunities for decades.
No amount of pointing fingers will save the PLP & FNM. All of whom were quite capable of seeing the need and were wise enough to send all of their children to private schools and start business ventures, but were unable to see their way clear to afford the same for the average citizen.
Shut up Mr. Bell! You guys need to do what is necessary to fix the Judiciary, resolve the revolving bail door, collect the trash out on bail and carry out the law as is on the books pertaining to serious crime, murders etc.
Otherwise, I and thousands of citizens are just marking time until the next general election when we WILL-----VOTE-----YOU----OUT!!!
PLP & FNM S-U-C-K-S.......All for me is an under statement for these leaches.
guyfawkes 11 years, 4 months ago
you know it really makes me sick how this government keeps trying to find someone to blame for our rising level of crime. you said you had the answer and would be ready on day 1.
concernedcitizen 11 years, 4 months ago
this is so absolutey simple it is maddening ,,we are making children faster than our GDP can absorb them ,,ie Haiti ,JAMAICA ,,We can no longer pad the civil service w/ them with out devaluing our currency ,plus a majority of them are too anti social for even civil service jobs ,,in boom years 2002 to 2007 we created 18,000 jobs ,as per stats by dept of labor ,and 25,000 children left school ,not graduated b/c 12,000 of them left w/ just a certificate of completion ,how many more drop out before leaving ,,its extremely simple look at the crime rates in countries w/ stable birth rates ,,2 children per couple ,,homocide rates of less then 2 per 100,000,,ours is like a war zone at 27 per 100,000 ,,jamaica is 40 per 100,000 ,,and don,t talk nonsense about fantasy industries ,there are very shrewed people here that if there were feasable industries that could make them fortunes and provide jobs they would be in them ,,irresponsibility can not produce responsibility ,,
TalRussell 11 years, 4 months ago
Minister Bell more than anyone should know that there HAS NOT been an overcrowding at Fox Hill Prison because of housing the "convicted" in a long number of years. In fact the prison remains well below its prison allocated population. Yes, the prison's maximum security unit is indeed overcrowded but not with housing dangerous criminals. It is being used to house those on remand who are awaiting trail. Comrades some 60% of the prison population have never been convicted of any crime. The courts will send you there for anything from stealing a pound of baloney sausage, to serving time in debtors' prison. Truth is if you released those with MINOR drug and other substance abuse and petty convictions and those on remand for MINOR charges, there would be less than 500 actual criminals being housed up at Fox Hill Prison on any given day. Far below the 1,348 it was designed to house. Comrades it's all one big lie, government after government. The colour their shirts ain't mean a damn thing.
Bahamianpride 11 years, 4 months ago
Tal makes a valid point.. That is an unacceptable situation because its costing the Bahamian people large sums of money to house, feed and provide medical care for these minor offenders and highlights a dysfunctional Judicial System. The Minister is right about the role of Men.. The issue becomes how has the role of men changed in our culture and how does that influence the selection by young women of the men they choose to procreate with.. Poverty, Pop culture and the lack of a proper male role model has an influence on this... Then there are those young ladies who are given the proper upbringing but still choose to associate with Pop cultures example of a Man.. Materialism is a factor... The cash and defiant swagger of the Thug and the portrayal of a certain adventurous lifestyle can draw young women with them if there morals are not strong in determining what a respectable man should be... Men are motivated to do most things for the prize of a women, so if women raised the standards and stop associating with the low lifers, it would be amazing how quickly this irresponsible breeding and single parent nonsense would come to an end.. Remember in high school the girls went for the Bad Asses or Guys with money. Along with this dialog about Men we must address the Virtues of today many young women seek in a partner..
concernedcitizen 11 years, 4 months ago
how can a single women have 5 babies for different men and expect the results to be good ,how can Bahamian males have 3 inside children and 4 outside and expect the results to be good ...infant mortality rates are not what they were in the 1800,s people don,t have to have 8 to 9 children to have population growth....Tals is right our judicuary is failing ...look at the countries w/ responsible birth rates ,,extremely low crime ,,ie norway ,sweden etc ,,,
TalRussell 11 years, 4 months ago
Best you get's out your head that troubled little Comrades just come out of single parent and poor family homes. It just ain't so. Our little Comrade children are suppose to wait until they become adults before they become fathers and mothers themselves. To be responsible. To be compassionate for others. Sadly, either they have stopped listening to us, or we as parents have stop behaving like real parents are suppose to behave. Even when we do our mightiest best our children can disappoint us. Let's not as parents, disappoint our little Comrades. Growing up takes an entire lifetime. The parable of the two sons:teaches us that even wealthy parents can run into disappointments with their children. The younger son runs away from home, while the other son does right, but he alienates himself by working too hard and dutifully fulfilling all his obligations. Their father grieves over both sons, because with neither of them does he experience the intimacy he desires. God has never created a force more rewarding than intimacy between parents and our little Comrades.The type of intimacy awaiting our youth up at Fox Hill Prison should only be inflicted upon our youth, after all other options have been exercised by our Judges. Let's stop jailing our youth. Let's separating our children from their parents by reducing how easily our Judges are sending parents to jail, for small time offenses.
Bahamianpride 11 years, 4 months ago
Tal and Concerned make valid points... the question is as a nation how do u address the problem... First the government and citizens must accept that it is the problem.. We cannot stop irresponsible people from having sex, that's there right, nor can we make demands that until u are of fit mind and substance u have no right to produce children, its a violation of individual civil rights and would be discrimination. The only options we have with the heavy influence of pop culture that fuels irresponsibility is education and a stronger push for contraception.. But then there is a segment of our society that need to be arrested for continuing to not use proper contraception and bringing more children into this world.. How do u hold these people accountable or educate them to stop doing this Concernedcitizen? To tal how would u tackle the social problems that exist if u where Prime Minister?
concernedcitizen 11 years, 4 months ago
i agree w/ Tals that bad kids can come from more then single parents ,but a single mother of 5 w/ 3 differents daddies stacks the deck againts responsible child rearing ..i also agree that we are filling the jails w/ non violent petty offenses ..The being" sexually responsible" part will take a cultural shift and i,m not sure we are capable of that ,,
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