The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

“WHERE is the plan to address this high level of crime?” Bahamas Against Crime executive director Rev CB Moss demanded to know yesterday afternoon while leading an anti-crime rally in a rainy Rawson Square.

Pointing to the country’s persistent crime levels, Rev Moss accused the government of “negligence” and called on the country to unite to fight the “escalating” crime levels. Around 50 people showed up for the event, including relatives of crime victims, which started as a march from Clifford Park before ending downtown as rain began to fall.

“The Bahamian people are really tired of this level of crime and the people want the government to do something about it,” Rev Moss told the press.

“The truth of the matter is, whether the government wants to acknowledge it or not, they are negligent in their duty for not moving ahead and preparing a national plan of action to address this crime.

“They’re going to wait until our tourism economy is wrecked. And then, the Bahamian people are just as bad – they’re looking to the government for leadership and the government is not providing it on the issue of crime; and the government is looking for the people to push them and the Bahamian people are not pushing them. So the government is negligent, the people are negligent. What else can I say.”

The purpose of the march and rally was to send three “strong” messages to the government, to criminals, and to the world, Rev Moss said.

“The first message we wanted to send was to the government to say to them they have a mandate, a responsibility, an obligation, to provide a reasonable level of security for the citizenry which is not now being provided,” he said.

“The criminal element, we want to say to them that we are law-abiding citizens, we are not prepared to stand by, idly while they wreak havoc on this society.

“But the criminals think we are joking and that is why they continue to flaunt their activities, so much so, they are almost at the point where they are holding this society hostage.”

And to the world, Rev Moss said, in spite of the high level of crime, the “vast majority of Bahamians” are against it.

Noting the small turnout to the event, Rev Moss added: “That message cannot effectively be sent with a crowd of this size but nevertheless, those of us that are here, we are concerned. Sooner or later, this country is going to understand that unless they do something about reducing the high level of crime, this nation is going to suffer.”

The mother of Amati “Mati” Knowles, the man who was shot and killed on Whit Monday with one other, was present at the anti-crime rally.

“I came out here to support what is going on,” she said. “There’s just too much crime and it needs to be stopped... I think if we all get together and support one another, something will be done. It’s important we come out here because if families support one another something will happen. Something will be done for us.”

Another attending was Rudy Miller, brother of Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, who expressed his surprise at the relatively modest crowd.

“My nephew Mario was murdered and no one was ever found guilty for that... And so many other people have been murdered and they were never brought to justice,” he said.

“I expected thousands of people to be out here today attending this march against crime because this is a great affect on our country.”

Local reverend, Kenris Carey, was also in the crowd and also spoke on the size of the rally.

“I felt that today out here should have been more packed than Junkanoo because I am concerned about what is happening to my beautiful Bahamaland,” she said.

“We’ve just had some killings yesterday, this morning – look at what is happening to us. Too many of our children have not had fathers and mothers... Only Jesus can do something about this, this is not a government thing; this is us killing each other.”

Elvis Butler said his stepson was killed about seven years ago and the crime levels motivated him to attend the rally.

“I believe all of this violence is too serious. They’re trying to take over the whole country. It’s just out of hand. It’s real sickening,” he said. “We really need to come together. The politicians them – they seem like they don’t care. They ain’t doing nothing. It’s bad.”

Levan Bannister said he knows “a lot of people” who are victims of crime and questioned why more Bahamians did not attend the event.

“In this country, we don’t have any outcry. People been getting slaughtered left, right, and centre and the only time we see people really protest is when it hits their doorstep, when their son die or their daughter die.

“That’s when we see them on TV hollering and screaming and saying, ‘Justice, Justice’. But today is Sunday, this is a great day to march with Rev Dr CB Moss to show the Bahamian people that enough is enough,” Mr Bannister said.

“It might not be a lot of people, but the little impression still is a big one. I think we need to take the bull by the horn in the Bahamas and be serious about addressing crime.

“Too many little children is being molested, too many senior people is being robbed and taken advantage of. For the past three years, every year we’ve had over 100 murderers. What is going on in the country?

“Former prime minister, Mr Ingraham said there is no outcry in the country and when I march with Dr CB Moss I’ve seen it – there is no outcry in this country. So I cry a little shame on some of the persons here in the country. I’m a little astonished to see the handful of people here.

“There’s so much crime in the country, If we can march in solidarity and say well, ‘Murderers, stop the crime, stop the shooting, stop the rape, and stop the robbing.’ We need to bend it – we need to break the back of crime in this country. There is no outcry in the country.”