The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

OFFICIALS from the Inter-American Development Bank yesterday toured an impoverished inner city community in an effort to get a better understanding of the causes of crime.

According to Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage, the walkabout coincided with a commitment by the IDB to assist with a programme for citizen security, safety and justice in Bahamian communities.

Yesterday, dozens of government, IDB, police and Defence Force officers were faced at every turn with derelict vehicles, abandoned buildings, and people in need of social and financial assistance.

Presented with these circumstances, the IDB is expected to make a list of recommendations to the government on how it can improve the overall quality of life for residents in Dr Nottage’s constituency.

“They have agreed,” he said, “to do some work within our communities to evaluate the level of crime, the efficiency of the justice system and to make recommendations to us about how we can improve not only the administration of justice, but how we can reduce crime in the community.

“They will certainly help us to understand some of the root causes of crime because while we are dealing with many of the symptoms we still have to get down to brass knuckles with the root causes of crime.”

While the government is optimistic that the police’s new initiatives will help to lower serious crime, a resident of the constituency urged authorities to do more.

Marsha King, who has been living at Bain and Grants Town for the last 58 years, said crime in the area is very high.

“You have a lot of guns firing off in the day and I think that if we have more police patrolling back and forth and as long as they could see them back and forth (things will improve).

Ms King added that many of the young men in the community resort to crime because there is a lack of positive activities to keep them off of the street.