The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FNM Deputy Chairman Dr Duane Sands misled the public with statements he made about the classification of crime by police officers, said Keith Bell, state Minister for National Security.

His comments yesterday came a week after Dr Sands told this newspaper that major disparities existed between crime statistics provided by the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the statistics on stabbing, shooting and rape collected by Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) staff.

When explaining his view that the statistical disparities raises questions about how crime is classified and possibly manipulated to fit an agenda, Dr Sands said: “One of the things we believe is that a patient comes in having been seriously injured, say they’ve been stabbed in the heart or they’ve been shot through a major blood vessel in the body, and then when we follow it up at some point in time we come to find out that if the patient does well, the accused gets charged with causing harm.”

Mr Bell dismissed Dr Sands’ statements. He said those who intentionally inflict the serious injuries described by Dr Sands on others are never going to be charged with causing harm. He added that if that ever happened, it could easily be overturned by the judicial system.

Mr Bell added that to help police officers characterise violent crime, medical professionals provide officers with a form detailing the injuries suffered by victims of violent crime.

Completing the forms, he said, constitutes the end of the role medical professionals play in determining how violent activities are classified.

“Medical professionals are there to treat the patient,” he said, adding: “Police still have to do their own investigations.”

Former assistant commissioner Paul Thompson, in a letter published in yesterday’s Tribune, also defended the work of police officers who prepare crime statistics. He dismissed the suggestion that the statistics were being manipulated by the police.
He noted that each of New Providence’s eight police divisions has a senior officer responsible for classifying reported crimes.

These Divisional Commanders, he said, present their statistics to the Commissioner of Police on a monthly basis.

“The classification of crime reported is based on the circumstances disclosed in the statements taken from the complainant and witnesses, if any,” Mr Thompson wrote. “In the case of violent crimes, priority must be given to the Police Medical Report, which is received from the medical practitioner, who dealt with the victim in the first instance.”

He added: “The Commanders, who classify the crimes in their districts, are familiar with the law and the classifications required for the Police Statistics Unit. They are aware of the fact that every shooting or stabbing may not be classified as an attempted murder. They use other classifications, such as: causing dangerous harm, causing grievous harm, causing harm, maim, and assault with intent.”

“The young male and female officers in the Statistics Department are honest, educated, hardworking professionals,” said Mr Thompson.

“I do not accept any suggestion that they could be influenced by politicians to provide fraudulent information. I do not accept either, that any of the Divisional Commanders would be so involved in such fraud or deception and I consider our Police Commissioner to be a man of integrity.”