PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday renewed his charge to the social and economic development of embattled inner city communities.
Mr Christie promised his administration would “get it right” on critical social issues, pointing to his own constituency, and that of Bain and Grants Town MP Dr Bernard Nottage.
The legacy of revered community builder Bishop Alvin S Moss was commemorated with the renaming of an inner city park last night.
Under the partnership of the Urban Renewal Partnership and the Church of God of Prophecy, the park was rededicated in honor of the transformative works undertaken by the late Bishop in the community.
At the ceremony yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said: “No matter what is said, we are not going to compromise on our efforts to minimize the impact of crime and the fear of crime in this country. We are not going to allow a small group of young men to ruin the reputation of this country.
He said: “It’s not going to happen, and we will continue to add the resources, equipment, technology, and manpower to the Royal Bahamas Police Force so they will have added capacity to give the coverage to these communities that are necessary.”
Mr Christie said: “We know where every killing took place, we know where every armed robbery took place, we know where every shooting, every home invasion took place. We put it all on a map and therefore we know what we’re doing now. So from that point of view, Dr Nottage has the full support of his colleagues.”
Comments
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 10 months ago
Wow! This man lives in la la land....
TalRussell 10 years, 10 months ago
Have all PLP's, Red's and them Greens become air-bound from reality? Good for "Pop Symonette's Brent he is not talk'in stupid. Bahamalander's in less than three years you again be called upon to return to the 2017 General Elections voting booths across this land, voting in another useless gold or red government. Really now, my dear Comrades, is this the only next opportunity or is it time to change for the that other useless green leader Bran? We still have the power, let us refuse to vote for "None of da above." God help us all if the answer does lay with Bahamalander's kneeling at the feets of a PM Christie, Hubert, Minnis, Loretta or even a Comrade "Public Flogg'in" Bran or "Brave?"
banker 10 years, 10 months ago
So what to do? It's very frustrating. There is no viable alternative. We need a dictator. I am reminded of how Zaire hosted the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974 between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman. Mobutu Sésé Seko was the dictator of Zaire, and Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire was a lawless place. Criminality was rampant because the crooks had access to power brokers in the corrupt government and the police.
Mobutu had to clean up the crime quickly, otherwise he would be the laughing stock and step child of the world, with the world travelers coming to Zaire.
He rounded up 1000 of the top corrupt crooks in the land with a healthy mix of street grifters. He threw them in cages under the soccer stadium for ten days. He then issued an edict that anyone who wanted to free those people would be shot on site. The reach and influence of those held captive were now useless. On the 11th day, the prisoners were brought up on the field, and put in a line. They had to count off by tens. Every tenth person got a bullet to the head. Didn't matter who he was.
Overnight Kinshasa turned into a remarkably safe city and stayed that way until Mobutu lost power.
We need to build some prison cells under the stadium.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 10 months ago
Sadly Rory...that's about what it is coming to...only problem is the 'law' are just as corrupt and crooked as the rest!
blackcat 10 years, 10 months ago
why does this man keep referring to a "small group of men". This isn't no small group, it's white and blue collar criminals that do whatever they damn well please because there are no consequences to bad behavior in this town.
We are breeding and creating criminals with our selfish ideas of entitlement , lack of education and complete lack of morals. This isn't a couple guys on the block who decide to make even with someone else. This is a constant culture of criminality. The PM needs to wake up if this is his bright idea "We put it all on a map and therefore we know what we’re doing now. "- wtf? If you knew this all along then why has this continued for so long? That's not an acceptable answer or reasoning by any means. Enforce the law and weed out the corrupt individuals from the top down. START THERE , let people know you're not playing and then people will start thinking twice!!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 10 months ago
Yep them same webshops laundering money. Their tentacles are all through the country. And they have no fear of any recriminations. Banking services are nowhere allowed in their licence. They are trying to clean their dirty money everywhere, put the illegal gains in a condominium complex, get law abiding citizens to put their money into rent or lease to own agreements, get back clean money. It's the classic definition of money laundering. And Perry Christie is allowing it
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 10 months ago
Mr Christie said: “We know where every killing took place, we know where every armed robbery took place, we know where every shooting, every home invasion took place. We put it all on a map and therefore we know what we’re doing now. So from that point of view, Dr Nottage has the full support of his colleagues.
So now that UR 2.0 has failed, Christie is relying on the Magic Map to solve the crime problem....interesting, a friend told me of their recollection of visiting CDU years ago and seeing a much similar map hanging on the wall...but maybe that map had no magic in it...
blackcat 10 years, 10 months ago
lol "magic map"- love it. This is so sad, you have to laugh...although it really is no laughing matter.
jt 10 years, 10 months ago
Guess what? I'm a purple unicorn and I poop out treasure. Oh wow, Christie is right, it is really easy to lie.
TalRussell 10 years, 10 months ago
Comrade Banker ya Papa Hubert gotta be sitt'in in he fish'in boat up in Cooper's Town, scratching he head and muttering to himself, from my personal view when the 2017 General Elections campaign bell be rung by my good friend and former trusted law partner, he better deliver more than just some crime map hang'in up on PM's office wall, with whole bunch pins of crime locations. Comrade PLP handlers around PM, there's absolutely no way in hell that no paid speech writer for the PM wrote this? If so, it's a rare government opportunity for creating at least one new good paying paycheck, by immediately firing the inept speech writ'in backside who wrote; "We put it all on a map the locations where every killing, armed robbery, shooting, and home invasion took place, therefore we know what we’re doing now."
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 10 months ago
I think PGC wrote it. He made much the same comments a few weeks ago in an adhoc statement after the shooting in Fox Hill. He referred to a meeting at police headquarters where he saw a map tracking every crime in the country. And I agree with your assessment of a fitting punishment for the contributor.
hj 10 years, 10 months ago
You could not not get it right for the last 35-40 years,and now you know what are you doing? I forgot now you have your new "weapon",your map.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 10 months ago
The inner city or slum is not going to get any better unless:
(1) The government rids the neighbourhoods of the illegal immigrants (2) The descendants of the original neighbourhoods invest in their ancestral roots (3) Politicians stop using these neighbourhoods for their party loyalty (4) The education and health levels improve (5) Crime, drugs, guns etc are the LAW
Guy 10 years, 10 months ago
Every time the PM speaks now he makes us more and more sure that he has gone far past his "Best if used by" date. Wow....
GrassRoot 10 years, 10 months ago
expired is the word.
John 10 years, 10 months ago
More that half the young men and a good portion of the young girls in the inner city are on drugs. The young men feel disenfranchised because if they don't want to put on a coat suit and have an office job they are counted as a failure. Many in the inner city measure their success by their masculinity. They want a job that requires them to do physical labor and many may not be good at books but better working with their hands. Some chose to sit on the street corner and sell drugs because it allows them to be themselves. Tired of going on the plantation job where they are told how to dress, when to shave, when to get a haircut, they can't wear dickie pants or clark shoes. Then when they done slaving all week they coming home and get stopped and harassed by the police. These are tactics used in America after the abolishment of slavery to 'break' the new freed black man. WHY ARE THEY BEING USED IN THE BAHAMAS TODAY? to make the young black male feel unwanted or as if he doesn't 'belong?
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 10 months ago
I am tired of the "I didn't have therefore I rape, rob and kill" enablers. I've heard too much if it lately and from people who are supposed to be sensible. That Stephano Greene for example.
There is no reason for these young boys to act the way they do. Nobody forces anyone to work in an office. The govt spent a whole lot of money on BTVI so young men could learn a trade, high schools also have trade programs. Excuses excuses to justify easy money. Stay right there talking about how they keeping the black man down, cause as long as you THINK you're being kept down you will ACT like you're being kept down and you WILL be down.
Emac 10 years, 10 months ago
Sorry ThisisOurs, gonna have to agree with John on this one. The problem of identity is far-reaching in this country. We certainly cannot expect to solve the social problems in our society without first dealing with the sociological aspects that exist. Unfortunately, the police who harass their young counterparts need help themselves and are in no way trained to deal with certain issues-So they simply lash out and use physical force, thus abusing their power. We are in a very sad state. The young black males in our society are already doomed by the majority of Bahamians. We judge all the same. The educational system is failing them, the church provides false hope and the judicial system drives the nail in the coffin by allowing them to be placed among hardened criminals for petty crimes, where they have to prove themselves by doing something really tragic.
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Getting the trade is the first part. Finding "DA JOB" is the hardest part. They are now starting the finishings on the rooms at Bah Mar..putting in the plumbing fixtures, and lights and eventually carpets and tiling and furniture. They are bringing people all the way from China to do this while we have thousands of young men sitting on the blocks...idle (or selling drugs) Bahamians did this work for ALL of Atlantis and Our Lucaya in Freeport, so they are proven capable...but yet we import labor from China. Hope they at least paying work permits for these people or are they exempt as part of the concessions? While Bahamians struggle to pay a $5 trillion national debt!
John 10 years, 10 months ago
You are so wrong...this profiling thing was done in America, post slavery,where they piled all the Black people in the inner cities like Detroit, Philly, the Bronx etc., Their intention was for the Blacks to remain in these inner-cities and if they ventured out, they were stopped and harassed by the police. We have young men (black) who live in Lyford Cay, Cable Beach the Eastern Road and who have successful jobs in this country..they do not look 'gangsta' act 'gangsta' or play 'gangsta' music but they are still stopped and harassed by the police..only because they are young and black. We have inherited trends and activities from America that were designed to break and destroy the black man. Even a lot of the food we eat has been genetically altered and loaded with female hormones to emasculate and femeninise the black male and make him sexually less productive. America also faced the problem where Blacks were producing children more rapidly than Whites. Hence the Black population was growing faster and was eventually expected to surpass their White counterparts. So by adding chemicals to the food they attempted to retard the growth of the Black race. They also imported Hispanics into that country to make them the official minority population so that Blacks did not get the benefits of being the official minority race. Now the USA the largest population of gay, Black people in the world. Because we eat the same food basically as Black Americans the trend is spreading throughout the Caribbean. In the 1960's homosexuals were about 1 in 100 among Black folk. Now in many inner cities of America it is 1 in 5 and in places like Atlanta, 1 in every 3 black males admit to being gay and another one claims to be bisexual. When you go in the food store, compare what White folk are buying to what Black people eat. Atlanta is one of the cities where they tried every weapon on black people. Our leaders do not research the facts and so they end up carrying out the wishes of people who want to see the Black race destroyed, or socially and economically deprived by any means necessary.
concernedcitizen 10 years, 10 months ago
@john ,,you are so ignorant its funny ,,why don,t the american blacks copy what the white man is eating so they stop turning gay??lmfao ,,did you really say they put something in the food to make black people gay ,,bro your a laugh riot ,ignorant as a box of rocks but funny as sh##t ,,,
GrassRoot 10 years, 10 months ago
90% of the population in the Bahamas is black. 100% of the police officers are black and probably 95% of the politicians and judges and 100% of the preachers, clergy men and bishops and popes that are working the morale department. So who is profiling what exactly here
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Then government must address the problem of Haitian (and Jamaican) children in this country who are without status. When they turn 18 and realize that they do not have full rights of a citizen, they become anti-social. Many get involved in crime and violence because the Bahamas is the only country they know and after living here for 18 years they are being told they do not have full citizenship rights.
jackbnimble 10 years, 10 months ago
Rory I agree. These sort of comments always get under my skin. They can go to the Haitian Embassy and get a passport. Just because your parents break the law in entering our country illegally (in the majority of cases), then gave birth to you, how does it now make it right for you to get mad at a system that does not rush to give you papers? Blame your parents for breaking the darned law in the first place!
John 10 years, 10 months ago
no one said it was..but not having citizenship in any country is a scary predicament to face!
leonardlaing 10 years, 10 months ago
I remember in the last general election when then Prime Minister Hon. Hebert Ingraham and Hon. Tommy Turnguest went in there to help and tried to talk to the individuals there about upgraring their living conditions and other important issues leader of the the then opposition and deputy leader did not see a problem . Continue to live in the slums Farm road and Centerville you were bought for pennies on election night low lives.
John 10 years, 10 months ago
The bible says the poor will always be with us. God word never changes. Many of them place themselves outside the entrances to the food stores, at the bank, in the mall and even at social events. They not only beg but attempt to make you feel guilty for being able to shop, to bank or to attend a social event while they live in poverty. The worst offenders are the wheel chair gang, who put these wheel chairs where able bodied people would not even think of standing...directly in the path of traffic. One sleeps with his wheelchair, not on the sidewalk but in the street, just off market and Lewis Street. Despite the bright pink blanket, you don't see him until its almost too late to stop. Imagine the feeling of guilt if some driver has an accident with this wheel chair .
leonardlaing 10 years, 10 months ago
Mr. Russell, seeing that you are always on top of almost everything in this country... How come you don't run for the Prime Minister of this country..... You have the solutions am sure.
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Talk is cheap, money buy land @ Tal
Stapedius 10 years, 10 months ago
More and more my stomach becomes sick when I hear PM Christie speak. As a young person in this country the PLP is slowly but surely alienating itself from me and many others like myself. This man has become a liability to the PLP and the sooner they recognize it the better. Go jump in a cold lake sir and free us from your nauseating speeches and lamentations Retirement can't come quick enough for these jokers.
TalRussell 10 years, 10 months ago
Comrade John we are fast approaching the day when those turning 18 and seeking what they believe to be their Bahamaland birth rights, will far out number today's citizens. i know I am not alone in saying that while both prime minister Christie and Ingraham have suffered defeat by Bahamalanders at the polls, I don't think they have yet to be held accountable for opening the immigration flood gates to our shores. As for Comrade "Public Flogg'in" Bran he doesn't even try hide the fact that he is a little clone of Papa.
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Well therein lies the problem and looming danger to boot! What happens when they do outnumber us (Haitians and Jamaican teenagers w/o status)and decide to stage an uprising? Many in customs, immigration, police force and the defence force, in fact all departments of government have similar backgrounds. To whom will they stand loyal if there is an uprising? Just look at what action the Dominican Republic is taking to control the Haitian population in that country. Their armed forces have instructions to shoot anyone trying to enter that country illegally, and they deport immigrants wholesale whenever there is any sign of unrest. Like a recent spate of crime was blame on the Haitian immigrant and many of them were deported. We let persons grow and nurture in this country for 18 years and then try to make a decision on their status.
GrassRoot 10 years, 10 months ago
haha, not to worry will be outnumbered by Chinese before you realize.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 10 months ago
Tal, I trust u dont forget the role of SLOP 1967-1992?????????? Das wen the rot started
TalRussell 10 years, 10 months ago
Sheep runners never had it so good as under Pindling.The late PM Pindling won more during his first term in office for all Bahamalanderss, black, white and lick da brush, than either PM Christie or Hubert could accomplish, if they lasted 100 years in office. What the blacks won under Pindling, the whites benefited from automatically. The back maids and gardeners marched in the heat while the children of whites gained opportunities they could only have dreamed of had the UBP stayed in power. PM Pindling was not a just black Bahamalander's PM, he was PM to and for ALL Baahamalander's. But to here some reds talk, you'd never know Ping's true contribution to their mixed colours of skin.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 10 months ago
Is dis some a da $15 million???????????? Nuttin like another slum ballpark for da boys to hang out on , smoke dope and waste dey life away while waiting for a govt handout
concernedcitizen 10 years, 10 months ago
the problem is single moms and absentee fathers ,,the satistics about about boys raised in single parents homes and crime are staggering ,as is the correlation between children that are verbally and physical ,beating the snot out of them , abused grown up to be violent and anti social ..John stop the crap about disenfranchised young black males ,we are a black country run by black people ,policed by black people with many good black role models ,,quit blaming whitey ,,it gets old and does more to say ,"',,woe is me , i can,t do anything as a black man b/c whitey is holding me down "" WE WANT TO LIVE IRRESPONSIBLY ,SWEET HEARTING ,4 CHILDREN FOR 3 DIFFERENT MEN ,BASICALLY TRANSACTIONAL SEX ,,THEREFORE YOU CAN NOT EXPECT A RESPONSIBLE LAW ABIDING SOCIETY ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I ACCEPT IT ,THE END RESULT IS CLOSED RESORTS , AN ELITE CLASS ,AND CRIME AND POVERTY LIKE JAMAICA AND HAITI ,,NOTHING KEEPS PEOPLE IN POVERTY MORE THEN A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD W/ 5 KIDS FOR 3 DEAD BEAT DADS ,,
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Don't blame whitey? who taught Black men how to 'make' kids and walk away and don't look back? Who took black men from plantation to plantation to father babies, like stallion horses, and have no responsibility for their care and welfare? Who put black men in a position where they knew not to get too attached to their children or show too much love and affection for them because when "massa' get mad and want to punish you, he will break up the family, sending the mother one way, the children one way, and the 'pa' on to father some more. And when 'whitey' was feeling like it he would come in your cabin and deflower your daughter or have his way with your wife while you had to stand outside and listen to the noise...don't blame 'whitey'. This went on for 500 years. So don't blame 'whitey'...'man is a product of his heredity and environment"...learned behavior is not unlearned overnight
concernedcitizen 10 years, 10 months ago
@jOHN the Romans enslaved 90 million more people then the trans atlantic slave trade of all races,can all races blame the Italians for their problems ..The muslims took tons more slaves out of the top of Africa , maybe they have something to do with our lack of morality ,,
John 10 years, 10 months ago
We are talking specifically of what happened to the Black people that were enslaved in the Bahamas by 'whitey'. If you want to address the problem of Black folk in this country you must learn, understand and accept their history. Black Bahamians were used, abused and de-humanised under slavery and it is reflected in their behavior today. While many blame them for not being responsible fathers or for being absentee fathers many do not accept that this behavior was instilled by the white slave owner. Don't let your guilty conscience get the best of you.
concernedcitizen 10 years, 10 months ago
Dude i have no guilty conscience , but i accept the de evolution of my country ..As we continue down a road of a lack of morals ,not church going hat wearing bible thumping ,but basic integrity and live like irresponsible idiots ,4 children for 3 dead beat dads ,the results are inevitable ,exactly what we have ,,If you want to blame it on the past and say we are too weak willed to do better thats fine ,,I am only looking at the end results ,Haiti ,Jamaica and most of the war torn ,corrupt dictactor ridden Africa ,where the warlords and their soldiers rape the women and children as a sign of dominance ,which they were doing before the white man got their and continue today ,,I have accepted the de evolution and slide to below mediocrity of my Bahamaland ,you can blame it on whatever you like John
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Sometimes it is better not to respond to ignorance. If you know the history of America you will know that in the 60-70 years post slavery, there was nothing that was wrong, degrading, inhumane, despicable, cruel or unbelievable that was done to Black folk by 'whitey'. Pressure was brought to bear on countries that were involved in slavery and eventually black folk were freed as slaves but they were not accepted as part as American society, They were transposed to another type of slavery. They were residents in a country that they helped to build, but could not partake in its milk and honey. Freed slaves in America were promised a mule and an acre of land, but many never received it. Many others were forced off the land by cruel and greedy white folk. From your own comments you are one who would love to see black folk chained and ganged again. The mental slavery is not enough for you,
sheeprunner12 10 years, 10 months ago
Growing up in Bain Town een no harder than growing up in Rum Cay, Crooked Island or even South Andros or Long Island in the past 30 years. It is a mindset of dependency. Poverty is no excuse for criminality
John 10 years, 10 months ago
Part of the problem is for the most of our 40 years of independence, governments have been promising to take the Bahamas to 'a new level', the new century, build a bigger Bahamas and so forth. So many Bahamians are tired of change, real or preceived. When is the Bahamas going to place to settle down and just live in, raise your family and live your older years? Bahamians are tired of the change, trying to catch up and to keep up. So many are disillusioned and ready to drop out the (rat) race, some just want to sit on the wall smoke a joint and be left alone...they want to have peace of mind, especially when they realize chasing after material things forever aint really worth it.
John 10 years, 10 months ago
No Rory that's called being a run-away slave.. they just aint gonna yield to massas whip anymore.. So to answer your question, the mindset of slavery still exists today..just another set or people are lashing the whip.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 10 months ago
Rory, no one can make you a "slave" except you are mentally weak or opportunistic. How come most of the so called leaders in the HOA are proud to say that they are products of Over Da Hill?????
jt 10 years, 10 months ago
@john that tin foil helmet gettin' tight hey?
John 10 years, 10 months ago
@jt why is your ignorance starting to show?
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