The Tribune

A YEAR and a half ago — a month after the PLP were elected to govern the Bahamas — we wrote the following in this column.

“We have always maintained that if one follows the trail, today’s crime is a natural progression from the drug-economy nurtured under Pindling’s PLP government in the seventies and eighties.

“We know that the new PLP government has to be given a chance to implement all the magic potions it claimed during the campaign that it had to put a lid on the escalating curse. But what has happened on the crime scene in the past three weeks, since the new government’s election on May 7th, must be questioned. It is just not natural. Yes, we have crime, which has been rising, but this sudden leap in a matter of a few weeks is unnatural – even frightening.

“Eighteen murders – including two policemen, one a reservist, and a third critically injured – in the past three weeks is just unprecedented – something has gone radically wrong within our community.

“It’s as though the lid of Pandora’s box has been snapped open and all the evil contained therein has escaped and spread throughout New Providence.

“We do not pretend to have answers, but we do have questions, and even suggestions as to what might be going wrong.

“We believe that in dealing with crime the new government has not only made some unfortunate ministerial appointments, but has sent out wrong signals – signals of accommodation – to the criminal fraternity.

“We do not think that the statement from newly-appointed National Security Minister Bernard Nottage helped matters, backed up by statements by lawyer Wayne Munroe of the DNA.

“According to Mr Munroe, the amendments of the Penal Code by the Ingraham administration to stiffen the criminal law will be reviewed – including the increased sentences for serious crime and the removing of a magistrate’s ability to grant bail in serious cases.

“According to Dr Nottage ‘everything is under review‘. He said that ‘a lot of the persons who have been convicted under some of those bills have made approaches to us about the severity of some of those sentences. So that is an area that we will have to review.’

“What music to a criminal’s ears, especially a petty criminal. Also they were told that the prison is now too full, something has to be done about releasing some of the inmates.

“Unfortunately for Prime Minister Christie, he has inherited much unwanted baggage from the Pindling era. Like it or not, the PLP over the years has earned the reputation of being a haven for the law bender, especially the drug runner.

“Mr Christie was embarrassed by this unsavoury state of affairs in the 2002 election when rumours circulated on Eleuthera about the bragging of a reputed ‘drug lord’ who openly boasted about the number of calls he made to then Opposition leader Christie, how he had contributed substantially to that night’s rally, which a Tribune reporter was sent to cover, and his offer of a million dollars to assist the party.

“Commenting in this column on April 3, 2002, on these reports, we wrote: ‘We are satisfied that Mr Christie and Mr (Bradley) Roberts want to rid these islands of drugs, but for some strange reason this is not the message getting through to the drug traffickers.’

“Mr Christie has to make it clear to these people that should the PLP again become the government, the laws will not be rewritten to accommodate them. They will be vigorously hunted down, and, it found guilty, they will spend an uncomfortable time in jail, either here or in the US.’

“Because the US is aware of this attitude among the criminal element here, we wonder if this was the reason the Department of State sent a warning shot across the Bahamas’ bow informing the world that crime in Nassau is at a ‘critical’ level, and warning tourists that criminals are now operating in tourist areas, not just in the ghetto.

“If the Christie government hopes to get this monkey off its political back, it is going to have to talk tough to the underground.

“This is not the time to give comfort to these lawbreakers, who seem to think that they now have political friends who they can count on.”

Since writing this, the Christie government has been at great pains to prove that under its administration there has been a decrease in crime — serious crime. Today’s citizens know that this is not true – never was true.

Over the weekend, the tragedy at the Fox Hill park when the occupants of a passing car fired on innocent citizens awaiting the results of the Junkanoo Boxing Day parade, exposed the truth of the situation. Four Bahamians were shot dead, another seven were wounded and sent to hospital, some in serious condition.

As we write this column (New Year’s night), an editor keeps updating today’s lead story as we learn more of the four persons shot to death — two on New Year’s eve and two not too long ago, New Year’s day.

At last, the Prime Minister is saying what he should have said in May, 2012, when his party took over the government. After criminals complained to the new government in 2012 that the FNM’s bail laws were too severe and were given hope that they would be reviewed, Mr Christie is at last facing facts. He has promised to stiffen the laws and tighten the screws on prison doors, bind the hands of the judges, and even the lawyers.

“The government is deeply concerned about the number of persons who are arrested and charged with serious crimes while out on bail,” he said. “This is a major problem in the war against crime.

“The Government is fully prepared to legislatively intervene to impose additional restrictions on the ability of judges to grant bail in offences involving crimes of violence and the use of fire arms.”

When in Opposition, the present Christie government, severely criticised the FNM government for having taken the steps that Mr Christie is only now proposing. It has taken Mr Christie more than a year to awaken to the reality of the crisis. We hope that he is not too late, and that he will not weaken in his resolve.