Prime Minister Perry Christie
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie said despite crime statistics showing decreases in serious crimes last year, the government is pushing “even harder” to improve the lives of Bahamians – beginning with a door-to-door survey.
Speaking with the press, Mr Christie said the new initiative will give the government a better understanding of the needs and of the persons in crime ridden communities.
“We came in and we came in saying that we are going to make a best effort at being able to improve the situation on crime. When one Bahamian is hurt that is a bad statistic, so I really don’t pay attention to reductions by percentages and so forth and so on, all I know is the government has a full uncompromised intention to be able to improve the life of people living in communities,” he said.
“We are doing a house-to-house in three constituencies now and the intention of that house-to-house is to inform us in every detail the challenges that people are facing and what could cause young men in particular to go wrong. We are going to have a reading that the country has never had before. Some of us who are politicians would have had an insight into what we find when we go to these homes, but now we have had professionals prepare a statistical questionnaire and that those questions will be asked and the answers will be given.
“I just agreed with the church yesterday with no objection to them being a full participant in going house-to-house in this area because they too should be involved in it now.”
In addition to the new survey, Mr Christie said the government will give the police force all the equipment they need to perform their duties.
Last week, Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage said Urban Renewal is set to launch a door-to-door survey in New Providence in an effort to determine the prevalence of factors that lead to crime.
Announcing the survey as part of Operation Ceasefire yesterday Dr Nottage said it will investigate questions such as: living conditions, crime, social behaviour, special circumstances of households, employment status, education, and persons with special needs.
The minister – who represents Bain and Grants Town, one of the areas targeted in the survey – said it is often suggested that MPs already know the problems in their constituencies.
Phase One of the survey will be conducted in Bain and Grants Town, Centreville and Englerston.
The survey questionnaire is in two parts. The first relates to social and economic conditions and the second to the concept of crime in communities.
The Inspector in charge of the Four Urban Renewal Offices in the target constituencies will supervise the administration of the survey.
The data will be collected by individuals who are familiar with the communities, Dr Nottage said.
They will include trained social workers, officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force, who are normally assigned to the Urban Renewal Offices, and individuals from the communities.
Comments
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
Comrade PM by any other name your government or Hubert's may call them, "numbers running joints " breed crime in the neighborhoods they set up operations in. Prime Minister shouldn't you first honor the voices of the people who despite last year's door-to-door survey by your government among Bahamaland's registered voters asking for their opinions 'For or Against' the numbers running rackets, you have failed to respect the clear and concise message they delivered in 2013 to you as PM, your Cabinet Colleagues and House MP's. They told you that numbers running must be considered a 'dying breed,' not to be legalized by the PM and his cabinet colleagues. PM what wrong ya, cause pushing even harder with your new survey makes no sense, if you are not going to respect the peoples responses to ya questions. PM I rest the peoples case against your administration. Only a jury of your voters, come the 2017general Elections can deliver their verdict and sentence you to the number of House seats the PLP will retain. PM there will be no avoiding several almost certain by-elections to contest credibility with the voters, before 2017.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
They don't care what you think Tal...they are going to plow on through with their own agendas. You have no say in the matter. The PM now 'regrets' the referendum, YA THINK? You were expecting a cake-walk with a resounding yes approval and you'd merrily go about your plans to legalize it with everyone's blessings...with the resounding NO, they REALLY got themselves in a pickle...but guess what...he's going to go ahead and legalize it anyways!! So go ta heck with yerself and your opinion...you mean nothing to them. There ya go...rant over...good Monday afternoon to ya!!
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
Not that I ever expect to see them going door to door in my community, but would not let them past the front door... "include trained social workers, officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force, who are normally assigned to the Urban Renewal Offices, and individuals from the communities." I can hear it now around the dominos tables at the end of the day...man, you shoulda seen so and so's house, they had themselves one nice stereo, flat screen TV, they had that place all done up sweet!! Later that night yer house gonna be stripped. No way no how, I barely give the census team the information they need, but I do trust them a little bit more with my data than I trust the mish mash of people that look to be stormtrooping up your lane.
realfreethinker 10 years, 11 months ago
You are so right B I D it seems this man does have stuff come to him in a dream and he just decide to do it. And some times he seems to pull these ideas out of his A**
John 10 years, 11 months ago
the nay sayers complain the most
eyeswideopen 10 years, 11 months ago
Don't show up at my door!! My life is not your business!!!!! Further more, what makes you think that the people who do talk will be telling the truth??????
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
The parameters change every day! I'm supposed to tell the social worker how much I make, where I work, give them an account of my daily activities in front of the police, the pastor and my nosey neighbour? Who thought up this crazy scheme? These people have no concept of what confidentiality means. He gonna be up right in the pulpit talking your business, that's how they go. And the neighbour gonna be under the tree on Friday night drinking telling everybody about your nice 40" TV.
This is a survey, just like the govt was not obligated to the results of that "poll" last year, no one is obligated to answer any personal questions on this. If you want information, check the police databank for all known criminals in the neighbourhood, check up on them, find out what they've been up to, talk to their parole officer.
You don't have any money anyway, how are you even paying for this, non budgeted administrative busy work? How are you going to consolidate the data and then mine it for useful patterns? Do you know? I seriously doubt it...on the verge of devaluation and all they can do is smile for the camera, sleep in the house, text, call each other names and drive around with police escorts. It's absolutely sickening.
ohdrap4 10 years, 11 months ago
This is like when you go ask for a salary raise, and they dont want to give it to you. They make up useless things for you to do, as if to say the reason you don't get a raise is because you are not doing enough work.
They are not going to do anything with it. I changed careers to avoid being plagued by this type of aboriginal walkabout assignment: Go out and don't come back until you find food. There is a strange parallell with my current private sector job and the governance of the PLP, times are tough for businesses, but instead of finding ways to cut expenses and concentrate on the money-making aspects of the business, they want to expand, expand. The boss says expansion generates new revenues. That only happens because our minimal staff take on more duties. The result is that the customer service on existing and expanding businesses gets crappier and crappier and no one wins.
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 11 months ago
More PLP public relations nonsense. A survey can't help crime man. How many of our criminal's mothers stand outside court yelling and screaming about how good their kid is? Besides we the people know where the criminals live and operate. Why doesn't the police?
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
The police DO...and that is part of the problem...they are paid very nicely to look the other way...and these are the same people...'and other individuals in the community' that are going to enter your home and ask you frank and personal questions...HECK NO...kiss my asp...
hj 10 years, 11 months ago
How many surveys,opinion polls,studies does this man needs before he makes a decision? Start dealing with the actual problem. After this survey he will probably need another study with foreign consultants,because " you know it is what it is".
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
Need to hire those foreign consultants to digest all the information they glean from the honest citizens who answer a few questions...cause you KNOW the criminally minded households are going to be so open and forthcoming and truthful about their activities.
jt 10 years, 11 months ago
"So I don't really pay attention to...percentages and so forth and so on". Yep. There it is.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 11 months ago
blind leading da blind
where dere is no wision
a house divided against itseff
go tell it on da mountain
my hope is built on nuttin less
i was born down by da river..............
Happy MLK day
Change will come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nationbuilder 10 years, 11 months ago
dont come to my house either! my personal business is none of theirs!
Honestman 10 years, 11 months ago
A door to door crime survey!! You couldn't make this up!! I thought this was the party that had the answers to crime? Seems they didn't after all.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
They came up with the solution for Neverland's crime problem, that's why it's not working here
HolandObserver 10 years, 11 months ago
what a monumental waste of time!!!!!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 11 months ago
I really wish they would stop calling it UR too. It's "community outreach" plain and simple, and it's an admirable initiative, if executed for goals other than to pass money free and clear to campaign supporters. UR on the other hand is what's happening on Marathon road and to some extent beginning on Carmichael road where investors are putting money into beaten down neighbourhoods and transforming them into bright bustling centres. That is urban renewal.
I was really hopeful on May 8, 2012. I was hoping they would do everything in their power to prove the naysayers wrong. But Perry Christie needs to go now. he will drag this country into the ground with this stupidity. And those 20 bean heads will continue to pound the desks and smile while he does it. I dont know who's the answer, but I know it isn't him.
John 10 years, 11 months ago
If what you read on this forum is any representation of the mindset of the Bahamian populace, then you can understand why we face the challenges in the economy, in society and in politics that we face. everyone is a cut throat, most comments are negative and rather than offer positive solutions, many are vicious attacks on the person, not unlike the violent and deadly attacks that are happening in the wider society. O does the pen have to be so stabbing or so deadly?
There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Do not consider it proof just because it is written in books, for a liar who will deceive with his tongue will not hesitate to do the same with his pen.
Maimonides
To hold a pen is to be at war.
Voltaire
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
Point taken...but sadly, there is a massive amount of negativity floating around out there. One positive spin to this whole concept though is this...I think the general populace is slowly coming around to seeing all the crap that both governments try to pull off and get away with. Back in SLOP days, it was PLP or nothing for various reasons, and no one held them accountable for anything, now, between the FNM and PLP coming in and out of power a couple times, I think more and more people are seeing the bigger picture and hopefully realizes that what these idiots in government spew out of their mouths on the campaign trail, they had better try to address while in power. Those that voted PLP this time around bought it hook line and sinker, the jobs, the crime, the economy, that they had a plan to do it all better and solve all your problems. Hopefully they realize (sadly they won't) that we are not going to take it any more...from any government...Doubtful the PLP will get elected again, and I don't think the FNM are in top fighting form either to be effective, does this next election get won by a third party? As it is, the status quo amongst our politicians is unacceptable, and I think the dialogues you see in these blogs is testament to that...people are pissed off at the powers that be, and they are not going to just let it get swept under the rug anymore. Accountability...neither of them have it...the only accountability is that it is always the other parties fault for the predicament we are in.
John 10 years, 11 months ago
A good writer does not receive anywhere near the number of poison-pen letters that is commonly assumed. Among a hundred jackasses there are not ten who will admit to being jackasses, and at most one who will put it in writing. LESS Read more at http://quotes.dictionary.com/search/poi…
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