The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant yesterday challenged the government’s crime pledge given that the island’s murder rate had already surpassed last year’s count of five, with over six months to go.

Mr Grant raised alarm over the state of violent crime in Grand Bahama and its strain on inadequate healthcare facilities during his contribution to the revised Medical Act in the House of Assembly.

“As we debate this bill, our medical facilities are stretched to the limit,” Mr Grant said. “The violent crimes contribute greatly to this. There is no sign of crime being suffocated, as a matter of fact it would appear that crime is breathing pure oxygen. Here in New Providence there has been a murder almost every day for the past two weeks, not a day goes by without violent crime being committed, murder, shooting, stabbing ... the criminals have no respect for our police officers.

He said: “Unlike some, I am very concerned about the crime situation in Grand Bahama - three murders in 36 hours, four within a week, and six so far for 2014. The sixth murder for 2014 so far exceeds the murder count for 2013 in its entirety. This is certainly reason for much concern.

“(Christie) in August 2011, in a national address declared that crime was the result of bad governance. The Right Honourable member is now the prime minister – I ask him what is now the reason for the unacceptable level of crime in the Bahamas today?”

He added: “There is a shortage of beds in the Rand Memorial Hospital – the emergency room has become an unofficial ward.”

Last month, Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said that the country was “still in a bad place” as it related to violent crime, specifically murder.

On April 15, Mr Greenslade pointed to a decrease in overall major crime figures in the Bahamas, adding that crime in Grand Bahama was down significantly.

In January, Mr Greenslade said statistics show that crime in Grand Bahama went down in 2013 and there is no crisis on the island. All major crimes against persons decreased by 19 per cent.

According to statistics, murders were down by 55 per cent. There were five murders recorded in 2013, compared to 11 in 2012.