The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

POLICE yesterday continued their demolition of dilapidated and abandoned buildings in New Providence in an effort to remove the existence of “crime havens”.

Leading a contingent of officers to an abandoned house on the southern side of Market Street near Robinson Road, Assistant Superintendent Anthony Rolle said the initiative, which started last week, was part of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s efforts to remove old, rundown buildings that are frequently used by criminals to conduct illicit activities.

“In some of these buildings and some of these dilapidated vehicles we have found drugs, firearms, so it’s evident that persons use these buildings to store these items in,” he said. “Our initiative was launched to remove them so that we can bring some safety and security to the public and also to reduce the fear of crime.”

The Tribune toured one dilapidated wooden building before its demolition yesterday; it had no floor and part of its back wall was missing.

A single white plastic chair was positioned immediately to the left of the front entrance, evidence that persons frequently utilised the building for extended periods of time. To the right of the door on the eastern wall was a nail with string wrapped around it, which some officers said reminded them of a “booby trap,” or probably a way to notify the person sitting in the chair of an unwanted visitor, by pulling the string taught across the doorway.

Additionally, a large, clear, cylindrical plastic container was located beyond the chair against the western wall of the building. Nearby on the ground were soiled pieces of toilet tissue, suggesting that the plastic container served as a makeshift toilet.

The building’s owner, who wished not to be named, told The Tribune yesterday that she was personally grateful to the police for demolishing the building, which she said had been in that state for five years.

She said during that time, various persons in the area notified her of some individuals using the building for illicit activities.

“We’ve had, and the neighbours have called several times, and that’s how I found out about it,” she said as she watched the demolition. “I hadn’t lived here for a while, but I think at one point they had old car parts in the back of the yard. So it’s good that they were able to clear it down for me.

“I think it’s good and it’s helpful, especially in this community with crime, and ensuring that criminals are not using the properties to hoard stuff, or hide or evade police for whatever reason. It’s also helpful to me because I wasn’t able to clear the property of my own accord, so I’m grateful, really grateful for the help.”

According to ASP Rolle, the initiative started last week with the demolition of a building on Laird Street in Bain Town.

He said police have no set schedule or list of buildings for demolition, but rather they act on intelligence gathered from various individuals in the various communities.

“In these areas we have many homes that need to be demolished and we have a lot of vehicles that need to be moved,” he said. “But we are spreading them out and taking them on the basis of intelligence. When we receive some intelligence from these locations, we seek to find the owners and then seek to demolish them.”