The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

AS the murder rate for the year continues to climb, Prime Minister Perry Christie said during his budget communication on Wednesday that the government has invested a “significant” amount of money in the Royal Bahamas Police Force to help it obtain additional manpower and resources to enhance its presence and visibility around New Providence.

Stressing that crime remains one of the greatest issues facing the country, Mr Christie said: “…Investments in police equipment, in the form of cars, surveillance and protection equipment, are highlighted in this year’s capital budget.”

However, a review of the 2015/2016 budget by The Tribune shows that the overall allocation for the RBPF has slightly decreased to $126,138,421, down from last year’s total of $129,249,756.

The government has, however, allocated to the force $2m for equipment and $500,000 for “instruments and apparatus equipment”.

These items were not included in last year’s budget.

In other crime related spending, the government has allocated $500,000 under the Ministry of Finance for closed circuit television (CCTV) technology.

The Christie administration has also allocated an increase of $7,956,793 to the Judicial Department, bringing its total to amount to $15,634,093, up from the previous year’s total of $7,677,300. This increase includes $6,060,617 in personal emoluments, owing in large part to an increase in money allocated for new appointments. It also includes an increase in allowances of $6,782,493.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) will receive an increase of nearly $3 million. For capital development purposes, the force will receive an increase of $8,350,000, bringing its total to $47,600,000, up from last year’s total of $35,250,000. This increase is mainly due to a large increase in the amount of money allocated toward the development of the Coral Harbour base and the Inagua base.

As for the Ministry of National Security, it has received an increase of $8,021,475, bringing its total to $13,129,063, up from last year’s total of $5,107,588. However, more than $6,000,000 of this is allocated to the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas, which, unlike last year, has been placed under the Ministry of National Security in the latest budget.

Reflecting on the steps that must be taken to curb crime, Mr Christie said on Wednesday that the solution must be holistic, not “piecemeal.”

To this end he said: “For one, we must attack the root causes of crime with a targeted and effective prevention strategy through expanding initiatives such as the Urban Renewal programme and poverty reduction measures such as the Pilot National School Breakfast Programme. My government also places high priority on measures of intervention in respect of our youth at risk, where proactive, pre-emptive action can make a difference between a productive life and one of crime. This budget includes a $20 million allocation under the Ministry of Finance to address youth unemployment, in conjunction with the Urban Renewal programme to which I will return in more detail later.”

Mr Christie also touted what he views as an improved, quicker administration of justice in the Bahamas.

“Swift Justice has enabled almost a doubling of the number of matters disposed of by the courts between 2012 and 2014,” he said.

“We expect these dispositions to increase even further with the implementation of the 10 new criminal courts that now sit. While we remain concerned about the number of re-offenders released on bail, we do note...that increased collaboration between the Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry of National Security and law enforcement on the Swift Justice plan in 2015 has resulted in a reduction in bail being granted to persons accused of murder, and murder-related offences. We have also taken action to accelerate court proceedings with the construction of 10 new courts, and that should go a long way to getting criminals off the streets of our nation. To date, the results are clear. Whereas in 2012, it took 344 days to progress from an arrest to the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment, as of March 2015, that timeline has now been reduced to 50 days, an improvement of 86 per cent. Of course, it is also vital that we continue to strengthen our law enforcement mechanisms.”