The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney on Friday criticised the government for not being aggressive enough in the fight against crime.

Mr McCartney echoed his calls to enforce capital punishment, telling The Tribune he firmly believed that The Bahamas would not be setting a homicide record if the law was enforced.

He further slammed Prime Minister Perry Christie’s recent comments as proof that the government has not prioritised ridding the country of escalating crime. 

Following the murder of a man at Nassau Village on Tuesday, the country’s homicide record for this year stands at 134, the highest in the country’s history.

“Anything that is being done to reduce crime in this country the DNA supports 1,000 per cent,” Mr McCartney said. “I was concerned about the Prime Minister’s comments that he would pay more attention to this crime wave.

“Every time crime raises its head in this country he says he will pay more attention. From 2012 it was an issue and the PLP indicated that they had the answers. Now were are at this point, 134 murders and counting.

“Obviously the Prime Minister saying he needs to pay more attention shows me it wasn’t a priority.”

Last week Mr Christie said he was “distressed” by the country’s crime problems, which he said now requires a more aggressive approach by the government and law enforcement.

Mr Christie also suggested that there could be an “impact on our own freedom to move about” as the government seeks to implement new crime fighting strategies.

He went on to pledge a greater commitment on the part of the government to dedicate all of the necessary resources to get a handle on the scourge of violent activity in The Bahamas.

At the time he said: “Let me say that I am really distressed generally about the deterioration and its impact on families. But I just want to be able to say that every time someone is killed it diminishes us and I accept that. I am very concerned about this matter to the point where it now will cause me to even dedicate more time and a greater degree of scrutiny to the effort.”

He continued: "It sometimes (is) not easy given the demands to do the things I would like to do and it's a frank admission that we have to rely heavily on being able to have the strategies that are going to be utilised or employed in this matter to fight crime.

“Understand and accept by that I mean that sometimes what you do will have an impact on our own freedom to move about and so it is strong as that that. We are going to have to be much more aggressive in this battle.”