The Tribune

FORMER Deputy Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames last night criticised National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage and State Minister of National Security Keith Bell for their “continued silence” in the wake of a spate of killings.

Mr Dames’ criticism came after five people were shot dead in four separate incidents between Friday and Saturday. One of the victims was a 15-year-old boy.

Eleven people have been killed so far this month following a bloody January, which saw 14 people killed. According to The Tribune’s records, there have been 25 homicides so far this year.

“As Bahamians woke up to begin their day on Sunday morning, the news of even more killings on the streets of our capital, once again horrified Bahamians,” Mr Dames, the FNM candidate for Mount Moriah, said in a statement.

“Since Friday night, there have been five murders on New Providence, all of them involving firearms; all of them carried out in public. In addition to the murders, there were multiple shootings, including the shooting of two police officers by a shotgun-wielding assailant.

While partisan rancour will clearly not solve the crime problem, the continued silence of the minister of national security and his junior minister speaks volumes.”

Mr Dames said that those who are entrusted with “ensuring the safety of our nation” must reassure its residents that the situation is “under control”.

He added: “However, with 25 murders already on the record (for 2017), an average of one murder every two days, and a pace that, if continued, will certainly lead to another heinous murder record, making a case that the nation is secure is extremely difficult.

“However, silence on the part of our national security officials will not do. The recurring theme of our young men continuing to lose their lives at such an alarming rate should be cause for all Bahamians to think about what this means for the future of our Bahamaland.

“As our police officers courageously stand in the firing line, and as we the residents navigate our lives in constant fear of being the next victim of crime, it is increasingly evident that something must be done now.”

The former police officer said he is willing to lend his expertise to the government to fight crime, but if his help is not accepted, he said the FNM has a plan to “arrest this scourge”.

The FNM has pledged to reinstitute term limits for the commissioner of police, reorganise the Royal Bahamas Police Force reserves, review officers’ pay, launch neighbourhood watch programmes nationwide, and establish a public sector anti-corruption agency, if elected to office this year.

The FNM has also pledged to adopt a “zero-tolerance” policy on crime; work with community-based partners to change the culture of violence in communities through neighbourhood safety programmes; eliminate crime habitats; enact legislation to establish the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); use state-of-the-art technology including gunshot detection devices, social media exploitation technologies, drones, etc, and establish a National Neighbourhood Watch Consultative Council.

The party has also pledged to establish a public sector anti-corruption agency; conduct a comprehensive review of police officers’ compensation; strengthen the RBDF satellite base presence/operations in the northern, central, southern and southeastern Bahamas; enforce Marco’s Law inclusive of a sexual offenders register and implement aggressive measures to address the trafficking of narcotics, firearms, human trafficking, illegal immigration and poaching.

The FNM has also said it would establish a forensic crime lab with an independent director, increase efforts on financial and cyber investigations, and place metal detectors at school entrances and use CCTV and professionally trained security officers for reinforcement.

Mr Dames also offered prayers and condolences to all the families and communities who have been victims of crime.