The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

THE Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBDF) has implemented new and improved strategies to enhance its crime-fighting capabilities, according to Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean, as he lamented the "big business" crime has become in the country.

His statement came after National Security Minister Marvin Dames said on Tuesday overall crime is trending down, and that "from an enforcement standpoint, we're seeing some measure of success, we're not there yet…but [gun] seizures are certainly up, the targeting of drug houses in these at-risk communities are up, and officers are yielding tremendous success."

During a presentation at the Rotary Club of West Nassau yesterday, Senior ACP Dean also referenced this downward trend in violent crime. He said the reasons there have not been regular reports of murders over the past few weeks is because "since the new commissioner has come in, we have looked at some new initiatives".

"Things have been happening. We have been arresting a number of bad guys off the streets. We have been taking particularly a number of firearms off the streets of New Providence, all kinds: high-powered weapons, automatic weapons, we have been finding them.

"And so we believe that because we are taking a number of firearms out of the criminals' hands, we are causing a reduction in some of these serious crimes… most of our serious crime [continues] to trend downwards. So to [the RBPF], while we don't glory in it, it's a positive sign of what is happening here."

Senior ACP Dean then outlined some of the specific police strategies which have contributed to this phenomenon. He referenced the Anti-Gang and Firearms Unit, saying: "[The RBPF] realised that gangs in our country is a reality. It's real. We have a lot of young men [and women] involved in these gangs and when they come into custody, you see it. You see the tattoos and the signs on their hands.

"These are real issues in communities. And some of our good children are going to be forced to get into these gangs. You have good people even trying to join the RBPF, but when you look, you do an examination, they've got these tattoos and the tattoos give us a lot of signs. So these are the difficulties that [the RBPF] are faced with. But since our Anti-Gang Unit has been in, we have been targeting these gangs… There's a law, an anti-gang law that we are targeting of persons who are involved in gangs so we are doing a lot of work behind the scenes to bring these persons into custody."

Senior ACP Dean then outlined the second initiative: "We have instituted what we call The Flying Squad… We had the Flying Squad [previously], but we've enhanced the Flying Squad, this is a group of very serious elite officers who target some bad guys. And they have been targeting them. And they have been bringing them into custody."

The third initiative is the Rapid Response Unit. Senior ACP Dean said: "This is another group officers who are… always willing and ready for any emergencies, any situations where it is needed, any person who believe that they are above the law, this who [the RBPF sends] to get them."

The Uniform Divisions is the initiative behind why "you've seen a lot of road checks, a lot of road blocks that we have been increasing…Those road checks have been reaping a number of dividends. We have been bringing persons into custody, we have been causing people to licence their vehicles now, [and] we have been causing a number of things to happen. But all these things are reaping success."

Senior ACP Dean said the newly formed Anti-Corruption Unit has seen success in recent months and put persons in court for various charges.

"Then we have Enhanced Ballistics Capabilities, because the question [keeps] coming, 'Mr Dean where all these guns coming from? How come y'all can't find the guns? How come?' You know the reality? And I want us to check -- do you really believe a fella through McCullough Corner or through Fowler Street and Kemp Road…[people] who don't have a passport, do you really believe he goes on a flight to the US and [brings] a gun here?

"What we have been finding, for some reason the guns have been coming in, and they haven't been coming from [any] strange area…people have been very creative. We just had had to stop a group who had a refrigerator, they had the gun all through the refrigerator, and what they do is they break the guns up into parts now, and they have a piece over here, a piece over there.

"Then you have some gun traffickers, some people only specialise in the bullets, they say they don't touch the gun, they sell the bullets. So you need to buy the ammunition. So they are very creative and crafty. Because it's a big business - guns are being sold. And you will be surprised who [has] an illegal firearm in this country. But you know, time will tell. And I can tell you we have been doing some good work.

"We have what we call an eTrace system, [where] we work with US authorities, so… in a 48-hour period, we can tell… when that [firearm] was bought, where [it] came from in the US, which store it came from, we can tell. We have had firearms in a turnaround, almost 24 hours after being brought in The Bahamas and involved in crimes."

He added: "The trending we are seeing now, (is) that one firearm is being used in multiple crimes. So this lends to what intelligence is telling us on the streets-- that firearms are being rented. So we might find a guy for murder, but he [doesn't have] a gun, because he borrowed the gun for the murder. And that's what it is. Crime has become such a big business out there. These criminals have become very organised out there on the streets….And so that's why we have been turning up the heat from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, we've been turning up the heat in what we do. So we are targeting these criminals, we are trying to bring them into custody, but you know -- who are the criminals?"

"You interview an average 18-year-old now…[or someone who is in] that 18-30 [age range] who is in custody. You ask them basic questions, like, what church do you go to? What you think is the answer? 'Um, I know the church my mother goes to, I know where my father goes to,' and he starts drawing reference. Because he don't go to no church. So I'm just trying to bring you the perspective of the type of person's you're dealing with. Because you know most of us grew up in some sort of church. We got some sort of understanding of right from wrong. We got some understanding of values and standards."

"So our young men are devoid of these things. Young men and young women are devoid of these values. So when you don't have a thinking faculty in your head, it doesn't matter if I pull a gun to you and I kill you…. There are young men around looking for a job to kill somebody. That's all. They don't think nothing about it. They go home and they go to sleep. Their mother [washes] their clothes with the blood on it, she [will not] call the police. And these are normal things in the community. Because there's big money in what's happening…There's big money in this business of crime."

Senior ACP Dean also listed what citizens and civic groups alike can do to protect themselves and contribute to the downward trend in crime. He said: "More than 50 per cent of the crime that [occurs] in the country, can be prevented, can be avoided, because of a lot of us contribute to crime."

He gave examples of people who have been held up and robbed in front of their homes, because they lingered outside or in their car while distracted and chatting on cell phones.

"As we come into the Christmas season, this is timely…I implore you to please pay attention to your surroundings. Know where your children are going. Give account for who is in your house; give account for your friends. Give account for your home security. Is your home secured? Is your vehicle secured?"

"Don't care how much we preach, criminals are going into cars finding laptops, finding jewellery, cash…[for criminals], that's incentive to do wrong."

Senior ACP Dean also implored the public to stop broadcasting when they've come into money, either through an asue or loan, when they're going on vacation, and showing off their valuables on social media, "not knowing that the criminal is on Facebook too."

Speaking directly to the audience of Rotary Club members, Senior ACP Dean said: "As service clubs, as citizens, all of us have a responsibility. And I would encourage you to try to work along with your police. I know the Rotary [has] this 'Road to Peace' [initiative] that is going on, that is pretty good."

He indicated wanting to work alongside the club so that "we could expand that [initiative] and could develop [it] and become more powerful in the New Year."

"I know sometimes you think your work is in vain. When you might go in the community, fix up a house… the programmes you have in the school, they are very important."

"We need your support, we need you to get involved, we need you to continue to support those children, but we need you to more importantly work with your police."