The Tribune

IN A new study on murders, the National Anti-Drug Secretariat suggested a change to the constitution to allow for the application of the death penalty in a bid to reduce killings.

The recommendation is the first of seven key action points based on research findings, with other tactics like establishing a Violent Repeat Offender (VRO) programme, establishing sentencing guidelines, and expanding the Swift Justice programme.

It read: “Many of those opposed to capital punishment fail to understand that it was not created for prevention but rather incapacitation and retribution. This fact is made clearer when one considered the fact that 47 of the persons charged with murder during the study period were previously charged with a different murder.”

“The 2006 and 2011 rulings by the Privy Council…have made it virtually impossible for the death penalty to be carried out in the Bahamas. In fact, Chief Justice Sir Hartman Longley recently stated that unless there was a “Charlie Hebdo” attack (referring to the 2015 massacre in Paris), the likelihood of imposing the death penalty in the Bahamas would be nil.

It continued: “Nonetheless, there may be another avenue to explore. An Amendment to the Constitution could be made to specify the punishment for a person convicted of murder is death or life (natural) without parole.”

The study was penned by NADS director Police Superintendent Dr Chaswell Hanna, with research assistants Indirah Belle and Greer McKinney of the National Drug Observatory.

It analyses 719 murders recorded between 2010 and 2015; revealing that 19 per cent of murder victims and 39 per cent of those charged with murder were on bail.

The Bahamas’ murder rate ranks 13 in a survey of 142 countries, said Dr Hanna.

“This strategic plan proposes the introduction of several new police initiatives, policy adjustments, constitutional amendments and community-based programmes to reduce murder and other violent crimes,” he said.

“The strategy gives evidence-based solutions to policy makers which they can use to guide decisions.

Dr Hanna added: “We are happy that this study adds to the relatively small but growing body of local research, which can be further explored by other researchers at the University of the Bahamas.”

The book underscored recommendations contained therein may not reflect the views, opinions or positions of the Ministry of National Security or the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

It maintained while some recommendations may not be enacted, their presentation provided a space for policy makers to take an “out of the box” approach to murder reduction.

The murder reduction strategy hinges on seven key action points: punish the most violent offenders; stop illegal gun trafficking; establish a DNA forensic lab; dismantle gangs; keep youth drug-free; and to increase economic and educational opportunities.