Mitchell says fall in crime is thanks to PLP

As of Thursday, January 18, 2018

PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell.

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday criticised the media, the Free National Movement, and Minister of National Security Marvin Dames for what Mr Mitchell perceives to be an inaccurate narrative surrounding who is responsible for the reported decrease in crime in the country.

Mr Mitchell is adamant that “the PLP put in place the programmes that the country is now benefiting from in seeking to lessen violence in the society”. He also accused the media of “adoring” the Free National Movement in view of recent police statistics revealing that overall crime declined by 14 per cent in 2017, though there was a 10 per cent increase in murders.

In his statement, Mr Mitchell said: “There is an old saying that there are lies, damn lies and statistics. So we don’t want the adoring media doing any false crowing about how crime is down because of the efforts of the FNM.

“The previous Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage under the PLP said crime was trending downwards, even though homicides were up. The Minister of National Security Marvin Dames today is saying the same thing. The release of the current statistics for 2017 show exactly the same thing as under Dr Nottage. Crime is trending down in some categories, but homicides are up.”

On Monday, Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis questioned if there was a correlation between the FNM’s decision to disband the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the “uptick in the pace of murders”. Police have said there was a slow down in murders in the last quarter of 2017.

Mr Dames admonished Mr Davis for these comments, accusing Mr Davis of attempting to politicise crime by intentionally overlooking data that shows downward trends in crime.

Mr Dames said: “We started this year off – and again when you look at the numbers, while we are not happy and pleased that we had three homicides on the island of Grand Bahama – but if the former deputy prime minister wants to play politics, we had 33 homicides for the first two months of 2017. But we don’t intend to play politics.”

In his statement, Mr Mitchell continued: “The minister made light of the comments of the leader of the opposition when he indicated that the FNM was failing in crime, but it is now clear that the minister did not have a handle on his own ministry and the stats with regard to homicides or deliberately sought to mislead the public on them.

“The FNM and their adoring media made fun of it and said it wasn’t so. Now the adoring media in the same circumstances and their FNM friends want to cry foul at the PLP so they can be free to boast that crime is down. No such luck.

“Compare the first week of the year in Grand Bahama last year and the first year this year. Three murders this year. None last year. So tell the families in Grand Bahama this year that crime is down. It is all childish in a way if it were not so serious.

“Our point is that the PLP put in place the programmes that the country is now benefiting from in seeking to lessen violence in the society. No one party can therefore lay claim to any success singularly.”

Mr Mitchell also castigated Mr Dames, saying: “We are also concerned that Marvin Dames seems to want to be both minister and commissioner of police. It is for the commissioner to reveal his plans for the year, not Marvin Dames in the House. That is what the legislation intends and that is what should ensue. We have raised this issue before about his interference in the force. We raise it again.”

Democratic National Alliance interim leader Christopher Mortimer also released a statement regarding the current reduction in crime. He said the DNA is “cautiously optimistic that this downward trend will continue.”

“While the reduction in overall crime is cause for celebration, now is not the time to become complacent,” Mr Mortimer said.

“We have always said, if politicians get out of the way of the RBPF, and provide the necessary resources to aid in the crime fight, that we can effectively address the scourge of crime in our community. In that regard we support the work being done by the commissioner, his executive team and every officer. Crime should not and must not become a political football.”

licks2 6 years, 10 months ago

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe................I guess when the FNM them get something wrong they will say that "them PLPs them lee we that plan in place what een work man"! Man we carn even get one time to blame none of these politicians inside of government or outside for something that mess-up. . .even if them done been out for 8 months and now blaming the FNM for how they "carn get nothin gern" since they came to power! Chile I all mixed-up here. . .HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The PLP blame the FNM for five years for "messin up the place" causing the PLP can't get "nothing" done for the entire duration of their term! Now ya mean to tell me I ger have to spend another five years hearing that "that plan worked because the PLP left that in place four years ago". . .Lol! Now you have to give it to them PLP. . .they sure know how to do the "dry eye" thing good. . .even if ya catch them with the cookie jar in their car. . ."what. . .ha dat cookie jar get in there. . .these FNM dem alwayas trying to make us look bad. . .putting dat cookie jar inside my car'!

John 6 years, 10 months ago

The former commissioner of police and others under his authority would regularly say, “There is a small group of prolific offenders who are wreaking havoc on the rest of society.’ And truth be told, there was a small group of individuals responsible for many of the murders over the years. And it was only after their demise was there a real break in the heinous amounts of murders happening in this country day after day, year after year. Almost half the one hundred plus murders occurring each year because of gang members beefing with each other and playing tit for tat with human life. Sending younger gang bangers to get their hands dirty by taking an innocent or unsuspecting life. The problem was that the police didn’t go far enough in dismantling gangs and curbing the gangsters sickening, killing sprees. Remember another popular phrase used by the commissioner and others ‘that’s one group of criminals killing up the other group (gang), like murders in the country were no big deal. "let them kill up each other til ain'n none left." How many mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and young children lost their innocent loved ones in the crossfire of these killings? Life lost because they knew the wrong person or hung out with the wrong person or was even just a relative of someone? Retaliation killings they call it. Then another catch phrase used by the police was’the victim was known to police, or the murder victim was wearing an ankle bracelet or ‘he had only been recently released from prison.’ And with this attitude the murders raged on, setting new records and making everyone believe no one was safe in New Providence, especially young males. And even now with the lull in murders there’s still a lot of work to be done. Evidence is that recent murders in Grand Bahama may be linked to gang/ drugs activities in New Providence as is the discovery of skeletal remains in Abaco. The police must continue its unrelenting assault on gangs. The mission of gangs is to kill and to create havoc on society. They must set a zero tolerance for murders and for gun possession as well as gangs.Gun smuggling is a lucrative and well organized criminal activity, not only here in the Bahamas, but around the world. The police may not be able to stop the gun smuggling, but they, along with the courts, can make it painful, very painful for a person to be caught with an illegal gun and using it or intending to use it to commit or a crime

ThisIsOurs 6 years, 10 months ago

If there really is a "fall" and Decemberwas no tan anomaly, I'd say he's right and "thanks Commissioner Greenslade"

killemwitdakno 6 years, 10 months ago

Shut Up.

realitycheck242 6 years, 10 months ago

Mitchell and Brave them need to just sit small for the next for years and pray for forgiveness for messing up this country and stop reminding people of the mess every time they ope their mouth an always remember that Lies always backfires.because the electorate has awoken.

John 6 years, 10 months ago

Tookie And BoBo

John 6 years, 10 months ago

But Mitchell is right: when the PLP got kicked out of office crime fell dramatically!

Sickened 6 years, 10 months ago

LMAO! Nice one!

rawbahamian 6 years, 10 months ago

The former Minister of Flying is so out of tune and touch with reality that he will probably soon blame God for all that is wrong with the world and that only he and the P.L.P. can save us !!!

realfreethinker 6 years, 10 months ago

I love that one John

sealice 6 years, 10 months ago

He so jealous - the media adores the FNM.... the media, and as everyone else proved, the entire country minus the well paid cronies, that no one likes the PLP because of your pompous attitude toward anyone that doesn't kiss your ars!!!

Mr. Davis since you seem to think that disbanding an entity that didn't actually legally exist cus you all to fruckin lazy to write the laws.......what did they do that was so good for prevention of crime.... since there was no law or mandate everyone figured you created another phony balony agency so you could give Cronies jobs?

Britching about Dames.... you had your over burden over loaded cabinet with Bell and BJ and neither of them did a damn thing beside waste the peoples money.

hrysippus 6 years, 10 months ago

Regressive Political Party Fred, .......... ............. .......... Rushes in where angels fear to tread. . .............. .......... ..... It seems he loves to see his face, ........... ............. ......... .. In the newspapers despite the disgrace, ........ .... .... ... Of Christie's horribly corrupt regime, ........... .. .... .......... With Fred a member of that sad team, ......... ............. .......... And now he claims that team did good, . .......... ... ....... That in stopping crime they did all they should, ............ ... ... ..... The Atlanta mansion and the contracts at BahaMar, ........... .............. . Were nothing more than a political sidebar, .......... ... ...... ......... And although plenty cronies are eating lobster and steak, ... ... .... Voting PLP was not a mistake, . ........ ...... ... ..... Because they tackled our crime so well, .... ........ ..... That the murder count continued to swell. ......... .......... ... ...... And it's dangerous now down at Arawak Cay, ....... .... ..... ...... But fred says none of this is the fault of the PLP.

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