The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

Can the Commissioner of Police, or anyone else definitively state, as a result of police action serious crime - serious crime, murder, has decreased, or is it the law of averages…300+ murdered over the past three years. Perhaps 300 criminals locked up, so you have basically exhausted who will commit the serious crime? Oh, we are pleased with the decrease.

So gun-fire spotting technology…which requires microphones to be strategically located. Seriously this is unnecessary. Has there been a single murder in the past 40 years, to which the police did not receive a telephone call from the public? Not a single incident... this is redundant and a waste.

Drones? We spent $240 million on new patrol craft, some designed for deep water, some for shallow and still the wind-driven Haitian sloops slip right past RBDF, and even sail almost into their base at Coral Harbour, and no one sees them. I saw a drawing recently, in one newspaper of the potential use of drones and patrol craft. All I can say, fanciful, Minister, fanciful.

If the RBDF was awake long range - night vision binoculars, military version you see on US-UK Naval vessels will suffice, of course requiring around the clock monitoring. I would guarantee no more sloops would get past Inagua. So why waste millions on drones? Will there be restrictions on their use? Privacy is privacy, sir.

W THOMPSON

Nassau

February 23, 2019