The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe says the answer to addressing crime is for Bahamians to realise it is about “us” as he urged everyone to do their part in the fight against crime.

Mr Munroe spoke a day after four-year-old, Kenton Seymour Jr, was shot and killed by a stray bullet while he was driving with his parents on West and Fleming Streets.

The incidents were two of three shootings that occurred on Tuesday.

Since then, many have expressed outrage at the increasing levels of violence in the country, calling for more to be done to address the issue.

Asked to respond to the recent spate of violence yesterday, Mr Munroe said studies show that crime is a multifaceted problem.

The minister spoke to reporters after viewing the body of former House Speaker and government minister Vernon J Symonette in the foyer of the House of Assembly yesterday.

He said: “There is this concept that criminals suddenly appear and with a stroke of a pen they could disappear. The studies that resulted in the crime plan, acknowledged that crime is a multifaceted problem, it acknowledges that we have to identify youth at risk and divert them from criminal conduct.”

Mr Munroe reiterated the idea that crime has been an ongoing issue in the country.

He said the harsh reality is “we need to raise our young men better”.

“We need to be very clear about it, we need to raise our young men better - that means as we have started to do, reducing the age of intervention from junior high school to senior high school, from primary school into junior high school so that we catch the young men before they get to a life of crime,” the minister told reporters.

He also appealed to members of the public to do their part in the fight against crime.

“So, the answer to crime is for us to realise it’s about us. We have to intervene in young people’s lives. We have to recognise when they’re off track and we have to take responsibility and say come here young man let me set you right. So, we can’t look for anybody else other than ourselves, when we stop doing that then we will start making a difference in young people’s lives,” the member of parliament said.

As a result of the recent spike in crime, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis was asked yesterday his government’s views on capital punishment.

He said: “Well we believe in the rule of law and that is on the books. We believe the execution of the law rests in the hands of the courts and the courts have made some determination as to what will attract capital punishment or not and we will not interfere with that.

“All I’ll say is that it’s on the books and if, and whenever, the law takes its course, the law will take its course.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander pledged to take an aggressive approach in the fight against crime, with specific focus on tackling gang violence.

The police chief warned officers “will take the fight to the criminals” to disrupt gang related activities and reduce violent crime.

“We will take the fight to them,” he said. “If we don’t, we will continue to move from one scene to the next and I believe it’s high time now that we do just that to disrupt what’s going on. So, we are asking and appealing to members of the public to please assist your Royal Bahamas police force as we continue to make safer communities.”