By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
ALTHOUGH the Davis administration hired Rodney Moncur and Carlos Reid as violence interrupters in 2022, calling the initiative key to fighting crime, the programme has not started.
Mr Reid, a Ministry of National Security consultant, told The Tribune yesterday that the violence interrupter initiative had yet to be rolled out.
Mr Moncur declined to comment.
“I submitted the proposal,” Mr Reid said. “It’s not being rolled out as yet. What we have been doing, just some work from my standpoint, meeting with persons in the community.
“I’m hoping that in the very, very near future, that the prime minister will roll that programme out because I believe that it could go a long way in helping us influence the persons in these particular areas that need to be influenced and interrupt some of these situations before they can happen.”
Twenty people were murdered last month (January), one of the deadliest opening months in the country’s history. Mr Reid said he was not only contracted to run the violence interrupter programme, but is paid to engage with other initiatives, including Shock Treatment and “weekly community meetings”. It is unclear what all Mr Moncur was paid to do, but Mr Reid said he is not being paid as part of the violence interrupter programme.
“The programme itself is supposed to be where we have more than just Carlos Reid, where we have a number of different persons that have influence in these communities,” he said, “and interrupt situations before they become full-blown like what we’ve seen in our streets now.”
In April 2022, Officer of the Prime Minister Communications Director Latrae Rahming said Mr Moncur’s appointment as a violence interrupter brought value because he understands the dynamics of communities and was trusted by people in the inner city.
“We have said before that crime is a multifaceted problem that must be tackled from a community level and a policing level,” he said.
“We have said that violence interrupters were a key component in solving the issue. We are using community leaders in our approach.”
He did not reveal how much Mr Moncur was being paid.
Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis raised questions about the issue in the House of Assembly.
“What is his expertise? How much is he being paid, and is he receiving other benefits?” Dr Minnis asked.
Comments
John 7 months, 1 week ago
Any plans that involve the US as far as safety and security of Blsck Bahamians will fail. Simply because the agenda and motives of that ( close neighbor and big brother) country is to see more bBlsvk men dead, in jail , in poverty or otherwise in distress. Their track record confirms this. The Bahamas needs to join forces with Panama and other Caribbean ways and come up with ways to keep the floods of guns and alcohol and drugs out their communities and their countries, it may mean putting more restrictions on diplomacy and leaving no stone unturned until the son or perdition and his ban of fallen angels be revealed, disarmed and disposed of. The Bible tells you that. The enemy is unrelenting and he will continue to form more and more deadly weapons to fight against the anointed
John 7 months, 1 week ago
The BaHAMAS and most Caribbean countries stand with America on all fronts. The question is where does America stand.
The_Oracle 7 months, 1 week ago
More concerned about "shock treatment" What on earth is that?
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
Reject violence and America will stand down! --- Worth noting --- America is upfront in her travel advisory in [cautioning] that violent crime --- [Rarely affects tourists to The Colony.] --- Even more shocking is that the Travel Alert was extended to Grand Bahama. --- What will happen to tourism, should America - [worsen its cautioning] --- Yes?
John 7 months, 1 week ago
America has initiated violence and has caused more hardship yes deaths ( ok bloody murder Tal) than ANY other country in modern history, yes or no?So anything else you say TAL RUSSELL is moot and mute! Dirty dogs that refuse to bark! Bathe fsys of White Supremay is drawing nigh after 600’years
themessenger 7 months, 1 week ago
Any chance of the toter reimbursing the Treasury for the two years of “consultancy” fees received for nothing delivered ?
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
@TheMess, will settle for holding back 50% [“consultancy”[ fees where nothing was delivered to avoid prosecuting simple drug possession cases ---Except where popoulaces' safety concerns are at play. --- Yes?
themessenger 7 months, 1 week ago
@talrussell, ma comrade, the frivolous abuses/looting of the populaces Treasury are of equal concern——Yes?
hrysippus 7 months, 1 week ago
Up until this point Carlos Reid and Rodney Moncur have had absolutely zero impact on the country's disturbing descent to being a country with one of the highest rates of murder per capita in the world. As such they have both been a complete waste of our taxpayers money. Have they no shame? How can they collect that reported $5,000 per month and still look at themselves in the mirror? Perhaps I am just being naive to expect better.
trueBahamian 7 months, 1 week ago
Where did they get this title "violence interrupter"? Why not just called them community activists. How would these.two men stop guys from retaliatory killings? You sit and talk to a guy an dvn he says, "You now although so and so killed my boy, I ga just leave that and forgive him". Really? Really? This is a joke. You need serious people addressing these matters. This is a clown show right now. I'm not saying either men are clowns. I'm saying the whole idea of these two.marching into communities and getting young guys to put down their guns is a joke. Community leaders can help. The key word here is leaders. Two random out of touch guys can't make a huge dent in the problem.
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
On Sunday, I got to join-in on a most delightful lunch with a dear family friend [astute business leader] Bahamas born in 1929. --- Who's mixture of ego, has never let them come to the conclusion of living for 95 years, somehow. should offer a quick solution for fixing The Colony's Populaces'Purse. ---- Yes?
John 7 months, 1 week ago
No Dude your pint is incoherent so go study and come back more intelligible dud dyke
John 7 months, 1 week ago
Do you know if Black Americans and Black countries, like Tge Bahamas withholds their services and economic activities from the US for a mere matter of weeks, they can bring the US to its knees? The war between the US and Chiy had brought more benefits to countries dealing directly with China, rather than having to pay the imposed tariffs and duties Trump imposed on goods coming through the US. So now is the timy to challenge the US to make good its threats to stop its cruise ships and tourism to the Bahamas and see what really happens. Tell the US to take their crime and guns and weaponized drugs and racism and CYC !
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
@ComradeJohn, --- Reading your words --- Describes you as [unchristlike]. --- And if so, ---'Tis no letter a ['Come to Jesus' moment'] than on a friday night].---- Yes?
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