Assistant Superintendent McKell Pinder, who leads the Englerston Urban Renewal initiative, on the scene during a walkabout of the area as the government’s ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ strategy begins efforts to help residents feel safer by clearing hazardous properties linked to criminal activity. See PAGE TWO for story. Photo: Nikia Charlton
By KEILE CAMPBELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
THE “Clear, Hold, Build” crime strategy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis revealed on Friday is largely similar to the plan he disclosed at the start of the year.
Some Englerston residents and business owners expressed scepticism about the plan, as some questioned the government’s ability to bring real innovation to its strategy.
The strategy is being implemented in Englerston first because of an increase in violent crimes, including murders and armed robberies.
While the “Clear, Hold, Build” initiative is presented as a renewed effort, many elements — such as the focus on law enforcement and disruption tactics — mirror the previously disclosed approach. Repeated strategies include increased police patrols, technology like CCTV, drones, and ShotSpotter systems, and targeting stash houses and gang leaders.
Nikita Burrows, who operates a printing shop in Englerston, expressed scepticism toward the government’s crime strategies, calling the approaches reactive rather than proactive.
“I personally feel like everything has to start from the schools, opening up different counselling and things because there’s so much hurt,” she said.
Pastor DW Dorsett, a long-time stakeholder in the area, said: “I haven’t seen any police officers walking on Balfour [Avenue] for several months. It’s possible that they passed through when I wasn’t here. Some days I leave early, and it could have been the very time police made their presence known, but I haven’t seen it.”
He welcomed police involvement, adding: “We want to be friends with the police, working hand in hand with them and the government of The Bahamas for the betterment of all.”
Assistant Superintendent McKell Pinder, who leads the Englerston Urban Renewal initiative, hailed the government’s ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ strategy during a walkabout of the area as an effort to help residents feel safer by clearing hazardous properties linked to criminal activity. Part of the plan includes engaging the community through feeding programmes, after-school mentorships, and partnerships with schools to address underlying social issues.
While she acknowledged police efforts in clearing dangerous areas, Pinder emphasised the importance of community involvement and ongoing maintenance for lasting change in Englerston.
“We feed seniors every week,” she said. “We have an after-school programme at our center. We also have a mentorship programme and work closely with the schools, especially with our young people and the primary school. We are proactive in what we’re doing, and this is ongoing every day for us here in Englerston.”
Comments
Dawes 1 month ago
They have done this before. It stems it for a while and then it is back. Clearing buildings only to let it become overgrown is not going to help./ But guess they have decided they must appear to be doing something, even if its results will be limited.
SP 1 month ago
We're sick and tired of politicians insulting our intelligence spinning nonsensical narratives
When will politicians grow up and address the biggest elephant in the room causing underlying social issues the Haitian to Bahamian ratio in Englerston! And other inner-city areas.
Nothing positive can be expected after we have allowed the poorest, most uncivilized people in the hemisphere to not only infiltrate, but to dominate whole sections of many inner city communities.
Schools and teachers cannot properly mentor students because of the extraordinarily high volume of Haitians that have overwhelmed the education system. Social services, and healthcare systems are overburdened to the point of failure. Unemployment and under employment are causing too many Bahamians to suffer the indignity of not being able to take care of themselves and their families.
It would be no different than moving 30,000 Bahamians from the worse ghettos in Nassau into Lyford Cay, and overwhelming their school, with thousands of D average students!
Similarly, the resultant "underlying social issues" would cause total collapse of Lyford Cay.
If politicians would simply address these issues, crime would resolve itself!
PM Davis's “Clear, Hold, Build” does not resonate with the reality on the ground.
mandela 1 month ago
The DR got it right eventually after years and years, and they don't solicit votes for country. We on the other hand will and have sold our country to Haiti migrants for decades buying votes. 50 yrs from now the Bahamas will be know as baby Haiti, 50 more years Haiti Jr. 150yrs and the Bahamas will be a failed state also.
ThisIsOurs 1 month ago
A name change. Fox Hill is now Department of Corrections but they still using slop buckets. Unsustainable Saturation Patrols has become Clear Hold and Build. They will keep this up for a couple months maybe until they have a picture with shovels on the dirt promised to be the new hospital then they can claim to have addressed both crime and healthcare in the election campaign.
Have they mentioned when the Abaco shelter will be finished and why a roof collapse for a project that received two million dollars in additional funding for "something" stopped the entire show for months?
Porcupine 1 month ago
The only way to stop crime is to stop raising criminals. The only thing we seem to abhor here is the truth. So, long as we have forged an economy based on making the rich richer and keeping the working class down, crime will continue. So, long as both parents, or one, must work 2 and 3 jobs to simply stay alive, we will have kids raising kids and will reap what we sow. Our education system has failed because we talk the talk but don't allocate the required resources., We are only about short term gratification and our politicians can't see past next election. The D- education system is a spiral downwards, showing up most clearly in the quality of the politicians we produce. Who honestly believes that killing one person is worse than killing a nation, as our criminal politicians have, and are doing? In any decently run and just society, many, if not most of the current administration would be in jail. Am I lying? Think about it.
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