The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune. 

These are seriously troubling times in our country today!

You could not reasonably fault anyone for concluding that this has been and continues to be, the “Summer of Our Discontent”, especially regarding the high level of crime, lawlessness and eroding confidence in one of the most important institutions in our country – the Royal Bahamas Police Force – and, this Davis PLP government.

Not only has it been the summer of our discontent - but it has also been a very long-running -- Three-Year Discontentment!

People have a right to be safe, to feel safe and not to constantly worry themselves about crime and the fear of crime being visited upon them or their family.

It is real, it is a daily conversation. Sadly, crime is a hot topic of the day and everyday. Our people are legitimately, honestly and for good reason, concerned, perhaps as never before about crime.

Today, sadly and most unfortunately, murders for the year is nearing 90, with a little less than four months remaining in the year. At this rate, should it worsen or even continue, we will very likely, under this Davis PLP administration, compete for the 2nd highest annual murder rate, of all time in our country!

And, let us not forget, the worst year on record, of all-time, for murders, also rests at the feet of a PLP Government.

We are daily, very troubled about the high number of murders and they occupy our attention as they should. In every case, a human being - somebody’s family member - lost their life. Indeed, whenever, a person’s life is lost to murder, at some level, it diminishes the humanity of all of us as a people and a collective.

We note too though, that hardly a day goes by when there are not reports of multiple persons being shot. Had it not been for our many skilled medical doctors and health professionals, our murder rate would have been much higher this year. God bless them.

Practically everyday, if there is not a murder or, most distressingly, multiple ones, there are shootings or multiple ones and if not that, which is most rare, there is not a stabbing or multiples of them as well.

Importantly, let us not forget the enormous amount of sexual crimes – rapes, assaults, unlawful sexual intercourse – all of which – make no mistake – are absolutely violent crimes! Let me say here also, not justifiable under any circumstance. Perhaps, one of the worse, short only of murder because they rob or directly affect the human dignity and humanity of a person.

Violent crimes on the whole and taken together, appear to be at unprecedented levels. That is certainly the sense of a lot of people. Not only are these crimes unprecedented, but they also appear to be pervasive, unrelenting, everywhere and with no relief in sight.

We have a real crime crisis today under this Davis PLP administration.

Meanwhile, the public’s confidence in this PLP government – PM Davis, DPM Cooper and Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, likewise the Commissioner of Police and the senior leadership (not everyone - let’s be clear - there are highly competent, accountable and responsive officers of the RBPF) appears to be at or fast approaching an all time low.

The public’s confidence is strained, to say the least, when they see one of the most senior officers of the force, the Chief Superintendent who heads the Criminal Investigations Department - being under very serious suspicion of corruption and, by the way, now on garden leave.

When the announcement was made in July this year, regarding the said Chief Superintendent, it was commonplace to hear people asking the question, what is garden leave?

Well, a Wikipedia search revealed that it is, essentially, full paid leave with an undetermined period! Interesting, it is also described as gardening leave.

It has been eight weeks now though, since the announcement of the garden leave with absolutely no word from the Commissioner of Police, the Minister of National Security or Prime Minister Davis, as to the status of the investigation. Mum’s the word!

To make matters worse and create less confidence, none other than the Commissioner of Police, Clayton Fernander, initially with all the confidence, resolve, public concern and interest and seriousness he could muster, told the Bahamian people in a press conference that – he takes the matter very seriously and that we, the people, will be informed as to the status of the investigation as it ensues.

That was then, back in July. However last month the same Commissioner of Police stated that the Bahamian people will not get any status updates as to the investigation and most recently, he said “the Bahamian people will get a full report at the end of the day”.

This complete about-face by the highest-ranking police officer, regarding one of perhaps the most important investigations by the force, of one of its own, in history, certainly does not inspire any confidence in the force by the public.

What we do know is that, as early as the 12th July, 2024, the Commissioner of Police, indicated that the force would seek the assistance of Scotland Yard of the United Kingdom.

Since then, several weeks ago, it was said by Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe that the Scotland Yard investigators would be here on a particular weekend which did not happen. And, to this day, it does not appear that they ever came. In fact, recently, when a reporter asked the Commissioner of Police about whether the Scotland Yard Officers ever came, he offered nothing in that regard.

Meanwhile, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, talking about the said UK investigators coming here to assist the force, essentially said shockingly, that Scotland Yard investigators were only coming for the comfort of the Bahamian people, not that they were doing any real investigations. That’s what we call a flim-flam, not serious and taking the Bahamian people for conchs! While he was at it, he could just as well have told the Bahamian people, as the young people say today, “kick rocks”!

Perhaps, that is why Scotland Yard investigators never came, if they did not (remember the force is no longer updating the Bahamian people) because they too, perhaps, realised it was a flim-flam, not serious and a total waste of their time, attempting to use them purely for political purposes and no real other reason.

Let us not lose sight of what we do know. A man was murdered, and it was not long ago that his father, Mr Michael Fox, Sr., told a reporter that he will not let this go, that he will see to it that there is justice for his son, and rightly so. It should be noted that is about the very person, it seems regarding the voice note that went viral back in July and the details of which resulted in the garden leave. Yet, two months later, the Bahamian people know nothing more from the RBPF than they did in July.

The FNM early on called for a commission of inquiry to investigate this matter and some people thought at the time, that was a bit much. However, given what we know today, or perhaps, what we do not know, I suspect there is now, little doubt that we need a commission of inquiry to investigate this matter and everything connected and related thereto and hopefully, restore the much-needed confidence in one of our major institutions, as in any democracy.

The Bahamian people want accountability and responsiveness, and they want to feel a true and real sense of confidence as to the senior levels of the RBPF. They want the same from Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe and, certainly, from Prime Minister Philip Davis who has been silent on the matter, and so many others, while there is unprecedented lawlessness, justifiable outrage and eroding confidence, among our people. 

Michael A Foulkes

Former Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary 

September 14, 2024.