By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of State for National Security Keith Bell yesterday said more can be done in the fight against crime but defended the Christie administration’s initiatives this term, saying the government has made “significant investments” to counteract the problem.

He urged citizens to give the Progressive Liberal Party another chance to “finish the job” the party started.

“Reducing crime is all about education and awareness,” Senator Bell said yesterday. “The government has made significant investments. Can we do more? Yes, we can and yes, we will.”

His comments came while he was a guest on “The Real Deal” with host Ortland Bodie.

Senator Bell said the PLP found the issue of crime to be a “challenge” once in office and has had to “adjust their strategy” to address the issue.

He said the PLP’s focus, if given another term, would be to deal with “prolific offenders” who are wreaking havoc in the country.

According to The Tribune’s records, there have been more than 600 homicides in The Bahamas since May 2012, when the PLP assumed office.

Before the 2012 general election, the PLP posted billboards throughout New Providence - in areas heavily trafficked by tourists and locals - which said there had been more than 490 killings under the five-year Ingraham administration.

The PLP, then in opposition, campaigned that it had the answer to violent crime while the Ingraham administration did not. It promised that if elected it would get crime under control.

“The reality is, yes, we did a number of things. Would we do it differently? Perhaps so but let’s not look at the past, let’s look towards the future,” Senator Bell said yesterday.

“The reality is we can say the glass is half empty but I would submit to you that the glass is half full in the efforts we have made against crime...We came into office knowing it would be a challenge, knowing we had to do a number of things. We had to deal with a number of issues, including limited resources. We had to find money to ensure we finance our crime strategies. We have to focus on prolific offenders. This small group of persons. These persons have cases before the courts and this has been a constant cry of the commissioner of police, they arrest these people, they are charged and then they are back out on bail. It has been a challenge but we have adjusted our strategy to meet the challenge.”

Senator Bell said the PLP is in the process of “fulfilling the aspirations of Bahamians” and will continue to build a “safer Bahamas for everyone.”

“We have done a lot but we have plenty more to do,” Mr Bell said.

“We have made some promises, we have made some commitments. We have made some sacrifices and we have had some achievements. We are human beings, we are here to serve. We may not have achieved all but when you look at us and see what we have done and what we are capable of doing and when you compare us to that other party, the scrap gang as Mr (Bradley) Roberts called them, we are still the best for the Bahamian people. There is humility in admitting we are not perfect people. We are not a perfect party, so just bear with us as we continue to work for you.”

In January, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade said serious crimes in the country declined by 26 per cent in 2016, the most significant year-to-year drop since 2004.

According to police, the overall decrease in serious crimes was influenced by double digit decreases in almost every category of crime, he said.

This included a 24 per cent drop in murders, falling from a record 146 in 2015 to 111 in 2016, according to police statistics.

The murder total last year was the lowest since 2012.

However, there was a spate of murders in the first few months of 2017, with 41 recorded up to press time while violent crime continues to be a concern for residents.