Is there some kind of vigilante force at work in Nassau, killing off criminal defendants so as to circumvent the courts and the trial process, exacting their own justice? Reminds me of a Clint Eastwood movie where this was the plot line. What we don't hear from the Police or the Attorney General is the numbers of persons arrested, charged and actually convicted for these random shootings and gun murders. So 100+ people were murdered in 2016 - how many persons were actually arrested and charged for each of those crimes and how many are still open investigations? How many of those arrested and charged for such crimes in 2016 were convicted and sentenced? How are the guns, particularly handguns, getting into this country and what are the Police and other Security Forces doing to close off these avenues?

@DaGoobs - Further to your points (all very well written, I may add) I don't think it's any coincidence that since the criminals started wearing monitoring devices, the number of murders of persons out on bail has increased exponentially. Can you say "Inside Job"?

The guns are owned by policemen and they must be doing the killings to clear the Court System.

I feel a lot of these crimes go unsolved and the media always have another case to report and so yesterdays news falls to the wayside. DaGoobs you ask very good questions. I would be interested to know those statistics myself. Tit for Tat drug related murder, turf war, gang violence, retribution, revenge killing, paid hit. These are just some of the categories. The police know why people are killed, we just never get told that information.

To the commenters above: Most of us would like to know how many individuals charged with violent crimes like murder and rape, including many repeat offenders, are living among us bearing in mind that ankle bracelets used as a tracking device give us zero comfort. Perhaps Marvin Dames will see fit to release this information to the public given that Minnis promised over and over again during the FNM's last general election campaign that his government would set the gold standard for transparency.

The underlying reason for all of these vigilante killings is a failed criminal justice system. Individuals charged with violent crimes are being moved through the system much too slowly because of seriously inadequate resources and other shortcomings in: (1) the Attorney General's Office that still houses public prosecutors who should have an independent office of their own; (2) the criminal courts where too many judges seem to march to their own drum beat and our much too tolerant of lawyers (both for the defense and prosecution) who have a well established track record of showing up in court unprepared resulting in the need for costly and time consuming adjournments; and (3) the prison system that for decades now has had insufficient facilities to contain the ever growing population of sentenced criminals, as well as individuals who have been charged with violent crimes and are awaiting their trial and/or sentencing.

These pressures on our criminal justice system have effectively turned many of our judges into unwitting executioners. The judges think they are doing the right thing by letting individuals charged with violent crimes roam among us because they have been denied timely justice, but what they are in fact doing (as a result of all the failings of our criminal justice system touched on above) is giving such individuals a death sentence. Some of our judges may even be witting executioners, taking advantage of all the failings in our justice system.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2017…

Agree with all of the above comments concerning vigilante killings ......... what is the going price to engage a mercenary in The Bahamas today???????? ...... Or is this off the record??????

If these do jack to dissuade crime... why do Bahamians believe the state killing criminals will change anything?

There is something sinister about the murders in this country and the number of persons who are charged with murder but never make it to trial. Despite the number of murders being solved declining, many of the persons who are charged with murder claim their innocence and some request a speedy trial. However many are kept in jail until they qualify for bail and almost as soon as they walk out the prison gates they are gunned down and killed. This in no way can be considered vigilante justice because except for being charged there is little proof that the,person now also a victim of murder, committed the crime. And so the number of murders in the country continues unabated, increasingly even. And the number of persons charged and convicted of murder decreases. Some feel that there are forces acting witothe police force itself that may be behind some murders especially those of released persons. Some believe the the police force has been infiltrated with gang members who use the guise of their uniform to do devious deeds and get away undetected. Whatever the situation the country cannot go on losing close to 150 young men each year to murder. And with three former MP's being charged and released on bail everyone is watching to see if they will see their trial dates.

As usual you missed the main point......persons convicted of violent crimes (murder, rape, armed robbery, etc.) should never be allowed out on bail, period.

Do you mean convicted a second time after serving a first time conviction? As far as I'm concerned, even if they've been charged with a violent crime for the first time they should not be allowed out on bail. As for a second time, they should never be allowed out, period!

Word "convicted" in my last post above should have been "charged".

Actually YOU missed the point! You claim" Persons convicted of violent crimes (murder, rape, armed robbery, etc.) should never be allowed out on bail, period."
THESE PERSONS LET OUT ON BAIL ARE NOT CONVICTED.. They are are merely charged. Many claim their innocence and want to go to trial to prove their innocence. But rather than this happening for many of them, they are kept in jail, not convicted, then let out to be executed. Meaning there is a strong possibility that they are innocent and the real killer(s) and other violent criminals go free.
Upvote1

Comrades! Minister Marvin be hanging onto the trigger coattails of yet another murder as the perfect pretense to see the return the Hangman's Noose?
There's a good bet that any human being willing to select to spend the rest their natural life locked up in a hellhole of a cell at Fox Hill - is not to be detoured by being a candidate for hanging. Who could've imagined that Red Shirts may just succeed at transforming Nassau Town into the Detroit of the Caribbean. Might as well start flying the US Flag in Rawson Square to welcome the arrival of "Papa" The US Ambassador?

Sadly another person was murdered in the cowpea area this morning. Bring the total according to some records to 86. With basically 5 months left in 2017, the country is set to record over 130 murders this year.

With regards to the suggestions mooted above that the RBPF is carrying out extra-judicial killings of those of us out on bail awaiting trial for murder, I think it is possible but unlikely.
Many persons on the force are thugs wearing a uniform who love to bully helpless Haitians and who enjoy the attentions of dubious women attracted to the external symbols of power. The policemen in America are very highly trained compared to the few months our lot get and yet we see them shooting civilians daily. If the police could weed out the corrupt officers then the public could begin to trust them. The reports by suspects of plastic bags over their heads and other tortures inflicted on them in the police station cells happen too often to be dismissed. A policeman who will torture a suspect will most certainly have no problem shooting them as well. BodyCans issued to every officer on duty is the only way to keep our policemen honest. My guess is that they would fight such a suggestion very hard as they like the way thingd are now just fine.