All political parties will do well not to use crime as a political football.

So much for the argument that the thugs will take each other out! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!! A nice little walk-about would not have stopped this one.

Hmmm DDK I'm lived in Jamaica for some while schooling and do you know that if a police officer were to see u with a gun that's automatic death? Not even mentioning their military personnel that roam the street in bad areas these law enforcement agencies need to get serious cause these niggas ain't scared. Innocent lady shot wow

Comrades! You should as a responsible citizen be wondering why would we even want to lockup our citizens for non-violent offenses against the state, persons or properties....But our courts go easy on those who should and need be in prison for committing violent crimes? Yes, too many of our 'non-violent' citizens are kept locked up in cells behind bars at Fox Hill. Shouldn't Fox Hill exist for a 'protective' reason.... to remove 'violent' criminals off the streets as a means to punish them for the 'violence' they’ve committed? But we need to first get straight what exactly constitutes a 'violent' crime under our criminal laws? It makes no sense that we would snatch away a first-time offender who just happens to be family's 'main breadwinner' to be imprisoned for years for an offense that did not involve violence? How in the hell does that help protect our citizens? It should be of great concern to all citizens that Fox Hill Prison has become the graduation classes for Bahamaland's newest breed criminals......Yet, what does this government to as their first order prison business - they agree to fund yet another of the PLP's misguided programs....The Stamping License Plates by inmates up at Fox Hill.

Any news as to where all of these Glocks, AK47s, .45 etc are coming from on our streets???

I would have thought that the files in BJs secret NIA would have revealed that information ........ smt

Rumour has it that quite a few firearms are brought in by visitors/second home-owners as a means of funding their Bahama trips and condos.......

Somehow I doubt it!

Why would you doubt it? The rumours are fairly strong about airport and dock immigration at some of the ports of entry accepting the usual gratuities for NOT inspecting the cargo holds and luggage of some of their good friends. Don't forget all the gated communities with canals and the marinas scattered all over Bahamas It's really very simple and they can buy whatever they like at Walmart or wherever. Where there's smoke.......

lol that's a simple one as much bribery going on in the country u know politicians and law enforcements palms being greased now if they are cut out of the equations then what do ya know? we have a shipment busted

Are you challenging the "Integrity" in the motto of the Police Force?????

Comrade DDK, our 'friendly' neighbour the US is responsible for near 100% every gun illegally imported into the Bahamaland. It's pure lunacy to be issuing guns and ammunition to our policeman's like they're candies. All citizens and residents should demand that the government implement and strictly enforce a 'Zero Gun & Ammunition Tolerance Policy' for the Bahmaland....giving present legal gun and ammunition owners and those in possession of illegal guns and ammunition - a 120 days grace time period to surrender ALL their guns and ammunition, or face the severest of punishable penalties. The "Zero Gun & Ammunition Tolerance Policy" must also apply to visiting boats captains from being allowed to simply declare but retain on board their firearms and ammunition.Comrades, it doesn't help when Florida has one of the most laxed gun possession tractable laws of the all the US States.

Perfect idea. Just like the laws in Chicago. Working well there too. Are you kidding? The criminals don't give a hoot what gun laws you pass. We already have very strict laws making possession of the kind of guns used in crimes illegal. That has no impact on these criminals. What the Bahamas needs is a strict RICO type statute that would permit the incarceration of all gang members for the acts of any one of them. There is zero evidence that guns legally maintained on transient boats have anything to do with our problem.

Maybe Bahamaland need to wise up and implement firearm licenses for law abiding Bahamians to defend themselves.

Then we'll be like the Wild West U.S.of A. and that's obviously not working!

Crime should never have been made a political issue. It is a social ill that can be contained by simply dealing with the root causes.Then you have these drugdealers and hitmen who have been around since the 80's and 90's (many of whom who should be rotting behind bars) have literally poisonined the hearts and minds of 2 younger generations.Blame for this has to be cast upon slack parents who allowed their kids to become company to criminals.Then theres the lawless bunch coming out of the shanty towns.But then again how can a country ran by a bunch of lawbreaking buffoons in suits,have any real rule of law ?? I'm even starting to contemplate whether or not black governance has slowly lead to the decay of this once great nation.

Crime, to my mind, is the most important and intractable problem of the Bahamas. As several people have mentioned, its root causes are poverty and economic stagnation. Even if we had a plan to cure that (which I very much doubt we do), it would take decades for it to come to fruition and address the root cause. We need an interim solution.
It should be obvious that when we live a short hop from Miami, where you can buy a bazooka with little problem, not to mention a hand-gun, and when you have thousands of small vessels coming and going every month between the shores of Florida and our islands, it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to stop the determined criminal from obtaining them. However strict the gun laws. Criminals, by definition, do not care what the law says.
The interim solution must depend on technology. Two easy fixes are available: flood every street corner with cameras. Put in 10,000. That could cover nearly every square inch of Nassau. These cameras now have night vision, HD, zoom and pan features, record 24/7 and cost less than $1,000 each. For a mere $10m (which is a fraction of Police budget) you would have the beginnings of a ready made solution.
Secondly, most of the crime is committed by very few individuals. Chip them. Like dogs. Chips are tiny and have GPS locators and transmitters. Pass a law saying that anyone committing a violent act or being suspected of gang membership can be chipped. It IS an infringement of civil liberties, but gunning us down in crossfire is surely a greater evil than infringing the civil liberties of a few pieces of scum.

That's the stuff!!

Cameras are a reasonable price nowadays yes, but maintenance and surveillance of them along with storage means for 10,000+ cams for a specified time period is also a big part of the equation, huge if you're talking about HD footage held for 30 days. Need to make sure the storage files are kept secured with controlled access as well.

Add to that the right of Private Citizens to bear arms, as when the State fails to protect Private Citizens, the Private Citizens have an inherent Human Right to protect themselves and their Families. Is it not interesting how in Abaco where most households possess a gun that there is still virtually no "gun violence", notwithstanding many of the same issues Nassau has been inflicted with due to population growth from outside.

Sadly, that too is changing. I understand Abaco is flooded with illegal hand guns as well as illegal immigrants..

HOW MANY "INNOCENT CITIZENS" ARE BEING KILLED EACH DAY???? .......... 90% OF THESE MURDERS ARE REVENGE OR PASSION KILLINGS .............. DELIBERATE AND PREMEDITATED ............... THEY DESERVE THE DEATH PENALTY ............ WE NEED TO REMOVE OURSELVES FROM THE THE CRIMINAL SIDE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL AND JOIN THE CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE ......... OUR SOCIETY IS BEGGING FOR JUSTICE

Comrades! I know some you rally believe what you're saying...... But there exists no credible statistics that you can share with Tribune readers that guns can make for a safer Bahamaland. In fact the likelihood of you or a loved-one being shot with your own gun - greatly increases rather than it being used to prevent a crime. Fact. The US have more guns in hands their citizens than any other country on the face of the earth...and it also has the world's highest number citizens being shot - and often shot by their own damn guns.

Brilliant ideas, oldfart2012. Inexpensive and effective. Not only would they be able to identify culprits, but Police in the camera monitoring room would actually be able to follow culprits by camera while ground units move in. I like it. Too bad no one reads these blogs. Unfortunately, your ideas will not be read by any person in position to implement them.

If you'd done your research like I suggested you would have seen the CCTV post a few months ago. Now you can update that paper. Please add some reform initiatives in there, the reform initiative suggestion was given...hmmm a few weeks ago I think. "multifaceted approach" like any epidemic

CCTV was already launched (limited) as part of a pilot project by the Christie administration. Like everything else it most likely needs revamping in terms of costs, management and maintenance strategies.

Maybe, but we are talking about Self Protection where the State has failed. When someone breaks in your House to Burgle or Rape you or accosts you on the Street to Rob or Rape you or rear ends your Car to Rob or Rape you, would you rather be able to: A) Say Hello to my "little" Friend Punk; or B) Grovel in Misery in the hope of your Life being spared for the sake of your Children, only to have them later in Tears identify your Body in a Pool of Blood?!? Time to get real Bahamas!

Bahamians are too angry by far. Too many people crammed together like rats in a small space. Road rage, Club rage, Facebook rage,Tribune post rage. Skeptical about arming all of them. It also presupposes that when someone approaches you with criminal intent, you have your gun ready. The only way that happens is if you walk around like a soldier in Iraq with your finger on the trigger. We'll hear plenty "boy if I'd had my gun" stories

Who knows what eventually solves the problem, but there are some things they can try before arming everyone

Murder Rate per 100 thousand population.
Bahamas. 29.81

United States 4.88

Yes Bahamaland is much more civil than the US.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of…

It boils down to a few issues. Firstly morals and values. The ones doing the shooting have zero. That falls on parenting, education, economy. The government (both sides) need to significantly upgrade our educational standards. There also need to be opportunities for the lower class to make an honest living. There will always be a lower class, and the government needs to battle to keep this to a small % of the overall population. When the lower class is reaching 50% or higher, you have many living on the poverty line, and when people don't feel a sense of worth or ability to get ahead in life, they tend to rebel against society and join a life in crime. These are basics of any society, and unless we start at the foundation, with improving education, parenting, and the economy things will continue to degrade.