By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

IN the face of several recent shootings that have occurred in broad daylight, police in the capital yesterday formally introduced a new crime fighting strategy, Securing the Inner City Strategically, aiming to apprehend would be offenders in the act.

Flanked by more than a dozen armed officers in the Over-the-Hill area, Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said that after extended consideration, police have identified several "hotspots" noted for criminal activities. He said residents in these areas can expect to see large groups of officers and equipment in their neighbourhoods for extended periods of time.

ACP Fernander, the officer-in-charge of crime investigations, also suggested police intelligence identified these communities because drug sales, shootings and other forms of crime occur in and around them frequently.

"After analysing a number of recent crime trends with a number of shootings that occur in broad daylight within our communities, we live in these communities, and these incidents continue to happen," ACP Fernander told reporters as curious Bahamians looked on.

"We have stepped up our strategies. What we are doing here today, we are on foot, we are moving around in vehicles; we are walking in these communities.

"We are taking (our) whole shift into these communities to stay in there. We don't want the prolific offenders to believe that there is no law for them within the communities.

"They continue to sell drugs. They continue to just fire off shots within the communities. Good people live in these areas and we have to ensure that they are safe," he added.

A man, identified by loved ones as Everette Rolle, was shot dead around 6pm Saturday while cleaning a car in the Pinewood Gardens area.

His death marked the fifth killing last week.

A day earlier, around 4pm Friday, a man on bail was shot dead in the Oakes Field area.

In the wake of the killing, police promised hundreds of officers would swarm the streets as they unleash a "major assault" against criminals in the country.

ACP Fernander yesterday revealed that officials saw these murders as the start of a trend that needed to be immediately addressed, adding that the Securing The Inner City Strategically (STICS) initiative will deploy officers in a "saturated" fashion across a single community.

He added: "What we have done, we have analysed and we have mapped out all of our crime hotspots and we are spending time in there. So if they (offenders) want to hang out, they will hang out with us, officers. They will hang out with us because we will no longer tolerate that.

"We are walking through as you can see. We have the mobile station van. We are setting up. As you can see, we have an eye in the sky; we have the drones that are out. That is a part of our intelligence strategy that we have moving through these areas that we consider to be hotspots."

"If you are selling drugs, we will park the mobile van right in front of your residence to disrupt what is going on. We will stop your sales and if we find drugs, you will be put before the courts.

"You will be charged and put before the courts. So we are continuing our effort in this fight."

Police in recent years have launched several crime fighting strategies to combat crime, most of which last only for a short period.

When questioned on how long this initiative would last, ACP Fernander said police officials intend for the STICS to be sustained for some time.

"Consistency; we have found a way to now sustain these operations," he said. "Members of the public will see us, the presence out there, the response time; when you stay in these hotspots, if something happens, the response time is right away or (we) will engage the individual right after the crime and we will have what we call a shootout if it comes to that."

Concern

Some residents on hand to witness the operation expressed varying levels of concern about the initiative, primarily questioning the need for such a large number of well-armed officers.

Lawrence Winters, 24, said he has always felt safe in the West Street area. He told reporters he was somewhat "scared" by the police presence Wednesday.

Mr Winters questioned why officers, all armed and sporting bullet-proof vests, would descend on such a small community in such large numbers.

"I don't mind, just don't bring the guns and the things out like that because that is do bad," he said. "The guns and the vest and all of that…. they need to conceal those things because we don't need (to see operations like that)."

When asked what he thought could have worked better, Mr Winters added: "They can just pass through. Let everyone know they passing through, bring all they sirens; like have a motorcade or something. Just ride through."

He continued: "I think it is threatening to the residents because I am a little scared right now. I think (a regular presence) is enough."

Meanwhile, there were several residents on hand Wednesday to praise the efforts by police.

Kirkfort Moxey, a retired history teacher, while expressing support for police, questioned the quality of parenting in inner-city communities.

He, among other things, suggested a direct correlation between bad parenting and youth turning to a life of crime.

Mr Moxey, who claimed to be a former teacher of Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson, insisted that many of the children in his neighbourhood are left to raise themselves by parents detached completely from their lives.

"…… Parental control is not there. You can do what you want to do, go where you want to go, when you want to go, come when you want to come; whatever.

"It is affecting the children to the max. Then you find, some of the young girls, some of them don't even finish junior high; a lot of them sexually involved. And you know, when young girls get sexually involved that is 'bang a lang,' and when you 13, 14, you are lost."

He later added: "I had this person right here in front of my gate, this mother had a problem with somebody, some kid, I don't know the name; and she stood in the middle of the road right there, drop her pants, her panties and everything; and then everybody say kiss this (alluding to her backside).

"I didn't say nothing to her at that time, because I could see she was fiery, but I spoke to her later and then she made some adjustments. But, those sort of things is not good for the young kids."

Mr Moxey concluded by urging the government to enact legislation that would mandate parents pay closer attention to their children.