By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A local religious leader in Grand Bahama is calling for the passing of more effective and stricter laws in relation to gun violence to solve the country's "murder crisis".

Apostle Anthony Grant, of Agape Christian Centre in Freeport believes The Bahamas has been faced with a serious murder problem for over a decade and it is time to implement "radical laws" to deal with the vexing crisis.

"Over the past 15 plus years, our country, The Bahamas, has been dealing with a murder crisis. Successive governments have played the blame game, but none has responded to the murder problem with a sense of urgency," he said.

"We believe that the time is past due for The Bahamas to pass radical laws... in order to solve the murder problem and save this nation. We are a nation in crisis. It is time to fix that which is broken. If not for ourselves, for our children and their children."

In a press statement, the clergyman noted innocent children have been shot and killed in gun-related violence.

In the month of June alone, some ten murders were carried out - three on June 9, one on June 10, three on June 12 and three on the weekend of June 15.

Apostle Grant believes a greater level of priority is being placed on issues with far less negative affect on the nation.

He claims that "generally we live in a lawless society where law breakers are able to break the law at every level without any consequence for their actions. Consequences speak louder than any written law, consequences speak louder than increased police patrol".

The religious leader stressed there must a greater penalty for those who commit gun violence. He noted the laws passed in the State of Florida in relation to gun violence has been very effective in the reduction of murders and crimes there.

According to Pastor Grant, since the Ten Twenty Life Law went into effect on July 1, 1999 in Florida under former Governor Jeb Bush, giving mandatory sentences to those found guilty of gun violence, there had been a 26 percent decline in violent gun-related crimes there when compared to 1998.

According to that law, he said anyone found guilty of producing a firearm while committing certain felonies faces at least a 10-year mandatory prison sentence; that firing a firearm mandates at least a 20-year prison sentence; and that shooting someone mandates a minimum sentence of 25 years to life regardless of whether the victim was killed or simply injured.

He further noted that under the Florida law if a defendant is charged with a felony murder or first degree murder the maximum is the death penalty.

Apostle Grant indicated that reports from the Florida Patrol Commission reported that there was a 26.4 percent decrease in violent gun-related crimes in 2000, compared to 1998.

He further noted that the reports had indicated that by year 2004, the gun-violence rate had dropped 30 percent since 1998 in Florida, and the murder crime index rate had reached its lowest in 34 years, despite a 16.8 percent increase in the population.

"Four years later after passing the law, they had the lowest murder crime index in 34 years," he added. "That says that it is working, and we need to apply things that are working. We need to look around us and see what is working for others, and if we need to use what is working for someone, then use it.

"We appeal to the government. We need to do something about the murder situation. I am not saying we need to follow Florida, but I use it as an example because that was successful."

"We need government to act with a sense of desperation and urgency until something happens. We can't continue to allow this (murder crisis) to go on and allow this diabolical spirit to roam the land," said Apostle Grant.

Apostle Grant has also implored churches to pray and all citizens to report crimes that are committed.

On the topic of capital punishment, Pastor Grant says he supports it. "As long as we have the Privy Council as the last appeal, we will not get capital punishment," he explained.

He noted capital punishment was abolished for murder in England in 1965. "We have to take power and have control over ourselves rather than having some foreign entity controlling our lives," Apostle Grant said.

According to the clergyman, the Bible also supports capital punishment.

"The Bible tells us that if someone murders then that person should be killed. And this is not a punishment it is because the blood of the person that has murdered is contaminating the earth and that spirit will roam wild like it is now in The Bahamas," he said.