By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday the country is on track to set another murder record due to the government’s failed handling of crime.

Dr Minnis’ comments came during his contribution to the National Investment Funds Bill in Parliament yesterday.

“In the first full year of the Davis administration, we are nearing a national murder record. Nearly 130 have been murdered this year thus far. The violence in New Providence is out of control.

“Investors and tourists could be less likely to come here and spend their money if this administration does not get a handle on the situation,” he said.

Dr Minnis criticised Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ response to crime as he argued, “on the rare occasion when he’s (prime minister) in The Bahamas,” Mr Davis does not address the issue.

He described the prime minister’s inability to create a workable crime plan as being “disgraceful,” adding the Davis administration’s Blueprint for Change promised to combat crime, but has failed to do so since being in office.

Dr Minnis continued: “In fact, citizens of The Bahamas can see no effective crime response at all from this prime minister and his administration.”

 Dr Minnis said innocent bystanders and children have fallen victim to incidents where criminals have caused violence.

 “Bahamians want to live in peaceful communities. They want to raise their families in a place of law and order. But the government themselves are not following the law.”

 Dr Minnis said the prime minister’s “greatest failure” is not leading the way when it comes to addressing crime in the country.

 In November, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe expressed disappointment in the country’s murder toll, which is the highest since 2017, saying “if one person is murdered, I am disappointed.”

 “We are disappointed when people decide that they want to kill other people. It’s our job to stop them from wanting to do that. And if they do it, catch them and imprison them and correct that behaviour. “For the record if one person is murdered, I am disappointed,” Mr Munroe told The Tribune.

 When asked if it was expected that the country’s crime level would get worse before it got better, Mr Munroe responded: “It’s difficult to say it’s expected, but it’s easy to say we see it all over the world.”

 He highlighted that other countries are also battling the issue of crime as he described it as a phenomenon the world is facing.

 “All we need to do is look to the south of us in the Turks and Caicos. Look to the north of us in the US, look at Jamaica, in Trinidad. Look, in every country it’s a phenomenon that the world is facing.”

 Since then, there has been a series of murders in the country, the latest killings occurred in a double shooting.

 On December 9, a man in his early 20s and a teenage boy, who was out on bail, were shot dead that morning when they were ambushed by gunmen in a parking lot on Ferguson Road off West Bay Street.

 Their deaths have taken the country’s murder toll to 125 for the year, according to this newspaper’s records.