POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander’s pedigree, mostly CID-DIU, could change things, but the data on where the guns come from causes me, and should cause everyone, serious anxiety that little will change.

94% of all guns found connected with crime, so the PM says, are directly linked to Bahamian-connections in The US...problem: Second Amendment a resident may own and carry a firearm legally, must have licence and comply with US laws. Do licence owners have to report annually to ATF or Police showing their fire arm?

ATF might not check annually at least that Bahamian ‘A’ still has the gun licensed in his possession and that it is not now resident in Nassau? Big issue – if ATF were annually checking this would greatly assist.

Ports of entry into The Bahamas - porous and wide open are good descriptions as no one can say differently. I have read numerous letters with excellent ideas over the years how to close that openness, but nothing seems to have changed...business as usual which logically pre-empts the comment that corruption prevails.

The devil is in the master – diplomatically we constantly hear the negative criticism from the US - the Embassy here - and statements when, for example, the US Secretary of State might comment about us and the region, but the issue the prime reason and cause for gun smuggling is the lack of security at the ports of exit – the US.

TSA the US Airport security agency reports ‘000’s of guns are caught at their inspections at airports. I believe Miami is one of the hot-spots even guns loaded so seems the US has a problem which overspills into us.

Cargo freight how secure is the freight coming off the Miami River? Are ‘all’ items at all ports of disembarkation scanned and verified to a reasonable level no guns – no drugs, including medications? If secured at the US end and further inspection at The Bahamas end chances are that smuggling will abet.

Is Customs Click-N-Clear programme operational...do the shopping brigade the duffle bag merchants go through commercial inspection on the Airport Road or at LPIA?

Honestly, we know precisely where the leaks are – we know who and when the issue is, but we refuse to act and clean up the criminal element in our midst.

Foreign Affairs needs to sit down with their opposite people - Secretary of State - and tell them as it is and what we essentially need to quell this slaughter of our younger people....as our closest State and taking their complimentary words as signs of friendship, surely friends help each other out? Hon Loftus Roker would never have allowed this mess.

D ROLLE

Nassau,

July 13, 2022.