By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe continued his defence yesterday of his ministry’s decision to send officers to Turks and Caicos Islands to assist with their crime fight amid criticisms from the opposition.

According to police officials, about 20 Bahamian officers were sent to TCI as a part of a joint national security operation.

In a press statement released on Monday, the Free National Movement called on the government to explain its crime fighting efforts and its decision to deploy officers abroad at a time when crime is already high in The Bahamas.

“The Davis administration is struggling to address the bloodshed in our own country,” FNM leader Michael Pintard said.

“They are similarly slow and weak in explaining their overall plan for crime prevention, enforcement, interdiction and rehabilitation. Furthermore, their coordination of other stakeholders is lacking.

“Therefore, it is disturbing that some of the very officers they claim are pivotal to their crime fighting strategy have been shipped to our sister country to fight a similar crime war there.”

Responding, Mr Munroe said it was important for officials to keep information confidential about the operation for security reasons.

“We have for national security reasons not been explicit and I see the leader of the opposition doesn’t seem to understand and if I tell you all what the officers are there to do, we are also telling the criminals what the officers are there to do,” he said.

“So, I don’t grasp how they did national security, but how we do national security is we do not arm our enemy with information so the Bahamian people could be assured that it is the Bahamian national security interests that is being addressed by our officers in the Turks and Caicos.

“All we need to do is look at Haiti. Haiti is a failed state in terms of their police apparatus collapsing and if anyone thinks that doesn’t impact The Bahamas, then they don’t have a sufficiently broad view of our national security interests.”

He also said it was surprising that no one from the opposition would ask “simple questions” regarding the makeup of the officers that were deployed to TCI.

He added: “So, for instance, are they from your security and intelligence branch? Are they from your criminal intelligence branch? What is the make up for it? They have not asked, yet they comment and purport to criticise.”