Thursday, June 8, 2023
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis admitted his administration’s efforts to tackle social ills have not significantly reduced crime rates.
He said despite efforts of successive administrations, crime remains a “stubborn” problem in The Bahamas.
Highlighting initiatives his administration has launched, he said: “None have yet produced the downturn we would like to see.”
“Our approach must be strong,” he said during the budget debate in the House of Assembly. “We must send a message to all of the criminal elements in our society that they will no longer be allowed to hold law-abiding citizens hostage with fear. Our response must also be holistic and focused on the cultural and social maladies that have contributed to this epidemic of violent crime.”
Mr Davis said the government would continue to fight crime by increasing resources and investing in social interventions.
He said his administration would provide more support for domestic violence victims.
“We have finalised details and will move forward with our plans to build a women’s shelter and provide increased legal aid for victims of domestic violence,” he said. “We will also allocate more resources for the social support of domestic violence victims. It has already taken too long for these initiatives to be done and we will prioritise the launch of these initiatives as soon as is feasible.”
“Violence against women is a major issue within this nation and I want to reassure our Bahamian women that we are very serious about starting these initiatives within this fiscal year.”
On illegal immigration, Mr Davis said: “What we must not do is allow the seeds of xenophobia, hatred, classism, sexism and racism take root in our politics.”
“We have come too far as a people, too far as a nation, to allow demagogues to cheapen the quality of our national discussions with nasty and divisive rhetoric. This is not to say that Bahamians do not have a right to be passionate about these issues or even angry.
“It is also not to say that Bahamians shouldn’t hold the government accountable to do its part –– we welcome accountability. But we don’t welcome hatred and violence in any form. I ask all right-thinking Bahamians to join us in elevating our national dialogue and condemning the hate that has emerged in certain small pockets of our society.”
Comments
mandela says...
Crime will never decrease because we as a nation are socially damaged and that is a hard fix. The one thing the government can do is concentrate on how Guns are so easily brought into the country. Once guns are stopped, there will be a reduction in crime, and because guns are the weapon of choice used by simple-minded, cowardly criminals, stopping the import of guns should be a top, top priority.
Posted 8 June 2023, 10:22 a.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
They can stop the traffic violations. As odd as it sounds, the fact that they allow people to break traffic laws with impudence sends a signal that everything is allowed, noone checking. That mindset then transitions to societal conduct unrelated to traffic. And random roadblocks every month defeat the purpose they only frustrate the people who obeying the law
Posted 8 June 2023, 3:13 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Premiership ... Say whaaat? ---- April 25, 2023. ---- Commissh Clayton Fernander released crime statistics for the first quarter of 2023. ---- Statistics show that serious crimes --- **Are down around the country such as murder which has seen a **16 percent decrease** when compared to this same period last year. – "Aye." "Nay?"
Posted 8 June 2023, 11:06 a.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Unless and until Brave Davis or any other government of The BaHAMAS or any other major Caribbean country is willing to stand up, either b singularly, like Pindling did to free Nelson Mandela and help end apartheid in South Africa and bring an end to the War on Black people ( aka know as tge ‘war on drugs,’ and the war on illegal immigrants’ and various other names that was started under J Edgar Hoover and carried on by every president that served since he was head of the CIA and continued on with Richard Nixan and Ronald Reagan and included the Bush’s and Bill Clinton and even Barak Obama, nothing will change with the crime situation in The Bahamas. Successive governments have bought into the American system of policing that declares war on the young ( Black) men of this country, treating them as the enemy ( insurgents) and the mission is either to see them in jail or DEAD! What is a country that is more than willing to give you ammunition and weapons to fight against your own people but hardly a morsel of bread to feed the hungry. Come out of hermy people. Else you be partakeers if her what?
Posted 9 June 2023, 8:51 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
‘ Revelation 18:4 - King James Version
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. ‘
Posted 9 June 2023, 8:59 p.m. Suggest removal
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