Wednesday, November 29, 2023
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
CARLOS Reid, a consultant in the Ministry of National Security, said 42 percent of the people killed this year were on bail.
His comment came as the murder tally nears 100, a threshold Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said he wanted to avoid.
Ninety-six people have been killed for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.
“This was all our hope that we wouldn’t get to the number,” Mr Reid said.
“If we were to take the numbers of persons that would have been locked in prison out of the equation, then the numbers would be significantly low.
“Now, the challenge is that the constitution says that a man is innocent until proven guilty.”
“The constitution also says that if we cannot bring them to court in a reasonable amount of time, then we have to give them bail.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux described bail yesterday as “almost a death sentence,” saying law enforcement is doing what it can to reduce Bahamians’ fears of crime.
“We can see almost certainly once a person is granted bail, that’s almost a death sentence to them once they are on bail for murder or armed robbery, more particularly murder or attempted murder,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the country will record fewer murders than the 128 last year. There were 113 murders in New Providence in 2022, 12 in Grand Bahama and three in the Family Islands.
According to police statistics, retaliation, gangs, drugs and conflict were the most common motives for murders in 2022, representing 76 per cent of the killings.
Yesterday, Free National Movement Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright said the government’s crime approach is inadequate.
“Over the last 23 months,” he said, “the nation has sadly amassed 224 murders, an average of close to ten murders a month over the same period.”
“Despite these startling and unacceptable numbers, the government has refused to lead and remains negligent in presenting to the Bahamian people a comprehensive anti-crime plan.”
Comments
Dawes says...
Why do we keep this idea that if there was no bail the murder rate would be almost non existent. People should have bail if the nation can not have them tried in a reasonable time. The idea should not be to get rid of bail but to have the court cases in a much quicker time frame. Its only been just over a year and SBF has already been tried and convicted. If that was over here we still wouldn't have had the first day of court yet.
Posted 29 November 2023, 9:10 a.m. Suggest removal
Sickened says...
Let's try hard to get that number to 100%. Then we can start focusing on letting more prisoners out on bail and reduce our number of incarcerated.
Posted 29 November 2023, 9:11 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Our 242 courts are totally helpless to keep up with the backlog in criminal cases ............. Cases are already been booked forward FOUR years (2027), so either the serial criminals will continue to commit crimes OR the vigilantes will snuff them out. It is obvious what is happening.
Wild Wild West Bahamas (aka Swift Justice)
Posted 29 November 2023, 9:24 a.m. Suggest removal
mandela says...
Build the new prison, I think the amount of time a person can be held without seeing a judge for trial or be tried in serious offenses is 3yrs. A new prison and 5 or more added judges, the crime and the murders would drastically be reduced.
Posted 29 November 2023, 9:34 a.m. Suggest removal
LastManStanding says...
Well, at least the taxpayers wont be feeding them.
Posted 29 November 2023, 1:34 p.m. Suggest removal
bahamianson says...
Wait, what? This guy really has to tell us this? Did he research the obvious? Did he get paid for this brilliant observation? You can't make this stuff up.
Posted 29 November 2023, 2:40 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Any individual engaged and paid on the Government's Payroll Of Consultants (GPOC), should themselves be locked up for 27 years. --- Whilst they're denied bail for saying anything remotely close to: ---Of the Ninety-six people have been killed for the year, according to Comrade (GPOC) . ---- “If we were to take the numbers of persons that, --- **Would have been locked in prison out of the equation,** ---- Then the numbers would be significantly low." ----That same Comrade (GPOC) , also said that: **“Now, the challenge is that the constitution says that, --- A "man** is innocent until proven guilty.”** ... And that, “The constitution also says that --- **If we cannot bring them "mans'" to court in a reasonable amount of time, then we have to give them bail.** --- Yes, --- Toss a Slop Bucket to any such S#it spoken Comrade (GPOC). ----'Twas there, **no Womans' rights** --- written into constitution?
Posted 29 November 2023, 5:03 p.m. Suggest removal
themessenger says...
And not a word from the other paid crime consultant, Rodney Moncur hasn't been heard or seen since being awarded the consultancy.
Posted 30 November 2023, 3:45 p.m. Suggest removal
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