By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrusssell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE claimed gunshots, murders, and armed robberies have declined in the Englerston community after the government launched its “Clear, Hold, Build” crime initiative last month.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin toured the community yesterday to observe the initiative’s progress. The “Clear” phase focuses on removing overgrown properties and derelict vehicles used for drug dealing, hiding firearms, and gang activity. Assistant Superintendent McKell Pinder, who heads the Englerston Urban Renewal initiative, reported that 25 areas have been cleared, with 20 abandoned vehicles removed.

Assistant Commissioner Anthony Rolle said the initiative has disrupted gang activity and targeted gang leaders. Police also have aggressively executed search warrants on individuals suspected of criminal involvement.

ACP Rolle said since the initiative’s launch, there has been no crime in Englerston for the past three weeks.

During the tour, Mrs Hanna-Martin was greeted by residents and spoke with children walking from school. She described the initiative’s launch in Englerston as a “dream come true”.

She said in 2015, she envisioned an opportunity to bring all stakeholders together to address long-standing criminal and environmental issues in Englerston, adding that residents have expressed gratitude for the improvements in their community so far.

A cleared property shown during the tour has been designated as the future site of a community centre for Englerston. Located on Miami Street, the centre is intended to offer residents educational opportunities and community events.

“We want to bring in people who can do lectures, legal aid, and a place for functions, so that it becomes something that engenders community and uplifts particularly young people, but not just young people. This is also something I’ve been thinking about a long time, and I’m very grateful that it is on its way,” Mrs Hanna-Martin said. 

She did not provide a timeline or budget for the community centre’s construction.

Mr Davis expressed hope that the “Clear, Hold, Build” initiative will expand across The Bahamas to prevent crime from taking root in neglected areas.

“I’m elated, and particularly starting in the community of Englerston, one of the oldest of communities in the modern Bahamas, where we came from,” he said. “When we grew up in these areas with such a different atmosphere, there was truly a sense of community somehow that has been interrupted by the fact that we’ve allowed the environment in which we live to be so degraded that it did not lend itself to becoming feeling up a sense of belonging, and you find yourself being here not as not because of choice, but rather because of necessity.”

Officials said they also plan to improve street lighting, repair potholes, and install speed bumps in Englerston.

The government has yet to announce which area will be next in the “Clear, Hold, Build” initiative.

In October, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said Englerston was selected for the first round of the “Clear, Hold, Build” initiative due to recent crime trends that indicate a rise in serious crimes like murder and attempted murder, armed robberies, and reports of gunshots. Eight of the country’s murders this year have occurred within the Englerston community, Mr Fernander said.

The “build” phase reflects a broader five-pillar strategy that includes prevention, prosecution, punishment, and rehabilitation, supported by recent legislative measures designed to streamline judicial processes.