By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

SUICIDES and attempted suicides have risen across the country, even as major crimes continue to decline, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s (RBPF) mid-year report released yesterday.

Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles confirmed that eight suicides were recorded between January and June, up from five during the same period in 2024. Attempted suicides also increased, climbing from 23 to 32 cases.

Five of the suicides occurred in New Providence, two in Grand Bahama, and one in the Family Islands. Men made up the majority of the cases, accounting for six of the eight deaths. The two female victims were both between 18 and 30 years old.

Among the male victims, two were aged 18–30, another two were 31–45, and two were between 46–60. No suicides were reported among minors. Attempted suicides followed similar geographic trends, with 18 cases in New Providence and 14 in Grand Bahama.

Commissioner Knowles acknowledged concern over the rising numbers but emphasised that overall crime continues to fall.

From January to June, major crimes dropped by 14 percent, with 1,223 incidents recorded compared to 1,420 during the same period last year. New Providence reported a 15 percent decline, Grand Bahama 11 percent, and the Family Islands six percent.

Crimes against the person decreased by 30 percent, down to 262 cases from 373 last year. Every major category saw a decline. Murders dropped by 27 percent, from 60 to 44, while armed robberies fell by 42 percent, from 132 to 76. Property crimes were down by eight percent overall, with 961 cases compared to 1,047 in 2024.

Men accounted for 91 percent of murder victims, with 84 percent under the age of 46. Victims aged 26–35 represented the largest age group, with 20 killings, followed by 12 victims aged 18–25. No minors under 17 were killed in the period.

Four victims were on bail and wearing electronic monitoring devices at the time of their deaths. Police identified retaliation, gang violence, and personal disputes as the primary motives for murder, collectively accounting for 64 percent of cases. Firearms were used in 34 of the 44 murders, while seven victims were fatally stabbed, and two died as a result of fire.

Most murders occurred on Sundays, between 4 pm and midnight, with nearly half taking place on the streets. Residences and bars were the next most common locations. The Southern and South Central Divisions accounted for 41 percent of all murders.

Armed robberies also declined sharply, reaching their lowest level in years. Most occurred on the streets, in businesses, or at residences—primarily on Sundays and Mondays between 4pm and 11pm Firearms were used in 65 of the 76 cases. Knives and cutlasses were used less frequently. Sixty-four per cent of victims were male, and most were under 46.

Housebreakings fell by 39 percent (from 142 to 87 cases), and shopbreakings dropped 16 percent (from 166 to 140). Eleuthera recorded the highest number of housebreakings in the Family Islands (16), while Abaco had the most shopbreakings (12).

Sexual offences declined by 30 percent, with 87 reported cases compared to 125 last year. These included 25 rapes, five attempted rapes, and 57 instances of unlawful sexual intercourse, including incest. Police said 80 percent of rape victims knew their attacker. Seventy-six percent of victims were under 36 years old; four were tourists. All suspects were male, and 67 percent were under 36. Most incidents took place at residences.

One notable exception to the downward trend was vehicle theft, which surged by 30 per cent, from 181 to 236 cases. Nissan models, especially the Cube and Note, were the most targeted. Just over half of the stolen vehicles were later recovered.

Enforcement data showed police conducted 74,019 stop-and-search operations, 11,306 field checks, and 3,057 roadblocks between January and June. These led to 8,388 arrests, with 5,127 individuals formally charged. Police also seized 196 illegal firearms and 8,369 rounds of ammunition. ShotSpotter technology detected 488 gunfire incidents, including over 1,000 rounds fired in total.

Police investigated 107 missing person cases in the first half of 2025. Ninety-six were resolved; 11 remain open. Most missing persons were Bahamians under 17, and 39 percent of cases involved runaways.

Defending the RBPF’s performance, Commissioner Knowles said officers are seeing a shift in public sentiment.

“I believe that there is a decrease in the fear of crime, from what I’m gathering from my officers, who are walking the streets, who are patrolling the streets, and I just want you to know that my operations teams are walking the streets even as they patrol the streets, and we’re not getting that,” she said.

“We’re seeing that the fear [of] crime has decreased over the past six months, and we’re pleased with that. And I believe that is because we are highly visible in our communities throughout the Commonwealth, highly visible. And again, we give God thanks for guiding us as we believe.”