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Bahamian Politics Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


“Dames Calls for strategic plan to address root causes of crime”
By Marvin Dames, FNM candidate for Mount Moriah
Nov 30, 2016 - 12:19:16 PM

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Former Deputy Commissioner of Police now FNM candidate for Mount Moriah, Marvin Dames said that to address the rise of violent crime in the country, there must be a strategic plan that addresses its root causes.

Appearing on the radio program, Darold Miller Live earlier this week, Mr Dames said the fight against crime should include three components; prevention and deterrence, enforcement and detection, and finally rehabilitation and reintegration. By focusing on these three components, Mr Dames believes we can significantly impact crime in our nation.

"Part of the problem is that we are trying to fight crime in silos,” he said. “The solution to crime must involve a multifaceted and coordinated approach. Presently, the focus seems all to be on enforcement, which is understandable, but the issue with that is when the state of crime reaches this level, it is already too late. And so, that means we are reacting to an already existing problem which continues to spiral out of control."

Mr Dames said he believes that the relationship between the police force and communities, such as his community of Mount Moriah need strengthening. He added that community policing needs to become the norm to bridge the divide between law enforcement and the community, so that prevention and deterrence is the order of the day.

"We have strayed from our community policing efforts. Any successful fight against crime must involve a sustained effort that brings the police and the community together in a genuine way. The police along with the support and cooperation of the community is vital to curbing violent crime at all levels, which also makes for a more safe and harmonious society," he added.

Mr Dames said he believes a constituency-wide crime watch initiative focusing on surveillance, patrol and mutual partnerships should be set up, where volunteers within the community can help in the fight against crime. He mentioned having a camera surveillance center which will comprise of CCTV cameras that can provide security footage for the community.

As for his constituency of Mount Moriah, Mr Dames said most communities within the Bahamas are too dependent on the government, and so his vision for the Mount Moriah Constituency is to be a constituency of self-empowered individuals who no longer depend solely on the government for their well-being.

Mr Dames told Darold Miller that he believes this is possible by harnessing the talent and resources within the community and through that process fostering programs and initiatives that focus on empowering people through education, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities.

He asserted that communities should be self-sustainable, in that opportunities are created within, which in turn allows persons within those communities to reach a new level of independence and self-reliance.

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