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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Nassau, Bahamas - Candidly
admitting that 2015 was a challenging year on crime for The Bahamas,
Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade presented mixed results in the
fight against crime.
He told the media that in the 30 categories
of serious crimes, increases were recorded in murder (19%), attempted
rape (33%), rape (16%), unlawful sexual intercourse and armed robbery.
All other categories except manslaughter and attempted murder decreased
by double digits. Overall, crime was down by five percent reported the
Commissioner.
Providing some insight into the daunting task of
beating back the scourge of crime and its fear, Commissioner Greenslade
shared police intelligence about the mindset, the psychology and overall
profile of the typical career criminal.
“These are relatively
young men; they are adults but they are relatively young people. They
are not employed; they are not seeking any employment and they have
committed themselves to a life of crime.
“Their position is they
are going to sell illegal drugs in any form. They will acquire illegal
firearms and ammunition and they are going to stake their claim in New
Providence and they will demonstrate to us as a people how bad they
are.”
The Police Commissioner further revealed that there is
clearly too much complicity, aiding, abetting and comfort given to those
hardened criminals by families and friends.
“But the average
person that we see lives in a home with family members and friends,
relatives and associates and when they commit these dastardly deeds,
they return to their families, friends and their associates and they
talk about it. If we continue to cloak that, we are going to continue to
reap the whirlwind” said Commissioner Greenslade.
The Bahamas recorded 146 murders in 2015.
Drones and helicopters to be added to the crime fight
Police
Commissioner Ellison Greenslade also revealed on Wednesday that as a
complement to the force’s existing crime fighting strategies and
priorities, he intends in 2016 to “acquire the services of a helicopter
for rapid responses to serious crimes, fleeing felons and for patrols in
hotspots.”
Additional plans include the use of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAV) or drones and the construction of a new and modern
forensic laboratory with the capacity for DNA fingerprinting.
As
for the policing priorities pursued in previous years, the Commissioner
said that saturation patrols in criminal hotspots will be intensified;
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) usage will be extended; community
policing with Urban Renewal will continue; the anti-gang unit and school
policing program will be expanded and the strategy of intelligence-led
policing operations will be deployed as a pre-emptive strike against
criminality.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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