Police officials have for many years being careless with some crime statistics, mixing major crimes with minor offences – a disturbing trend Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade hopes to change later this month when a cumulative assessment of crime stats is expected to be released.
Those figures will show a decrease in murders up to this point.
This year, there have been 85 murders compared to the 102 recorded this same period in 2011, a difference of 17.
According to the commissioner, to date, 375 weapons have been taken off the streets and over 5,000 rounds of ammunition confiscated.
“Why would you – on the same sheet – compare murders and armed robberies and then add in the stealing of a pack of potato chips. To me, that just don’t make any sense,” the commissioner said, stressing that he has no reason to deceive the public.
“The other thing we have to be careful with is this category of murder and adding to it attempted murders. I have indicated to the government and the prior government that those figures, internationally, have been grouped arbitrarily and that has caused this country significant distress. As commissioner of police, I am not going to allow that to happen.”
He said going forward the public should be given all the crime stats without the confusion.
“We won’t be holding anything back from you,” Commissioner Greenslade promised.
The commissioner, however, implored Bahamians to work along with the police in the ongoing fight to reduce crime.
“We must all stand firm in helping to rid our country of crime; the kind of people who would prey on women and our children and who have no remorse at all for the crimes they commit. I am truly amazed at the grief on a family when someone is raped,” he said.
“And so, I ask the question why would a member of any family harbor or encourage that kind of behavior. Turn these people in please and allow them to stand before the halls of justice. We have to do some work around them. I am very concerned about the numbers I am seeing and while we sometimes compare numbers, one rape/murder is one too many. We are at a stage in the country where we better pay attention. This has to stop. We are working hard at it, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”
Mr. Greenslade added that when people lose confidence in a commissioner, it is time to go.
The commissioner was speaking to reporters at a fire safety exhibition at the Mall at Marathon.
