With the country’s murder count increasing, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said that the Royal Bahamas Police Force is doing all that they can “dealing with decades of neglect that has manifested itself over time”. 

Speaking with reporters outside the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr. Dames said that he had met with the Acting Commissioner of Police, Emrick Seymour, and his team in an extensive meeting on the force’s strategy and what they intend to roll out to address a recent spate of shootings. 

“As it relates to investigations, their progress,  I’m extremely pleased with the work they’re doing in relations to these most recent matters

“I think we need to be cognizant of the fact that crime is a very dynamic business. Its foolhardy  for us to think that overnight this stuff is going to totally disappear. 

“We’re still on schedule. Any murder is one too many, but up to this point last year we had some 69 homicides, we’re still in the forties, so there is still that significant drop; but as I noted to the Acting Commissioner and his team, that over the last few weeks there is a level of concern as to what are we doing as an organization to address those,” Mr. Dames said.  

Mr. Dames added that the force has fine-tuned their strategy and stated that at an appropriate time the police will reveal what they are doing. 

“They are increasing their patrols in those targeted areas. They are identifying those persons they believe responsible and now moving after them. Yesterday [Tuesday] you would have seen, during the press conference, any number of pictures rolled out. The police are solving these matters and so it’s a problem much bigger than the police,” Mr. Dames said.

When pressed on the action taken against alleged criminals when arrested and taken to court, Mr. Dames said that the police can only move forward with the evidence they collect, stating  that they cannot speculate whether the alleged criminal is gang affiliated. 

“Police officers are taking young men to court every day, let’s not make this a police issue. They can only go with the evidence that they have before them. 

“I am very pleased with what they intend to roll out to address this most recent spate in shootings. They have made significant inroads, they have a few of these matters that are nearing completion. You are going to have periods where these matters occur. The key is not to lay down and give up, it’s what do the Royal Bahamas Police Force do to respond to this most recent spate in shooting and they have convinced me that they have a plan.  I have every confidence that that plan will be executed successfully and let’s wait and see.

“We don’t have a perfect criminal justice system and we’re working as a government to correct that. We’re working to speed up cases within the courts; we’re working to improve the efficiency of the law enforcement; we’re working to bring all of the relevant ministerial departments together in unison to become more effective and to assist communities.

“Those are medium and long-term solutions that we are beginning to roll out, but we must also understand that this did not happen overnight,” Mr. Dames said. 

Mr. Dames added that the country, must work together with the police to address the issues. 

“Police understand their role. They intend to execute that to the best of their abilities. There will be times, and we’re in those times now. It’s just over the last few weeks we have had a number of shootings, unfortunately persons have died in the process, but rest assure that the police will respond within the framework of the law to ensure that Bahamians are safe. 

“I make no apologies for that and as we continue to do, we send the message out loud and clear, to everyone, in every community that you live a peaceful, respectful and a lawful life, if you fail to do that we will find you,” Mr. Dames said. 

On Tuesday police responded to three separate homicides in less than 24 hours.