Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis announced last evening the government’s plans to employ 130 new police recruits this year in an effort to combat crime.

The Prime Minister indicated that 100 are slated to be stationed in New Providence and the remaining 30 will be stationed in Grand Bahama

According to Dr. Minnis, crime fighting is among the government’s top priorities in their efforts to enhance holistic social development in the country.

He said, “this year, we will purchase 90 new vehicles for the police force. We will be relentless in preventing, and fighting crime. We will relentlessly track down those who do us harm.”

Dr. Minnis also indicated that last year 1,213 law enforcement officers were trained and retrained to improve crime fighting efforts.

These included 794 police officers, 134 police recruits, 41 Bahamas Customs Officers, 12 Immigration officers, nine Bahamas Department of Corrections officers, 4 defense force officers, 9 security guards, and 210 civilians from the National Neighborhood Watch Council.

In an effort to make the Bahamian people feel “safer and more secure”, Dr. Minnis also announced plans to install an additional 507 CCTV camera throughout the capital this year.

This, he said, will bring the total to 750 CCTV cameras.

On the topic of illegal migration, Prime Minister Minnis said that the government plans to install a land-based radar in Inagua, an initiative that has been in the works since 2012.

He said, “our multi-layered security approach will also include drones and

vessels. We will enhance our interception capabilities by decentralizing the

dispatch of vessels in the Southern Bahamas. We will expand base

facilities to accommodate drone deployment.”

He added, “We are also improving our operational guidance capacity by

engaging regional intelligence networks, inclusive, of the United States

of America, the Republic of Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.”