Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Urban Development Philip “Brave” Davis attended a one-day seminar in Grand Bahama on Monday in a bid to further push Urban Renewal 2.0 as the country continues the crime fight.

According to Mr. Davis, Urban Renewal is one vehicle whereby everyone can make a contribution to nation building by impacting people’s lives in positive ways.

The seminar’s theme was “Building Stronger Communities by Transforming Lives.”

The event brought together Urban Renewal workers from throughout Grand Bahama and police and Defence Force officers attached to the various centres.

Mr. Davis told the crowd that one of the most fundamental obligations of any government is to produce an environment where its citizens are safe in their homes, in their possessions and free from the fear of crime.

“Urban Renewal again is that vehicle that will assist us in bringing about that transformative method of discharging that responsibility that government has to its citizens,” he said. “Last year was the bloodiest period in the history of The Bahamas and it has nothing to do with who is in charge or not in charge, we have come to accept that.”

“We thought and we kept saying that one means of turning back this tide of violent behaviour is direct intervention in the communities by the police working hand and hand with all of the relevant government agencies that deliver the kind of services to people that was required.”

He pointed out that there is a difference when comparing violence in New Providence to Grand Bahama, adding that over the past four years there was a sharp increase in violent crime in the capital.

“Others thought of a different way of doing it, but I am happy to say that over the last four months, through the intervention of Urban Renewal, workers, the police in particular, and in Nassau in particular where the police has taken the major lead because of the seriousness of what was going on in Nassau, that the trend has gone.

“There is clear evidence that violent crimes are trending downward. Crimes in particular are trending downwards and we don’t want to blow any horns about it because it is nothing for us to blow our horns about. The only horn I know is Urban Renewal is working. It just cannot fail, you must not allow it to fail and we must ensure that at the end of the day we build a better community.”

During the one-day seminar, Mr. Davis also discussed attitudes and professionalism in the workplace.

He told the group that as they execute their work the overarching principle in transforming lives is being able to identify love.

“When you meet and greet your neighbours, when you meet and greet your friends, when you meet and greet the persons that are going to be out there who you are trying to help, you do that with love. You understand the power of love and in exercising that love you don’t do it by pursuing the love of power.

“Sometimes because we have the uniform on, we have the power, but the use of that power is not to love the power, but to exercise the power of love,” he said.