The compendium of crime bills being debated in Parliament along with other policies enacting by the Christie administration to aid in the fight against crime are effective, the attorney general said yesterday.
Allyson Maynard-Gibson said the government’s amendments to the Penal Code as it relates to organised crime and gangs will be of particularly crucial in efforts to reduce crime.
The attorney general noted that these gangs have grown in scope and are of deep concern to the international community.
“We want to make it very clear that as an adjunct to Urban Renewal where we are seeking to keep our communities safe, we are not going to tolerate crime gangs in our communities,” Mrs. Maynard-Gibson said.
“We recognise that these gangs have international reach and we are joining with our partners and countries around the world in this thrust as well.”
State Minister for Legal Affairs Damien Gomez assured that these criminal enterprises will be hunted down and brought before the courts.
Mr. Gomez added that many of these transnational crime gangs are operating in The Bahamas.
“We join the international community in its fight against organised crime and we so with the assurance that we will also be able to count on international support when we encounter local demons who attempt to undermine our society and communities by these types of activities,” Mr. Gomez said.
“We are resolute in our efforts to stop it and to stomp it out.”
The crime bills laid out in Parliament address among other things protection of judicial and law enforcement officers and witnesses in a trial. Changes are also being made to the Evidence Act, the Anti-Terrorism Act, and Bribery of an official.
Mrs. Maynard-Gibson said law enforcement agencies will work together to ensure that the country is safe and the impact of the government’s efforts to combat crime she predicts will be felt in short order.
“Nothing is more important to us than assuring that Bahamians understand that all of our resources are going to be mounted 24/7 365 days in the fight against crime.”
