Murder arraignments are all the rage at the Nassau Street Court Complex, oftentimes prompting members of the public and the media, family and friends to gather on the court grounds to get a glimpse of the person accused of the heinous crime, but officials from a local anti-crime advocacy group are calling on police officials to ensure that when they take a murder suspect before the courts that they have done a thorough investigation and have arrested the right person.

President of Families of All Murder Victims (Bahamas) Khandi Gibson told the Journal Wednesday that while her organisation fully respects the work police officers do, sometimes questions do arise about the suspects charge with serious crimes.

“We are aware that not everybody hauled before the court is guilty of a crime, we are also aware that not everybody acquitted is innocent, we are also aware that persons are innocent until proven guilty so we beg the police to do proper investigations,” she said. “Could you imagine your loved one going to prison for something that he or she didn’t do?

“Could you imagine something happening to your loved one while they are incarcerated and the come back into society? They are going to come back bitter, they are going to come back angry and with animosity in their heart and God forbid who gets that side of that person.”

Ms. Gibson said, for her, a prime example is the fact that police officers arrested 50 people after that mass Fox Hill shooting last year where four people were killed, but only three suspects were charged for the crimes.

She said what makes matters worse is the fact sometimes wanted bulletins go out with a police suspect’s photo, address and name but once investigations are done and the person is not charged, there is no public notice that that person has been cleared of the crime.

“The same emphasis they put into circulating wanted posters and putting people’s photos up, we want the same emphasis of them going back into the public and saying, ‘Yes we were looking for this person, but they have been released and is no longer a suspect.

“Let the public know what’s going on and in itself will help to calm down the crime rate.”

FOAM Vice President Tomiko Evans said he experienced the devastation being falsely accused of a murder can have on a family when it happened to his brother several years ago.

“It really changed him because when he went to jail, he came out a totally different person,” Mr. Evans added. “I think he was around 19 to 20-years-old and he came out a totally different person.

“He now had vengeance and hatred towards the police and society and he didn’t say it but he blamed the law for how he turned out to be.”

Mr. Evans said his brother later became a murder victim himself.