Given the recent spate of violent acts of crime that shook the nation’s capital and bumped up the country’s murder count to 83, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt yesterday urged politicians to stop politicising the issue of crime and work towards combating a problem that is now bigger than politics.

Mrs. Pratt said for far too long the issue of crime has been tossed around like a political football and she called for an end to the blame game and the pointing of fingers on the issue.

The Urban Renewal co-chair said she has been crying out for everyone to stop politicising crime ever since her time in office as Minister of National Security from 2002 to 2007.

“So we can play the politics much as we like and can point the fingers at this one and that one, it’s too late for that, when I sat in the chair as national security, I was accused, I was blamed for the crime in the country – I was blamed from the platform on R.M. Bailey Park,” she said.

“Over and over, I was blamed, they said it was Mother’s Pratt concern, that’s when it was politicised, I stood in parliament and addressed it – it was wrong then and its wrong now because crime is something that will hit anybody, any political party, even the church that’s why it’s so dangerous to politicise crime, it’s foolish to politicise crime because it knows no gender and it knows no barrier.”

Mrs. Pratt added that the recent crime spree is of great concern to her and Bahamians in general, but she admitted it comes as no surprise adding that in these perilous times, drastic measures must be taken to combat the vexing issue.

“I know what the bible says in the last days perilous times shall come – there here, men will be lovers of themselves, lasciviousness, hatred, truce breakers, this is the word of God and I know the word of God will come to pass but I’m saying that sometimes draconian measures must be taken,” she said.

“But at the same time the people will cry out when draconian measures are introduced but at the same time their crying out about the murders too but you have to do what you have to do but I’m certain the prime minster will decide what is best for the country because I know that we cannot continue this way.”

The former deputy prime minister refrained from sharing her suggestions to some of those drastic measures that could be used to fight crime but once again appealed to Bahamians in the wider community to unite.

“I get upset when I hear people just passing the buck – what are we going to do as a nation,” she asked.

“Parents must raise their children in the fear of God, that’s what they’re not doing a lot of them are not doing that. In order for us to address the problem in the country all of us must come together, the home first, the school, church, the community, all of us come together and do our part, it’s our place to get angry, to get upset about crime but let’s get angry enough to do something about it that will bring relief to the whole country.”

Two of the bloodiest weekends were recorded in Bahamian history where 13 shooting incidents left four people dead earlier this month and just this past weekend five people were killed in just over a 24 hour period including the murder of Latore Mackey, press secretary to the Prime Minister Monday.