Referring to crime as the “single biggest problem we have in this country today,” attorney and former Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Brian Moree, QC, called for more efforts to be made in order to combat the heightened level of crime in the country.

“If you speak to people who are directly involved in the law enforcement side, they will point to indicators that we’re doing better than we were before. While statistically one acknowledges that fact, there can be no doubt in the mind of any reasonable person that the level of crime in The Bahamas is a serious problem and it is one which could threaten our future,” Mr. Moree said.

He added, “It threatens everything. It threatens tourism. It threatens our economy. It threatens your lifestyle. What has been done today has not been fully successful and clearly more needs to be done.”

Mr. Moree, who addressed crime as a national problem during an interview on Love 97’s Jones and Co. radio talk show yesterday, said that the solution to crime requires a comprehensive approach.

“There’s no question that unemployment is a correlation, which is being supported by empirical data. There is a correlation between unemployment and crime,” he said.

“What is the imperative in the short term is to contain on the street the level of crime to a point where it does not materially impair the quality of life of our citizens and our visitors,” he added.

According to Mr. Moree, social services, unemployment, the economy, the family structure, the church, our values, leadership, vision, and our educational system are all a part of the long term solution to crime.

However, he noted that the short term solution is for law enforcement to regain control of the streets and “contain crime to a point where it’s not perceived as a material de munition of the quality of the life of the people who live and visit The Bahamas.”