There have been any number of bloody reports emanating – as it were – from the very heart of a whirlwind of crime that now threatens to undo years of hard-won achievement by so very many of this nation’s hardest working citizens.

There are also indicators that suggest the presence of forces and elements that could care less whether their criminal behavior and their myriad of fiendishly devilish deeds up-end the very foundations of this nation’s economy.
These are matters –among others – that attracted so much concern and intense debate in the weeks preceding the recently held general elections.

The Progressive Liberal Party prevailed.

We are quite pleased to note some of the implications that this victory portends for the fight against this crime scourge.

In a brief conference on Thursday 31st May, 2012 Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr. Leon Bethel addressed forty-two (42) officers specially selected to implement Urban Renewal 2.0.

During the meeting ACP Bethel reminded the officers of the Urban Renewal track record and pledged his support. He also informed that Superintendent Stephen Dean and Superintendent Carolyn Bowe will head the newly established Urban Renewal Division.

We wish them well.

This initiative – as conceived – “…is a direct response to past and current problems facing a number of inner city communities in the Bahamas such as crime, poor housing conditions, joblessness, illiteracy, homelessness, and other social ills that contribute to crime and anti-social behavior.

The record would also show that this Flag-ship project is the brainchild of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas the Right Honorable Perry Gladstone Christie.

The Police Commissioner indicates that this initiative has the full support of the Commissioner of Police, the Executive management Team, and all members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Only time will tell whether this initiative can or will succeed.

For our part, the record should also show that we will do all we can –as responsible members of the fourth estate – to assist where we can and when we are called to pull our weight.

In the meanwhile, we are quite aware that there will always arise occasions when nay sayers will prophesy doom.

That is their right and their business.

These are hard times and as such – these are times when each and every Bahamian is called to come on over and help rescue this or that friend in need from the coils of penury, poverty and outright destitution.

In order to do this, these people must first put set aside their petty differences [especially those of a partisan nature] in order to maximize the amount of good they could then and thereby do.

Will this happen anytime soon?

While the answer is in all likelihood in the negative, we insist on calling on all who can to be up and doing so that we can – collectively – overcome the plethora of social problems challenges we currently face.

And even more so, if this project succeeds, we all win.

And for sure, if we win and if Prime Minister Christie and his team do get some well-deserved kudos – then all’s well that ends well.

Not only did Mr. Christie run a good race, he also ran a very smart race.

This he did at besting Mr. Ingraham in that vitally important department where manner and deportment always count for so very much with people who care about such qualities.

We congratulate him and his new team; wish them well and pray God’s good grace on them as they strive to take this country forward, onward, upward and together.

No matter the promises they made – the fact remains that they will renege on some of these; precisely because they will not have the funds needed to pay for them.

While this may be the problem with other government projects; it surely does not apply to this effort at urban renewal. Indeed, Urban Renewal 2.00 is but one of a number of initiatives that would use police in such an innovative way.

When the chips are down, this project sinks or swims not only on how it is budgeted, but on whether – at the end of the day – the people who matter feel as if they have gotten value for money.