BY: LATONYA ROBERTS
Journal Staff Writer

The Royal Bahamas Police Force and the government reported they have seen a
downward trend in crime in the Englerston community with a 48% reduction in
murder, since the implementation of the “Clear. Hold. Build” initiative. The reports
came at a press conference on Monday while at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Member of Parliament for Englerston Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin said although happy to
hear that progress has been made throughout her constituency, the change we want
to see for the country starts at the root of the problem in each community.
“This whole project that we speak about is to deal with this dilemma that we face
as a people. To deal with this issue of violence, physical violence, sexual violence,
verbal violence, and it became clear to us as a government that we had to
understand what is fueling what we are seeing in this nation and to start from the
crevice and how do we attack it at the root.”
Minister Hanna-Martin said her constituency was a good starting part for the
programme.
“What you are hearing today, is an effort by the state, by the government to attack
on all fronts, issues that we believe feed into or impact the issue if violence that we
face in this country.”
“They started in Englerston, which is a good place to start because I appreciate the
focus and concentration and resources. The approach has been three-fold,
environmental, infrastructural, and one of human development”, she said.
Since launching the “Clear. Hold. Build” in Englerston, law enforcement saw a
48% decrease in murders in the Englerston constituency from October 7th , 2024, to
February 16 th , 2025.
The initiative is moving to the Nassau Village and Carmichael communities next.