Friday, March 5, 2010

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Increase in robberies a cause for concern This week the Royal Bahamas Police Force reported a sharp increase in robberies and housebreaking. It was an obvious trend last year - which also saw a record 87 murders - and shows little sign of slowing, especially in this tough economic climate. According to Superintendent Leon Bethell, a total of 66 robberies were reported in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco last week. The weekly average for the northern district (Northwest Bahamas) of The Bahamas is 20. Bethell also reported that 75 percent of those robberies took place in New Providence, particularly in the southwestern, southeastern and The Grove districts. He said robbers are "targeting people's homes and businesses, breaking in, stealing and raiding the establishments." Flat screen televisions and laptop computers are apparently the items of choice for burglars. While police have concluded that the thefts are being carried out by several criminal rings, the headlines in Wednesday's newspapers did little to comfort New Providence residents who are already alarmed over the troubling crime rate and are hoping that 2010 will see a drop in crime, not an increase. By November 2009, armed robberies and robberies were up by at least 17 and 25 percent respectively, compared to 2008. As many as four armed robberies were being reported in one day. At the end of 2009, concerned citizens began circulating e-mails sharing their experiences as crime victims or their family and friends' experiences, in hopes of warning others of potential criminal activities. Based on crime statistics, criminals appear to have little fear of the police or any other authority. One concerned resident whose home had been broken into five times in 2009 told The Nassau Guardian: "I feel like these people are fearless. Nowadays we are much safer in our car driving than in our house. No matter where you go or what you do, nothing will stop them." We hope she is wrong. Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced last month a number of initiatives the government intends to use to bring crime under control. Those initiatives include increasing the number of judges, magistrates, courtrooms, legal officers and support staff to address the hefty case backlog; the introduction of electronic bracelets and the monitoring of serious offenders on bail; and the strengthening the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Newly appointed Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade has assured the Bahamian public that he and his team are up to the task of bringing crime in The Bahamas under control. We all realize that there is no quick fix for the problem of crime, but we look forward to more positive results in the near future. Thursday February 4, 2010