St Anne’s MP Adrian White.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
WHILE urging for an aggressive push to remove illegal guns from the streets of New Providence, St Anne’s MP Adrian White said the law must be amended so that police can make arrests without formal complaints from victims of crime.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the leader of opposition business added that his constituency has been marred by crime leaving people in the community uncertain about what to expect next from criminals.
He was one of several members of Parliament who made contributions to several amendments yesterday that will allow simultaneous visual and oral presentations in courts by virtual means by all parties involved in a trial. There was also an amendment debated that disallows the publication of juror addresses during the selection process for juries among other things.
“On reflection I am going to share with this honourable House a time when in the evenings we would go to sleep and wake the next day to the report of a shooting or a death occurring in the early morning hours after we had gone to sleep,” Mr White said.
“Those days have transformed into what we now see where we have shootings in broad daylight, gang members blasting gang members, and horrifically most recently women shooting women. They say that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. I say get the guns off the street. I say that we should go into every yard, every building, every home and get them all.
“People found in possession of an illegal weapon can be charged or not charged. Get the guns. Illegal substances and other materials found during the raids can be confiscated with no charges. Just get the guns.”
He continued: “Two young men were almost killed in my constituency Sunday evening on April 3. Bullets snapped away like the sound of a BPL transformer sparking off. The two young men were rushed to hospital by private vehicle - one with his intestines bulging out and from that incident two lives have been shattered, two families have been devastated and the community is in fear not knowing what to expect next.”
He said his constituency office had also been damaged through crime.
“Until our laws empower our police officers to arrest criminals without a formal complaint from the victim, we’re swinging at justice with two hands tied behind our backs.
“There is a fear imposed on the victims of crimes that is so severe it is crippling our judicial system. When a victim of a crime has to make a complaint in order for justice to be met, crime has a licence to go free.
“The moment a victim cannot take any more than what they have been subjected to and fear forces their withdrawal from making a complaint, crime is free. We don’t expect a perfect society where there is no crime, but we expect a protected society where the victim’s role in justice is exasperated.”
Comments
xtreme2x 2 years ago
This is not a police state...locking up everyone and raiding all homes will only remove what you find...Bahamians do not make guns...first stop the guns from entering the Bahamas... The politicians, Government and police is for proctecting us Bahamian and Bahamas...Let the police use the intelligence that they brag about to find all entry where guns are entering the Bahamas and shut down...rading homes will only turn innocient people into criminals...STOP GUN ENTRY IN BAHAMAS, THEN YOUR IDEA MAY HOLD WATER.
temptedbythefruitofanother 2 years ago
Get rid of all guns and allow police to arrest anyone without a complaint. Why didn't I think of that?
John 2 years ago
Why do so many see the need to bear arms. Illegally even? To protect themselves? This crime infestation and these killings are NOT the problem! They are symptoms of the problem. The police started assaulting young men from back in the 1970’s, ‘80’s 90’s up to now. Of every five men attacked and beaten by the police, Four were innocent. Some were dressed in uniform, clearly an indication that they were either going to or coming from work. Some had their vehicles stopped and searched on desolated roads , seats removed and personal items likes caps, cell phones, jewelry and even cash stolen. And many were traumatized to the point that they quit thei jobs and refused to leave their neighborhoods. Since they no longer had jobs they eventually turned to crime. Crime requires protection. Illegal weapons are seen as protection. Even today many believe the police are overly aggressive. A police stop resulting in an unnecessary shooting is almost as bad as the out-of-control shootings in the country. There must be a restoration. Innocent people must be able to move freely around the country without being harassed by police. Confidence must be restored in the police and policing such that communities support the police again and not go to war again. There are many upright, intelligent, educated and dedicated policemen onboard the force. But rouge officers must be wed out. Many people , young men as well, live on the internet. Cyber space is not always reality. And do they mimic what they see on the internet. These will be the most difficult ones to reach and change their mindset. Parents who buy their children video games like ‘grand theft auto’ and other crime oriented games or those loaded with violence are contributing to the problem. And NO it’s not only a game.! When children ( or grown men) spend half their days playing games that are crime ridden or involve shooting policemen and innocent citizens it is programming these individuals. And eventually they channel what they are doing in the games into what they go out and do in real life. They become predators. It would be interesting, if not shocking, to interview some of these young killers and find out the motive for their killings. Many may say, ‘I don’t know.. it was just something I felt I had to do.! ‘. ‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood …’. You must change the mindset of these people at an early age.. years before the policemen have to come scoop up a dead body or count spent shells on someone’s driveway or in the middle of the road, under the sun or in the dark of night. This country is in the third or fourth generation of these unabated killings. New killers, different victims? So where does tge failure lie?
John 2 years ago
PS Answer this question: How do you think a young man feels when he hear about the millions and millions of people who come The Bahamas to have a good time. He sees the lights and fireworks at Atlantis and Bah Mar and sees the dozens of cruise ships in the harbor. Yet the young men cannot even get a job or even food to eat. Fix it Brave. Any social scientist or behavioral expert will tell you that when an individual can’t provide basic essentials for himself like food, clothing and shelter , he is likely to turn antisocial and aggressive towards society. Someone living a good and productive life does not necessarily want to tote an illegal weapon much less kill someone.
JokeyJack 2 years ago
"“Until our laws empower our police officers to arrest criminals without a formal complaint from the victim, we’re swinging at justice with two hands tied behind our backs." He is right about that !!!!
This is true. The other day I was stopped for running a red light. The officer saw my 45 cal sitting on the dashboard. He said he was going to arrest me if I could not produce a concealed carry permit. I told him I did not have one, and asked him if he was in possession of a formal complaint. He told me he did not have one. So I told him to carry his hip back to the station and stop talking nonsense.
The ministry of education refuses to revise the curriculum in this country so that our children can learn what they need to learn to be productive citizens and understand basic laws that apply to them - like how to register to vote, how votes are counted, how to renew a passport, how to get car insurance, how to buy land, what is an amortization schedule, etc. etc. etc. Instead we have a population of invalids who just are blown in every direction as the wind changes with no goals and no way to achieve them if they had them. We are simply not serious about becoming a first world country,
A friend went to renew her passport the other day. Was told she had to complete an application form. She is over 40 years old and has had a passport since 18. The application form asked for her date of birth. Seriously? Her date of birth is not in the computer? Not tied to her NIB "smart" card. Asked for her mother's name. Seriously? Her mother's name is not in the computer? This process makes appicants look like beggars. Like we have to BEG to get a renewed passport after having one for 20 years, renewed 3 times. Your NIB number is on the back of your drivers license but not government office will accept that as proof of your NIB# - yet they fail to summon the police to arrest your for presenting a false document at the time. Obviously you must have lied to Road Traffic about your NIB number there and the clerk did not ask to see your NIB card or replacement letter right? Silliness at every turn. We as a people just clearly love being stupid and keeping our fellow citizens down - meanwhile those from other countries come here, work together as a team and are cutting our hips. When people are told that they are beggars, and we learn that all of us are beggars then it becomes easier to kill them with guns -because you are not killing a valuable child of God - but simply a useless beggar. They won't be missed. Beggars certified by government forms.
John 2 years ago
The system is skewed against Bahamians. Our forefathers (at least Black Bahamians) spent 400 years in the chains of slavery and under the brutality of it to inherit this land called Bahamas. Eventually these young people will come into the knowledge that their birthright is being frittered away. And this responsible will have to be accountable. The riches of the wicked are stored up for the righteous. Believe that!
LastManStanding 2 years ago
Ok, fine, lets wave the magical wand and make every firearm disappear from this country. Boom! Gang members will just use shivs, cutlasses, and rocks instead (research the knife attacks in England if you think otherwise). The statements made by White really highlight the deficiencies in our leadership's thinking; a firearm is a tool that can be used for good or bad, just like a knife, car, bottle, etc., it has to be used by someone. Until we fix the issues causing these people to act like baboons in the streets, we are going to continue having this problem. Even more scary is the fact White thinks destroying our civil liberties is somehow a solution to this problem. Really highlights the thought process of so many of our leaders.
Wyoming has the highest rate of firearms ownership in the US, and yet one of the lowest crime rates. I wonder why? Almost like the person behind the gun is a lot more important than the firearm itself.
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