By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade yesterday revealed that most of the murders being committed in the country are retaliation killings stemming from illegal drug dealing.
Mr Greenslade admitted that murders committed by repeat offenders, granted bail shortly after being charged in court, have continued to challenge police. He said that the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) has done extremely well in the fight against crime.
This comes just weeks before the RBPF’s planned release of the crime statistics for 2014. Critics of the Christie administration’s crime-fighting strategies anticipate that this year’s murder toll – at 115 up to last night – will surpass 2013’s count of 119.
The commissioner spoke to reporters following a fraud seminar at the Hilton hotel.
“Trust me when I tell you that we have done extremely well,” he said. “Except we have this really tough category and (it is a) difficult category where people are losing their lives in the Bahamas. I fear that.
“We have to stop that haemorrhage. We have to find a way to stop it. We are arresting people frequently and we are seeing the same people over and repeatedly.
“We have this group of young Bahamian men predominantly who are prepared to settle their differences among themselves. Most times it is simple, just harsh words among young people and egos in many instances.
“(But) I am going to go back to what some of us don’t want to hear and it is drugs. You take my drugs or you short me on the sale of some drugs and I am disrespected, I am going to retaliate. We see lots of that happening and then it becomes tit-for-tat.
“What is disturbing is this hardened attitude on the part of the victims who are injured and their family members who are not prepared to tell a pastor, a police officer, any politician or anyone else other than trusted family and friends around them who cause the harm to them because they want to avenge it themselves. So there is this spirit of conflict that prevails where nobody wants to take last. If you wronged me, our people will take that to death.”
The commissioner further suggested that the problem of chronic killings throughout the country was no fault of the police, but rather with the judicial system that continually grants freedom to re-offenders.
“You can fuss the police as much as you would like. You can berate the police as much as you would like and you can ask us to continue to arrest people. But as we arrest them, charge them, take them before court of criminal jurisdictions and in a few short weeks or months they are back re-offending, we are going to continue to have the same discussion over and repeatedly,” Mr Greenslade said.
Comments
realfreethinker 9 years, 5 months ago
Check BJ he said the previous government was too harsh on the criminals
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 5 months ago
Which means crime is up...
duppyVAT 9 years, 5 months ago
Revenge killings by vigilantes and paid hitmen ............ murder for hire, Mafia-style, Miami Vice ............ Nassau Vice or Bahama Vice ........................ new sitcom coming in 2015
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 5 months ago
Sponsored by the recently legalized webshop operations that the Commissioner has just vowed to protect
ObserverOfChaos 9 years, 5 months ago
Shouldn't we start looking at the judges approving bail/early release on these thugs? Cops arrest, judges release! And these same judges seem to be doing it over, over, over again!? Maybe someone needs to go and "talk" to these guys...in a "persuasive" manner!
duppyVAT 9 years, 5 months ago
Where is the Chief Justice?????????? The Head of the Third Branch of Government????????? He is as silent as a Church mouse while all this storm is going on in this country .......... I think he hides behind the AG - PM - COP .............. but he is responsible for the Court system
jt 9 years, 5 months ago
Oh! Okay...everyone go about your business. Nothing to see here.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 5 months ago
The high murder rate is a direct result of corrupt government officials who take 500 dollar payments for every low cost home they give to a contractor. Exactly what will that thief not take a payment for? Looking the other way on a shipment of stolen cars, illegal fire arms or smuggled illegal immigrants? That person has no morals and not a single ethical bone in their body. The fact that they are still around today and in an elevated position must tell you that there are others there, more powerful than them, protecting them for their cut of the ill gained proceeds. If you want to stop the murder rate put your most trusted people (that may necessarily exclude some of the ACOPs) to investigate the activities of these shady Members of Parliament and cabinet ministers. After all the drug trade blew up on this island because no less than the Prime Minister at the time entertained and took payoffs from the drug cartel (commission of inquiry). The only difference between yesterday and today is that the extortion attempts and bribery payments are more widely spread. Legalizing the webshops is a shot in your foot, you simply don't know what that money sponsors, it is a known unknown. The US seems to have some idea though with the indictment of one of the key players, probably the tip of the iceberg.
John 9 years, 5 months ago
ANOTHER ONE GUNNED DOWN TODAY ON SOLDIER ROAD
gkeato 9 years, 5 months ago
Most of these murders are committed by murderers out on bail which is unbelievable,,,
By the way what happened with the containers full of stolen cars????????????
John 9 years, 5 months ago
I am convinced that there is an undercover conspiracy to keep young Bahamian m3n killing each other. You do the math: 116 murders this year, only around 10 murder trials and barely 4 convictions. Which means there will be at least 100 persons on the streets who have committed murder. So yes there will be retaliation killings and revenge killings because in eyes of the public there is no punishment for murder and no justice for the victims. How is it that the government can find the means and the machinery to put VAT on the backs of Bahamian people but cant get courts open to bring courts open to bring justice to murdered victims and take killers of the streets permanently? How is it that the government can find ways and means to bring a carnival here to cater to foreigners but can't get the critical care block at the hospital open after the building has been sitting for three years? IS THERE ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF BAHAMIAN MEN BEING MURDERED and the referendum they are trying to force into law? A bill that maybe is saying to the Bahamian women : "do not worry about your sons and husbands and uncles and Bahamian men getting killed! We will give you rights to go outside the country and import men into the country. And we will give these imported men the same rights and privliges as your murdered sons and husbands and uncles and bro5hers. WHO are these men they want to replace Bahamian men who are being murdered wholesale? Demand they fix the crime (murder) problem before they bring the referendum! DEMAND IT!
duppyVAT 9 years, 5 months ago
Good observation John ..................... there is no conspiracy though .......... this is SWIFT JUSTICE ............. Bahamian style ................. Where is our Brave Davis, DocBJ, Chief Justice QC and our NolleAG now???
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