Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday reiterated his plea for the country to unite against criminality as he underscored the psychological toll murders wrought on the nation.
Dr Minnis said that the country would be destroyed by the traumatic impact of violent crime unless its citizens and residents collectively waged war on criminality and dishonesty in every instance.
He spoke as police announced the arraignment of a 48-year-old man in connection with the death of police Inspector Carlis Blatch, at Magistrate’s Court today.
Dr Minnis told The Tribune all law enforcement agencies have been put on full alert.
“The entire Bahamas is needed to declare war on criminality and dishonesty,” he said, “if we want to save this nation. Crime and criminality is not just against one or two individuals, it is against a nation, the psychological crime that occurs against a nation.
“We look only at the one or two individuals, those that were overtly affected but we don’t look at the global picture,” Dr Minnis continued.
“Those one or two individuals being robbed or murdered are impacted today, but the nation is impacted tomorrow. We are allowing these individuals to rob our nation of its future, we must declare overt war. When individuals get robbed, we feel sorry for one or two people but we don’t look at the criminality that occurred against the entire nation.”
Dr Minnis said: “To declare war we must report all illegal transactions, criminality, dishonesty to the police, that is the only way we can declare and change this nation as we move forward. We also send out notice to environmental destructors and violators, and traffic violators we will not tolerate these types of infractions. The police and all law enforcement officers have been put on full alert to deal with such matters.”
Insp Blatch, aide-de-camp to Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, was sitting in his vehicle last Wednesday, with his 13-year-old daughter, in a school parking lot when he was approached by a gunman and shot.
Police told the press on Friday that a wanted suspect from Fort Fincastle had turned himself into the Central Detective Unit.
ACP Fernander was careful not to draw a connection between that person and the Blatch investigation.
Insp Blatch was immediately remembered for his professionalism following his shooting. He had worked at Government House for 14 years.
Yesterday, Dr Minnis said: “We are engaged in two type of murders, the overt murder where a policeman, a father was murdered but there was also the potential murder of an entire school and families. The psychological murder, the traumatic murder that we don’t look at, is he could have caused serious damage to an entire school, our future generation. The psychological affect (of his murder) on the youth.
Dr Minnis said: “If we don’t declare as a nation, war on crime, war on dishonesty, and war on murders, all forms of criminality, then we subject ourself to the murder of a nation. The psychological murder that we are subjecting ourselves to, the destruction of a future of a nation.
“So I ask all Bahamians, just as we came together, the police force, defence force and all in searching for that one individual. We must declare war if we are to save this nation from the psychological murder by crime and other criminal elements, or we will destroy this nation.”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 5 years, 7 months ago
Blah blah blah. "War on dishonesty"???? Why are second rate candidates being appointed to oversee ministry of finance and BEC? Seems dishonest to me
bogart 5 years, 7 months ago
FINALLY....EXCELLENT....way past trying to get anyting done in the Bahamas...knoeing there are big time doubts of SUCCESS.... gIven thhe prevasiveness of some criminal activity being involved....from the greasing of palms ...unsolicited TIPS...to the hiring of incompetants...to the whose who in a political party....dere family...friemds...lovers....one country for the rich....an a whole different country for the pore... TIME WAY PAST DUE THAT THE PORE ORDINARY PEOPLE HAVE SOMEBODY STAND UP FOR THEM......ERRY CRIME...CRIMINAL ACTION..JUS FOR DECADES.....RELATE TO BLUE COLLAR CRIME....only seems only pore people does tief......AN...AN...AN.....NO WHITE COLLAR CRIME..only until a few months ago......,!!! Pore people goes through living hell ...cause there aint nothing they can do when they are victims...there are no...... 1. CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS.... 2. NO FINANCIAL CONDUCT AITHORITY.....EVEN UP TO DIS 21ST CENTURY....!!!!!....despite this nation a major financial ....country....mudda tek sic....NOBODY THE SMALL PORE MAN CAN CAN COMPLAIN TO......nothing gets done nohow... 3. NO ..FINANCIAL BUREAU OF FINANCIAL PROTECTION.... 4. BUREAU OF CONSUMER PROTECTION...like US Fiann cial Protection Bureau..... PORE PEOPLE JUST TIRED OF BEARING THE LOAD..PAIN...GETTIN MASH RIGHT UP.......GET SWING ALL DA TIME
TalRussell 5 years, 7 months ago
How one self imposed imperial comrade prime minister has cast chilling effect over colony islands democracy.
John 5 years, 7 months ago
If there could be any comfort when a heinous and violent crime, such as murder, even in a botched armed robbery, it that the victim was not targeted as a high ranking law enforcement officer, but was at the time a regular, normal citizen doing something as every day as picking his children up from school. And that sends out a clear and definite signal, that the Bahamas is not safe for Bahamians and that this year especially, it is not just thugs shooting down and killing each other. And YES, the country must now heed the prime minister's call to unite and wage war on crime in this country. But the question that really begs an answer urgently is the "what now?" After a criminal is caught, arrested, charged and sent to jail. For the lesser crimes he spends his time in jail and comes out, goes back into the same community and most likely will continue his life of crime until he is killed or does a crime serious enough to cause him life imprisonment. So essentially jail and all the other punishments that are now being used are not an effective deterrent to crime. And, in fact, when the prime minister sent out the decree to chase the killer of the ADC, even to the bounds of hell, he may have been doing him a favor to bring him back here and face lesser punishment than the torment of hell. And another thing the prime minister suggested that hit a lot of nerves was that of not allowing criminals to breed and have offspring. And even though that may seem farfetched and unusual, that was one of the motives for giving hardened criminals, rapists and killers especially, life imprisonment. So even if they were paroled they would be beyond the capabilities of fathering children. But what about going even beyond that. What if the country, yes, this Bahamas, was to stop breeding and naturing criminals? Think about it. Practically every murder that was committed this year, and most in years prior, were committed by Bahamians. And not old criminals who were living elsewhere and moved back to the Bahamas, but persons who were born and bred here. Some 18 and 19 and 20 1ns 21 and most under the age of 35. Who born and raised these murderers? Whose children are they? Is the propensity to kill in their seed at birth or was it the way they were raised? So is the prime minister on to something. Does the country now have to invest in parenting skills? Is there a need to form a national service and enroll unruly and at-risk young men to teach them discipline and conflict resolution. To allow them an escape route from the pressures of gangs and crime?
TheMadHatter 5 years, 7 months ago
Duty is off baby food. VAT off baby food. Let's now try free baby food - or even paying people to have babies like they do in Hungary.
Let's try having 140,000 people chasing after 97,000 jobs.
Let's see how that affects crime (since we are too ignorant to predict it).
DDK 5 years, 7 months ago
In response to John's post: "Is there a need to form a national service and enroll unruly and at-risk young men to teach them discipline and conflict resolution. To allow them an escape route from the pressures of gangs and crime?" Would be a good plan but this country has been dragged so far down one wonders whether there exist sufficient decent, well-intentioned folk to run such a national service. Sadly, an off-duty marine just took the lives of two pedestrians.........
spoitier 5 years, 7 months ago
War on crimes should have been wage a long time ago, not when an officer is gunned down, it send two messages: 1. Criminals are targeting anyone indiscriminately 2. And on the other hand, it is only a big problem when it hit close to home with the politicians. The first place to start is with corruption because we are teaching our citizens how to be dishonest and corruption begat stealing and stealing begat murder. Let me leave by giving my condolences to the officer and countless other Bahamians who were victim of murder.
John 5 years, 7 months ago
Sadly the war on drugs is what created the need for the war on crime. Along with racial profiling in the US. Now Donald Trump has decided to reactivate both policing strategies. And as you can see there has already been at least 6 swoops on communities at night in search of drugs and drug dealers. And small amounts of marijuana is now legal in 60 percent of the US territories. Cocaine smuggling remains a multi trillion dollar industry in the US with the main points of entry now being New York and California. Here the biggest danger is the marijuana that is grown in the . The set that has been genetically altered and modified. It is more potent and more addictive.
sealice 5 years, 7 months ago
He's declaring war on the PLP's legacy?
proudloudandfnm 5 years, 7 months ago
So what's the strategy? All he says is police are being put on alert. This man is just horrible at everything he tries. What a load of garbage...
joeblow 5 years, 7 months ago
The Bahamas has had a major problem with violent crime for many years now, but one close to their circle has to die before he makes a statement like this? This should have been on of the priorities from day one.
Crime, economy, education and immigration are the major priorities of this government. If they didn't know that coming into their jobs then God help us!
hrysippus 5 years, 7 months ago
the prime minnis has declared war on crime, . . . . . .. If he has his way then it is now hanging time, . . . . .. In Saudi Arabia they cut off your hand, . . . . . … If convicted of tiefing in that theocratic land, . . . . … Adulaters too are sentenced to die, . . . . .. .. "Chop off their heads." those mullah priests cry, . . . . .. And if you're a woman caught out walking on your own, . . . .. Stripped naked and whipped is the way you atone, ….. ..
This model is the one Minnis wants us to follow, . .
With his Hippocratic Oath, it is hard enough to swallow, . . .. . . .. .. Can we truly trust a system like the justice one we got, . . .. … When cases can take decades, justice delayed will be our lot... . . . …. Justice delayed is justice denied the Privy council says, . . . . .. So ain't no nanging happening in ant soon come days.
TalRussell 5 years, 7 months ago
If prime minister be on his full alertness failure vow pursue da criminal fellow in same way he has failed lead the charge arrest, try and jail time for parliamentarians who failed file on time their respective financial Disclosures - the criminal elements can look forward a comfortable, bright and room temperature hell. { If I tried even after me morning's breakfast home baked brownies, I couldn't possibly have made this office holder PMO man's up }.
John 5 years, 7 months ago
Again the problem is ‘what now? Persons no longer fear jail or worry about the stigma attached to it. So jail is no longer a deterrent for many people, especially young men. They make up their minds that they will do the crime anyway, even murder and all they have to do is spend the rest of their life in jail or hope the case never comes up and they get bail or get realeased. When did the Bahamas get to the point where being in jail is better than fighting the battle on the streets? What is society doing wrong? So you must now make jail harder or life better for the young people to keep them from going antisocial and turning to criminals.
rawbahamian 5 years, 7 months ago
If Minnis is serious about crime control then he has to campaign, amend and put draconian methods of punishment into place by 1st denying anyone bail accused of armed robbery, rape, man slaughter/murder, grevious badly harm , 2nd abolish the jurassic period privy council dictating what is and what is not permissable for OUR laws to carry out, 3rd reintroduce hanging with it being carried out within 48hrs of sentencing, 4th introduce a curfew to school age children, 5th reintroduce vigilant truant officers, 6th introduce multiplying traffic violations by doubling the fines everytime the offender is booked until they come to their senses or go broke from paying. I am certain with these methods applied to the electorate they will reign themselves in .
Bonefishpete 5 years, 7 months ago
Where's Bran and the green party? Seems like good hay to be made.
TalRussell 5 years, 7 months ago
If you thinks it's statistically psychiatry possible according science that one out of every four comrade elected red MPs' and appointed to red chamber could very well be suffering from some sort of Imperial kinds political power mental setbacks....then, if we include the public OBAN and Grand Lucayan Hotel dealings acting up by we PM and KP, then who are the other two comrade red shirt MP's also worthy observation for not eluding some kinds Imperial political power gone they head's psychiatry setback disorder?
John 5 years, 7 months ago
Let's see if we get a response from the PM about the video going around where the young boy was beaten by police, had his tooth broken and face bloodied. The boy told police he was on his way to work and they still beat and detained him.. And this is where a lot of violent crime starts..you don't have to go to the bounds of hell to see that.
DDK 5 years, 7 months ago
Judging by the age of the suspect in the ADC's murder, wonder if this was personal.
bogart 5 years, 7 months ago
What seems to be drastically needed is an OMBUDSMAN and office that deals with PORE BAHAMIAN CITIZENRY CHALLEMGES...CONSUMER COMPLAINTS.....where a lot of vital information can be had for free .....from the pore people seeking help....Govt should not have to wait until a crises before jumping up and screaming .....then tings calm down till the next crises...the pore ..downtrodden...oppressed....victimized...suicidal....ripped off...bank victims...insuramce victims....legal victims.....doctors..dentistsmedical people who rips off the pore.....contractors who rips off people...look even the govt construction contracts goes wrong costing double....plenty pore people needs to have some office to deal with for helps....the tension in dis country is simply too high when radical tings happening....
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