The Tribune

POLICE, working in conjunction with the Bain and Grant’s Town Urban Renewal Project and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, demolished two abandoned buildings just off Baillou Hill Road yesterday, putting an end to what were once two “stash houses” for drug peddlers.

This came less than 24 hours after police found and confiscated a little over four pounds of marijuana in one of the two buildings.

Superintendent Stephen Dean, officer-in-charge of the Urban Renewal Programme, said the discovery and swift demolition of the stash houses will “put a dent” in the criminal operations in the area.

“We believe that the drugs were going to be used by drug peddlers in the area to sell to our little children and to our residents and so the discovery and confiscation of the four pounds of marijuana, and the destruction of these two stash houses have allowed us to remove a big opportunity for drug dealers while putting a big dent in their operations in this particular area,” Mr Dean said.

“The Royal Bahamas Police Force will not allow our communities to be overrun by drug peddlers and anywhere our intelligence leads us to additional stash houses, the same will occur.

“Let me use this opportunity to send a stern warning to persons who are hell-bent on selling drugs in these communities: the Royal Bahamas Police Force – particularly the officers attached to the Urban Renewal Programme – will be on their case.

“We will be behind them, we will push them out of our communities, and we will make sure that they are in the right place where they belong – prison – if they don’t desist from their behaviour.”

Superintendent Dean said good police work and intelligence, and the co-operation of residents, led to the “significant” marijuana find.

“Four pounds of marijuana could destroy many lives, thousands of lives, particularly as it relates to our young people as marijuana usage can lead to anti-social behaviour, which in turn, can lead to participation in criminal activities,” Mr Dean said.

He said marijuana has become “the drug of choice” among young people in the Bahamas, with police receiving reports that children as young as 10 are smoking the drug. Some are being forced to smoke the drug, Mr Dean said.

Operations like the one that led to yesterday’s demolitions, in addition to other initiatives, will help to make a difference at the community level, particularly in the inner-city,” he said.

“I kid you not when I tell you that there are many persons who live in the inner-city communities who want to have the same kinds of communities that exist in the east and the west for their children. They believe that they too should have the best for their children which is the kind of thinking any right-minded parent would have,” Mr Dean said.

“Some communities have reached the point where enough is enough and the residents are giving us 100 per cent support because they are not going to take it anymore.”

He said police intelligence indicates the demolition of derelict houses in urban areas is already having a positive impact on crime. In many cases, green spaces are expected to replace the structures.

“In the instance of the buildings destroyed today, they have been under surveillance for quite some time; our officers observed the steady flow of persons in and out; we observed the illegal activities taking place and that’s why we moved in.

“I can assure you that no illegal activities will happen at this spot anymore. And that’s what we are doing, removing that opportunity for criminal enterprise to occur while giving the criminal no place to hide, which is our intent – to push them out of the communities and into Fox Hill Prison, which is where they belong.”