By DANA SMITH
Tribune Staff Reporter
dsmith@tribunemedia.net
THE country’s high crime levels could “ruin” the tourism industry, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday afternoon.
He said crime “goes against” what the government is trying to do with respect to tourism and the country’s reputation and also spoke on new “anchor projects” for the Family Islands that could help unemployment rates.
He was addressing nearly 150 Breezes Resort employees who were honoured for their years of service to the hotel, with many of the honourees having served for more than 15 years.
“The behaviour of our people could ruin a wonderful career that you have ahead of you,” Mr Christie told the crowd. “Crime has become an incredible challenge to this island, in particular, and we have to bring it under control.”
While some may think crime is “localised in over-the-hill communities” the reality is crime affects all parts of the island, he said.
“If we allow a culture of violence to continue unabated, then it becomes exactly that - a culture that young people swim into where there’s a complete disregard for life,” he said.
“It goes against what we’re trying to do here at Breezes, what we’re trying to do in the tourism industry, what we’re trying to do in respect to the reputation of our country.
“It is so easy to accept things because it is not your responsibility. What I’m asking you to do is to ensure that you understand that to the extent that you are able to influence members of your family, friends, members of anything you belong to, to understand the relationship between good and orderly behaviour and the success of our country and the success of your job, then you will be doing the works of a good citizen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.”
However, Mr Christie said, despite the country’s crime levels he is still “optimistic” about the future of the nation.
“I have a sense that we are going to be able to create some anchor developments in our islands, which itself will stem the tide of people coming from the islands to New Providence and to Grand Bahama looking for jobs,” he said.
“We are working very, very hard to cause these things to happen as quickly as possible and we know its happening in Bimini, we know it’s happening in Eleuthera, we know it’s happening in Exuma and the Exuma Cays, we know it’s going to happen in San Salvador again in terms of an expansion of the product. We know all of those things.”
The prime minister also indicated that “the next two or three years on (Nassau) are going to be very challenging years” for the government as a large number of new rooms are being introduced to western New Providence.
After noting Atlantis is reporting “very good” bookings, he explained that when Baha Mar takes off, he expects the western New Providence district to expand.
“I expect that and I’m hoping that my government is able to put in place the policies and the resources to dedicate to creating a greater awareness in the marketplace for these things to happen,” he said.
Mr Christie paid tribute to the Breezes employees for their “quality service” to the hotel, as well as to the country’s tourism industry, and also paid tributes to the hotel itself, noting that Breezes was one of the first all-inclusive hotels in the Bahamas.
Comments
TalRussell 11 years, 3 months ago
This statement by the PM can be easily turned into an interesting topic for us Tribune bloggers to broadly discuss over the weekend?
On the one hand the PM is asking Bahamians to abide by the laws of Bahamaland, yet on the other hand his PLP government does not feel bound to enforce and ask our courts to uphold the present "criminal laws on the books against selling numbers?"
by TalRussell
John 11 years, 3 months ago
As long as we continue to plant the crime seed we gonna continue to grow criminals in theis country and they will wreak havoc on society and yes they will destroy tourism and any other industry that their activities affect. New police cars, Urban renewal 2.0 increased patrols etc may stem crime for a bit but it they will not stop it. We have too many young men who are influenced by external forces..media, internet, criminally oriented games and they have no one at home or in society to re-inforce proper moral values. Many young men are not equipped with education and proper training to get a job that can meet their financial needs..so many drop out of society, become delinquents and turn to selling drugs or other crime as a way to survive. Government can put in place programs that can train these young men and equip them with the skills to get better employment and hence make more money t take cae of themselves and their families eventually. Government must also realize that not every student is going to excel at academics. Some males (and females) perfer doing physical labor and so avenues must be opened up where more of these type jobs become available. The road project(s) for example employed many young men. Imagine what the crime rate would have been if they had not been employed. Even the project to clean the streets and parks and verges can be an avenue to create additional employmnet.. Government must also stop allowing the big hotels to exclude Bahamians from employing their own entrprenurial skills. The jet ski, operators, water sports and hair braiders should be made a legitimit part of the tourist landscape and not treated like 'jonsers' in their own country. And government must in the main time get tough on crime. Too many young men walking the streets, yes some who have committed several murders, and they seem to go from year to year avoiding justice. This sends the wrong message to those who are trying to livewithin the law. Consider that we lose 125 men a year to murder..another 75 or so are charged with the crime..this is too much drain on our (male) population...and doesn't even include the men who comit other crimes or move away and never return to this country. And yes we need to institutionalise our young males between the ages of 16 and 21. Many leave high school with poor grades and no sense to direction. Many get caught up in the crime wave orend up being a victim of it. Get these young men involved in some type of program, BTCVI, defence force COB where they recieve some snse of discipline and direction until they turn 21 at least.
IslandTransPlant 11 years, 3 months ago
Well said and to the point we need more young people to get involve politics love this article the government needs to stop pointing fingers and get it done.
IslandTransPlant 11 years, 3 months ago
I think the people of the Bahamas must of had there eyes closed when they elected Perry Christie because he has no concept of realty crime is already ruining the tourist industry what I don't understand is that how did the government let is thing get out of control the island is only seven by twenty one and yet there are so many guns on that little island and all the murders that's being committed the government is not protecting law abiding citizen they are taking to long to prosecute those animals who have no regard for human life then give some of them bail so they can commit more murders but the government don't carry all the blame the citizen's have to shoulder some of the blame because they hate the police so much that they let these animals go to commit more crimes if the government did not allow the police to beat a suspects and to do good old fashion police work like the way it is suppose to be done the cops need diversity training and at least two years of college education and even tho they commit crimes that are human floored but human the government needs to go after the ones that's bring the guns over from South Florida through Freeport and Nassau they need to work more closely with the US government to stem the flow of weapons used the cards that you have they want to stem the flow of drugs you want to stem the flow of guns one hand washes the other all you have to do is ask it is simple as that its a win, win situation I was born in Nassau and left there in the summer of 1980 @ the age of 14 at that time the only people that carry guns at that point was CID's or Inspector's and fistfights were the way to settle a mater and you live to fight another day these kids today have no concept of life I can go on and on but enough said for now. ps hope this is publish for some of the citizens to read. Thanks M. Ferguson
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