Respect for Greenslade – but no free pass

As of Friday, February 14, 2014

Darron Cash

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH the FNM respects the work of Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, the organisation does not believe he deserves a “free pass” over the controversy of how crime statistics are formulated, FNM chairman Darron Cash said yesterday.

His comments came a day after Mr Greenslade spoke at a crime forum at the College of the Bahamas where he, during his speech, exclaimed “I ain’ going nowhere” while defending his credibility and the credibility of the police force.

His statements came as the credibility of the police force was challenged after the release of trauma statistics from Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) showed significant differences from statistics released by the police force last month.

“We have no indication of what the Commissioner was inferring,” said Mr Cash. “We suspect that the Commissioner is under enormous pressure, not necessarily by any politician, but as one who lives in the country and who understands the pain families must go through and must bear when their loved ones are victims of violent crimes. That must bear down on him.”

“No one has called for the Commissioner to step down,” Mr Cash continued, adding: “We only ask that he do anything he can to correctly deal with the core issues of crime and to report the statistics accurately. We support him in what he is trying to do, but it is important to acknowledge that there are differences in the statistics provided by the police force and those provided by PMH. We do hope that he – as Commissioner – he understands the importance of addressing the public in an honest manner and assures us that those differences will be removed.”

“It was the Prime Minister back in December who seemed to cast doubt and suggest he lacked confidence in the Commissioner,” said Mr Cash. “It wasn’t the FNM who did that. It wasn’t the Bahamian people who did that. It was the Prime Minister. It was the Minister of National Security who had to come out and express confidence in the Commissioner.”

Nonetheless, Mr Cash said he would not give the Commissioner a “free pass on this.”

“The statistics come from him,” he said, adding: “The commissioner ought to assume responsibility for working directly with administrators in PHA or any other agency to ensure that the differences in their statistics are substantially eliminated. People would have a lot more confidence in the numbers if that were done.

Mr Cash said the police and government officials have poorly explained why the differences between the police and PMH statistics exist.

On Wednesday, State Minister for National Security, Keith Bell said the hospital and the police use different methods to collect their data and that their data is used for different purposes.

Mr Bell also criticized FNM Deputy Chairman Dr Duane Sands for questioning the credibility of the police force’s crime statistics.

In response, Mr Cash said: “Their overall approach has been to shoot the messenger, which is absolutely the wrong approach to take. We have all lived in this community when we’ve had neighbours involved in violent situations who became concerned that their incidents didn’t always appear to be included or accounted for in crime statistics. That has happened for years.”

He added: “My best advice to the Prime Minister, my best advice to the Minister of National Security, my best advice to the Commissioner of Police, is to put a muzzle on Keith Bell because when he speaks his words do not inspire confidence. It is precisely his nuanced approach to explaining away what the average person sees, hears and understands as an act of violence perpetrated against someone else which ought to be recorded as such, that causes the average Bahamian to listen to Minister Bell and have doubts. They seem to be trying to explain away under-reporting. That’s the impression they give by the comments they give.”

Despite the controversy, Mr Cash said: “This is another example of how a debate about statistics could very easily deflect our attention from the fact that there are individuals in families that are directly impacted by violence in the country. This disagreement in numbers shouldn’t overshadow the fact that real lives are being impacted. Officers, night and day, put their lives on the line to protect our community and we should never let these kinds of policy or process debates overshadow the great work that they do.”

TalRussell 10 years, 2 months ago

Why doesn't the Tribune not sell space allocated to the red Chairman for paid red shirts advertising? Seeing the Tribune has decided to shut down all discussion for and against the judge's decision to grant bail to the two preachermans, who it is being alleged committed a sex crime upon a young boy, I will mess with Comrade Daron who says, his argument with the Commish of Policeman's goes something like this: While Comrade Darron refuse to outright state who it is he believes was responsible for "formulating the crime statistics" the Commish is using, it seems to me like Darron has provided no proof while he denies faith in what the Commsh said, and without faith in he own argument he brings noting to the conversation.

EasternGate 10 years, 2 months ago

It is regrettable that Senator Bell has a tendency to bray like a jackass on steroids. Every time he opens his PLP mouth he creates a problem. To his credit he has dived the Police Force into FNM and PLP camps. What damage will he inflict next?

rony 10 years, 2 months ago

Really tribune really? Why are you guys not letting us comment on them sick pastors that messed with that young boy? Why do this country feel the need to protect these animals.

4renbahamian 10 years, 2 months ago

I agree, it only shows democracy in this country is only a dream. What happened to free speech? speak your mind and you go to jail.

rony 10 years, 2 months ago

What was ignorant about my comment? You sound like a uptight sodomite also. You'll wanna do nasty things and no one can talk about it. If they don't like your comment just block it or delete it like before simple is that.

rony 10 years, 2 months ago

I can see you spend most of your time at the laptop watching sick twisted videos. I same to hit a vein, you'll homo folks are so easy to point out. Stop being sick yo! But accused, Dirty low down shame! Bet they your boys.

rony 10 years, 2 months ago

You mussie getting us mixed up with you white folks. You are a complete wanker, I can bet you are from England! I left that place because of racist pricks like yourself. Talk about 3rd world news flash that is England. I think u can also be one of those "benefits chevs" that walk around piss drunk all day. Your kind is known for havin tough guy talk over the net. Go eat a roast or a shepherd's pie and chill in your depression weather.

blackcat 10 years, 2 months ago

Rory, Sometimes I wonder if you are employed by the Tribune to keep online readers active on the comment scene. However, after reading your filthy comments today, I have come to the conclusion that you are simply a troll doing what trolls do best- trying to obtain the most uproar ever in a reaction from others.

On the subject of comments, did the Tribune really disable comments or was that a technical glitch? Because this morning I noticed comments disabled on another unrelated article as well.

Happy trolling my friend, your comments are sick.

sheeprunner12 10 years, 2 months ago

The Commish is Perry's alter ego............... comment on dat

birdiestrachan 10 years, 2 months ago

Desperate Cash and his desperate party are all over the place here there and every where under rocks and behind bushes trying for brownie points. Cash nor his party would ever attack the Chief Justice of the Bahamas. But they see fit to attack the commissioner of the Police. When they attack the Commissioner they attack the whole Police Force, Men and Women who put their lives on the line day and night to protect Bahamian Citizens.

Cash and Sands no matter how they try to sugar coat their remarks. Have brought shame and disgrace to their Party. their desire for power know no bounds.

TalRussell 10 years, 2 months ago

Order in the court. The media reported behavior of the Comrade Bishop was out of order and I will side with the honourable judge's stern words about the Comrade Bishop.

DaGoobs 10 years, 2 months ago

@ rory - Yeah but on the Hanchell statement issue, some years back Hanchell stuck his nose into another court case where it does not belong. Back then a Supreme Court judge had to rap him over the knuckles for talking to a witness in a sex assault case where the accused was also a "holy" man. I agree that being charged in court does not equal guilt, but who is to say that an offence hasn't been committed, say exciting prejudice as to any proceeding pending in court under section 441 of the Penal Code?

As for Cash and other politicians whether elected or wannabes, they don't care who gets in the way of their mad dash for headlines and oneupmanship of each other. Greenslade seems to be a good man with good intentions but I don't know what he can point to as an indication of his successes. Fellows like Keith Bell don't help Greenslade because they seem to be trying to run the police force and manipulate crime statistics for political reasons from behind the scenes - think back to the 2012 billboards. Consequently, ordinary citizens don't know whose statistics to believe - Greenslade and Bell or Duane Sands? Probably safer to accept that the police and PMH each probably compile their numbers differently based on different reporting methods so both are probably right and there is no political issue here. Actually what these stories show is the laziness of the press/reporters in this country that they do no research to find out how PMH compiles its "crime" stats vs. those of the police. The police method of compiling stats needs very detailed explanation as they seem to classify homicide differently from murder, etc.

TalRussell 10 years, 2 months ago

Goi'in to court or getting burred six feet can financially broke too many Bahamalander families. We all have feel for anyone going before our courts cause it has long ago become a money making machine for lawyers, where the lawyers grow even richer and the poor go even more dead broke. A broken, so unfair justice system better known for causing the liquidation of a families mega savings, that can often result in casting poor defendants into a lasting debt, amounting into the thousands of dollars. I would think the good Bishop would be more vocal over the unfair bail system in general and about the many poor defendants who do not have no preacherman's to question why they be sitt'in up in one of Her Majesty's Fox Hill Prison cells, when unable to post bail to win their freedom. They too are innocent until proven guilty. Comrade "Activist" Rodney was put on one them speeding prison buses heading for prison while to raised funds to post his whopping $7,500 bail money and for a misdemeanor charge that carries a maximum fine of $150.

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