The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia/net

THE Bahamas Christian Council pledged its commitment to the fight against escalating crime, offering Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade assistance “wherever you need us”.

Christian Council President Rev Dr Ranford Patterson made this assurance at the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s annual church service held on Sunday at the Ebenezer Methodist Church on Shirley Street.

Dr Patterson said: “Commissioner, we look forward to renewing our commitment to you, and to your establishment by re-establishing our monthly relationship where we come and pray and spend some time with you.

“We know that your hands are full but we also know that you are up to the challenge” he said. “Commissioner, we in the church stand ready to assist you in your efforts on every street corner wherever you might need us. We stand ready and we are willing to stand together wherever you need us.”

The assurance came hours after the partially burnt body of a man was discovered in southern New Providence.

The incident, if designated a murder, will already be the country’s fourth for the new year and 11th within two weeks.

The first murder of 2014 took place at around 2am last Tuesday on New Year’s Day, January 1. Police say the victim was sitting on a vehicle in Hospital Lane, when a man armed with a handgun approached him and shot him several times before fleeing on foot.

The victim was taken to hospital by a private vehicle where he died of his injuries.

The next day — January 2 — around 7pm, according to reports, two men were sitting in front of an apartment complex on Buttonwood Avenue, Pinewood Gardens, when the occupants of a vehicle pulled up and fired several shots at them before speeding off.

One of the men received multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was taken to hospital where he was detained in stable condition for a gunshot wound to the leg.

Minutes later, a man was gunned down by the occupants of a gold car while at Taylor Street, off East Street, shortly after 8pm.

These shooting incidents came just days after Prime Minister Perry Christie revealed the government’s new plan to tackle crime.

Some of the initiatives include, re-introducing the 12-hour shift for police, creating a gang unit and passing laws to bind the hands of judges to prevent them from allowing persons accused of serious crimes to be granted bail.

On Sunday, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage urged Commissioner Greenslade to “accept the invitation from the clergy today, to provide efforts with them and enable them to help us.”

“Mr Reverend Patterson, I encourage you to invite the commissioner to resume your monthly meetings. I would like to have some monthly meetings with you too in which we can find ways together tackle the impact of crime together” he said.