By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
PSYCHIATRIST Dr David Allen as well as families of murdered victims and residents of the Blair community are hosting an anti-crime rally tonight in direct response to recent rapes and home invasions in the capital.
Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, Dr Allen said the forum will allow victims of crime to tell their stories as well as allow Bahamians to express their opinions on what should be done to combat illegal activities.
Dr Allen said his team, “The Family: People Helping People Project”, brings together persons from all communities in New Providence, including Kemp Road, Blair, Elizabeth Estates and other marginalised areas to show that crime affects everyone.
“We have people from the prison, from the Boys Industrial and Girls Industrial Schools, former gang leaders and Blair Patrol speaking on the impact of crime in their neighbourhoods,” Dr Allen said.
“In recent weeks, we have had a lot of challenges when it comes to crime and everyone is fearful. Home invasions are at a high and it is particularly scary for people. So these persons will be sharing their own experiences, they have had family members who have been murdered, raped and attacked so we will be addressing the feelings of rape and retaliation. We will work with these people. We have to come together as a people and do something about what is going on in our country.
“Blair residents have been complaining for some time about the crime problems they are having, which all came to a head when a man was murdered.”
Dr Allen was referring to the killing of Blair resident Andre Cartwright who was shot after three armed gunmen invaded the home he shared with his elderly parents last week Tuesday.
“These are the kinds of stories we will be sharing and we want the public to come out and join us,” Dr Allen said.
The forum will be held at Queen’s College on Village Road.
At last year’s rally, Keith Bell, State Minister for National Security, revealed that the average age of criminals in the Bahamas has decreased significantly over the last few years.
Mr Bell also said many of today’s offenders are products of single parent homes.
Not long ago, he said, the average offender was between the ages of 18-34, but is now between 15-20.
He said a major contributor to the crime problem is the issue of absentee fathers.
The senator said being an absent parent doesn’t only refer to being physically absent – as there are fathers who are present in the home, but still missing from their children’s lives.
Mr Bell also pointed out at the time that despite accusations that crime is being committed by Haitians and Jamaicans, most of the crime is being committed by young Bahamian men.
Comments
ChaosObserver 9 years, 5 months ago
Glad to see Dr. Allen walking the talk....a man of his word...doing for his people....too bad we don't have politicians that do the same...and other church leaders that just sit around and play with themselves....
Emac 9 years, 5 months ago
"Allow Bahamians to express their opinions on what should be done to combat illegal activities." This is a great initiative. I always looked up Dr. Allen as one of the more sincere social leaders of our country. But when people express their opinions on what should be done, who is listening? The raw reality is that criminals are the ones who are leading this country. How can you get criminals to listen to advise on combatting crimes of which they themselves are the perpetrators?
iexpressed 9 years, 5 months ago
crime is the responsibility of the govt
it is the responsibility of govt to tighten up the justice system to get these recycled criminals off of the streets.
then it has to clean its own house. start with compliance of the required declarations and accountability thereto. then move to implement the freedom of information act leading to a more transparent and accountable govt, not giving the appearance that politician and their supporters are walking hundreds of millions out of the treasury/bank of the bahamas for their personal benefit. what message of integrity is this setting for the uneducated population?
then with the millions not "missing", diligently fund initiatives from urban renewal to various private programs such as PACE and Dr Allen's Family to catch the pregnant teenager society has turned their back on. rebuild the family structure and moral. education and prosperity will follow.
it starts at the top. why do people not speak out? because they do not want to be victimized and shut down.
if the top lacks integrity and cannot accomplish its objective of providing a safe country to live in, the law abiding will take it into their own hands.
John 9 years, 5 months ago
More window dressing and false hope. After 40 years if increasing crime and at least 10 solid years of crime, especially rape and murder, being at epidemic proportions, the bow ties should be off and a hard and fast battle to stomp out crime in full effect. An effort that cannot ionly involve the police acting like firemen running here and there to scrape bodies off the streets, even in broad daylight now, or to console rape victim after the fact. Time to stop breeding criminals, cloaking them and treating them as the victim.
John 9 years, 5 months ago
“Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” ― Aristotle
banker 9 years, 5 months ago
I don't agree with you on much, but I do agree here. Our young men who are the criminals, are not stupid. They may be illiterate, and poorly socialised, being children of children but they are not stupid. They know that there is no percentage in education unless your parents are rich enough to send you aboard. They know that working for the man will only give you a poor-paying service job. They see that the people in power are getting ahead by being dishonest and stealing from the public purse. They know that there is one set of rules for them and another for the politicians. There is no damn way to get ahead in the Bahamas with the monolithic economy and the major businesses (tourism) owned by foreigners. Bahamians do not own the hilltops and beaches. These young men who shoot first don't care whether they live or die. None of them expect to reach a ripe old age anyway. The only way to fix this, is through the economy by making all Bahamians as a whole prosperous. That idea is preposterous to the kleptocrats in power and the retarded, brain dead prime minister, and his half-gay cabinet who's only aim in life is to see how many sins of the flesh they can commit and steal the people's money. There are no patriots, or honest men or even real men in the governing party of the Bahamas, and most Bahamians are too ignorant to see that.
John 9 years, 5 months ago
But yet there is light at the end of the tunnel. If only we learn to dig together and in the same direction. Politics by nature is a dirty and attracts the dishonest, yet there can be good governance and and a progressive nation.
duppyVAT 9 years, 5 months ago
Its a crime to talk about crime in The Bahamas ........... Doc please get the message sent by the Police, UR2.0, who continue to believe that marching bands will solve our inner city problems.............. Stephen Dean will be the next COP by selling his BS for 10 years.
John 9 years, 5 months ago
ANOTHER KILLING THIS~MORNING as CDU on JFK is taped off from the public and a lifeless body lay on the ground next to a champagne colored car. Not sure of the circumstances so cannot say it is a murder, but you can say someone has been killed.
TheMadHatter 9 years, 5 months ago
Dr. Allen is a champion of the community and his fellow man. I have not always agreed with everything he says and does - but near 90%.
He is someone who is doing something to help - and always has been.
Best wishes to him.
TheMadHatter
John 9 years, 5 months ago
And he has been doing the same thing for how many years? what are the results?
TheMadHatter 9 years, 5 months ago
The results are that the number of churches continues to increase and therefore they are able to breed more and more ignorance among our people. The people are kept ignorant and unable to follow the advice of learned scholars, scientists, and doctors. Quantity of people seems to be the priority, not quality. However, I applaud Dr. Allen for continuing to try. Someday maybe people will wake up, stop giving money to pastors, and start investing in education and quality of life for Bahamians. Why are all the church buildings so so so much larger than our school buildings? We just love that D+ grade average, I guess.
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