Dr Bernard Nottage
By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
LAW enforcement has “failed” in attempts to lower the country’s murder count, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage admitted yesterday.
Dr Nottage said he does not take “any comfort” in the fact that the country saw an 18 per cent decrease in serious crimes last year when it also experienced an increase in the incidents of murder.
Dr Nottage’s statements came a day after Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade revealed the crime statistics for 2014. According to those statistics, there were 123 murders for 2014, four more than the 119 police recorded in 2013, an increase of three per cent.
His statements also came just hours before the country’s seventh murder for the year, which took place off Market Street north yesterday.
Dr Nottage said while the Royal Bahamas Police Force ought to be commended for being “able to bring down the numbers of crime across the board” last year, police cannot “rest on laurels” in fighting crime – specifically murders.
“Last year it was my objective and hope that we could have brought down the number of murders,” Dr Nottage told The Tribune on the sidelines of a Caribbean Nations Security Conference. “We failed, and so I don’t take any comfort in the fact that other crimes are down. I think we really need to get all crimes down and get as close to eliminating as much murders as we can.
“The police force can take some credit for the work that they are doing, but as far as I’m concerned there’s a lot of work still to be done.”
According to the police statistics, the decrease in serious crimes last year was influenced by decreases in manslaughter, rape, attempted rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, armed robbery, which all decreased by 25 per cent, 29 per cent, 45 per cent, 33 per cent, 10 per cent and 4 per cent respectively.
Of the 123 murders recorded last year, 88 per cent or 108 were recorded in New Providence, 10 in Grand Bahama and five in the Family Islands.
A handgun was used in 85 per cent of the murder cases, followed by knives which were used in seven per cent of the homicides.
Retaliation was the main motive for murder in 2014 with 44 cases, followed by conflicts between individuals, robbery, then drugs, respectively.
The statistics also show that attempted murder incidents also rose 47 per cent, from 15 cases in 2013 to 22 cases in 2014. The category of attempted robbery also saw an increase of three per cent, from 30 cases in 2013 to 31 in 2014.
Yesterday morning, a man was at a corner off Market Street north when he was approached and shot to death by an armed assailant, who then fled the area on foot.
In view of the statistics and yesterday’s latest murder, Dr Nottage said “a lot more work” still needed to be done by law enforcement to significantly reduce murders.
“I want to congratulate the RBPF because it is my view that they’ve been working diligently and with due diligence in being to be able to bring down the numbers of crime across the board,” he said. “But so long as we continue to have the violent crimes that result in the death of our citizens, so long as our young men engage in illicit activities, gangs, drugs, armed robberies, we cannot rest on our laurels. We have to continue working as hard as we can.”
On Tuesday, Mr Greenslade blamed the high murder rate on a “hardcore group of prolific offenders.”
However, he said detectives at the Central Detective Unit are reviewing a number of cases and further charges are expected to be brought against several persons who are being sought by police.
He also revealed that last year police had a murder detection rate of 43 per cent.
He said the detection rate is low because in some cases, the public is “not helpful.”
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 3 months ago
This old worthless hack Nottage (who looks like that radio fella Miller) simply does not understand that it is the failed policies of both the PLP and FNM governments that have created the murderous monsters living among us today. Nottage is an aged worthless fart who has personally contributed greatly to our failed education system and jobless market place. Recent generations of Bahamians have been boxed into a life of crime, including murder, as a result of the likes of Nottage.
IslandTransPlant 9 years, 2 months ago
If you are going to point fingers point for one, start with your self because the Bahamian people are not doing there part in helping you guys are buying stolen goods so you are keeping this going and when it comes to the murders your not getting involve for what ever reason all you people are saying is it's not my problem until it's on your door step and then you want help from the police to help they can not do this by them self wake and smell what you are shelving...
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 3 months ago
Man Nottage go back to sleep and stay asleep, you are nothing but a waste of money... Sleep useless little man, sleep...
asiseeit 9 years, 3 months ago
Is he serious, blaming the police? Where does this old washed up fellow get off? Go back to sleep and let someone who has a clue take charge.
avidreader 9 years, 3 months ago
Wait a minute folks. Is my memory failing me or was there something said in 2012 about being ready to tackle a vast number of problems, including crime, "from day one"? This failure falls into the same category as the 10,000 jobs waiting just off stage and behind the curtains.
realfreethinker 9 years, 3 months ago
A real idiot. They constantly throw the police under the bus. BJ is nothing but a decrepit old ass.He is way pass his used by date.
duppyVAT 9 years, 3 months ago
BJ ........... go to the back of the line!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Police has serious internal structural and social problems to overcome but this a complex problem. The Court system is the head of this snake ........... BJ needs to start with the NolleQC/AG
John 9 years, 3 months ago
HAS THE POLICE FAILED or is it another segment of the legal system that is continuing to fail and continuing to allow Bahamians to be held hostage to crime and by criminals? Lets deal with facts: According to the crime report, 45% of all persons who commit murder are captured and charged. According to other reports less than 10% of person charged with murder go to trial and less than 5% of those charged are convicted. Where then is the failure? Why are the additional courts not up and running? So you may argue that a 45% detection rate is low for murder. Well the commissioner of police has always maintained that most of the murder going on in the country is gang and drug related. One gang killing up members of the other gang. One drug dealer ripping off the other one or moving on his turf and getting killed. And yes many young men get caught up in this web and pay for their mistake with their lives. So when the police finally identify and catch up with persons responsible for murder, they have already been killed themselves. The commissioner has said more than many times, the police have to keep locking up the same people who commit murder and other serious crime over and over again. Three, four five six times, so where is the failure? When figures show that more persons are out on bail or in jail awaiting trial for murder than those who are convicted of their dirty deeds and should be rotting in jail, that tells me that more is wrong with the system than just a police failure. The talks on the street is a murder rap is the easiest one to beat. When you do the 'hit' you sit in jail for a year or two and you will get bail. After that there is a 90% chance that your case will not come up. Woe unto ye lawyers! Them is the facts BJ!
realfreethinker 9 years, 3 months ago
BJ go away,bj go away,bj go away,sing along with me. bj go away
John 9 years, 3 months ago
Watch carnival come before the courts cause that where they mind is!
Publius 9 years, 3 months ago
Wait a minute. This story does not quote BJ Nottage as saying the Police Force alone failed. His quote was:
He said WE failed, being the collective. He did not say the Police Force alone failed. Just what is the Tribune trying to do here with this headline and lead paragraph?
John 9 years, 3 months ago
Obviously your English is failing you. Not rage is talking about the police force of which he is in charge of. So the collective "we" refers to the police force under his command.
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