The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest yesterday criticised the government for “not being serious” in the fight against violent crime and “failing” to live up to its campaign promises to reduce it.

Mr Turnquest said the crime situation is now out of control, so much so it has reached the point where “things just seem to be happening and nobody knows where the off switch is.”

Mr Turnquest also supported recent calls to enforce the death penalty in the country, calling it an “effective punishment.” He also questioned the government’s plans to providing convicts with access to early release through parole.

His comments came after this year’s murder toll hit 80, when three men were shot dead in separate incidents over the weekend.

As of July 7 last year, the country had recorded 65 murders.

“This is a government who came to power saying they had all the answers to crime, and the record is showing they did not have the answers and they do not have the answers, nor are they willing to take good advice,” Mr Turnquest said when contacted for comment. “So they are failing. And unfortunately the Bahamian people are being made to suffer – families are being made to suffer.

“You look at the economy. Again they made all these promises about the 10,000 jobs and all that, but it has not materialised. And the truth of the matter is the confidence the Bahamian people have in this government and our economy today is dismal, it’s very depressing. And so there’s no wonder that there is an increase in crime. People are suffering, and they’re having a hard time making ends meet, taking care of their families. As a result there’s a direct correlation.”

He added: “I think we’re out of control. Society is out of control, government is out of control, there’s no confidence that they are really serious about this crime fight. Things just seem to be happening and nobody knows where the off switch is. If we’re going to be serious about this we have to go at it hard and we have to go at it with certainty.”

While in opposition, the Progressive Liberal Party campaigned on a platform that the party had solutions to violence and crime, while the Ingraham administration did not.

Shortly before the 2012 general election, the PLP erected billboards in heavily trafficked areas which read that there were more than 490 murders during the last Ingraham administration.

However, since coming to office members of the PLP have taken a different tone, with Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell recently saying that the murder count should not be the yardstick to measure success in the crime fight.

Last month, he said crime was generally trending down.

The most recent murders happened when two men were killed just hours apart on Sunday.

One victim was shot dead in his mother’s yard, shortly after he pulled up to her home on East Street South with his fiancée at 11.30am.

Earlier that day, around 1.30am, another man was shot dead in the Minnie Street area. Police are also investigating the shooting death of a man who was killed in the Nassau Village area on Friday.

The frequency of murders has prompted many observers to urge the government to enforce the death penalty.

When asked his opinion about this, Mr Turnquest said he believes capital punishment is an “effective deterrent,” so long as it is “certain and if it is done with efficiency.”

He added: “When it comes to capital punishment, again this government is not serious. They talk a good game, but they’re not serious about it. What moves have they made to try to enforce the law? None. They keep giving excuses.”

Mr Turnquest also questioned the rationale behind the government’s plans to launch a parole system. Last week Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage announced the government had secured a $20m loan to fund crime-fighting programmes. One of these initiatives will be providing convicts with access to parole.

“Why do you need $20m to support a parole programme? How does that make sense? What is that for?” Mr Turnquest asked. “We talk about parole and bail and all these kind of things now. Is that really what’s important at this point? Or should we talk about sure and serious punishment with certainty? People should know if they commit a crime there’s going to be a consequence, the consequence is going to happen quick.”