The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie on Friday said he is “distressed” by the country’s crime problems, which he said now requires a more aggressive approach by the government and law enforcement.

Mr Christie also suggested that there could be an “impact on our own freedom to move about” as the government seeks to implement new crime fighting strategies.

He went on to pledge a greater commitment on the part of the government to dedicate all of the necessary resources to get a handle on the scourge of violent activity in The Bahamas.

Mr Christie spoke on the sidelines of the third annual National Data Protection Symposium at the Melia Hotel.

 This comes as the country on Wednesday night recorded two murders taking the homicide record for the year to a record 130.

“Let me say that I am really distressed generally about the deterioration and its impact on families,” Mr Christie said. “The lady who was killed, the teacher (who was) working at Queen’s College, her father and mother came out of the valley. Her father would have been around my house with me as a child.

"The families were very close. The mother comes from further down in the valley and so it has a particular impact on me personally. Really as a constant reminder that there is so much more that we obviously have to do to come to grips with this really emerging reality on our streets.

“But I just want to be able to say that every time someone is killed it diminishes us and I accept that. I am very concerned about this matter to the point where it now will cause me to even dedicate more time and a greater degree of scrutiny to the effort. 

"It sometimes (is) not easy given the demands to do the things I would like to do and it’s a frank admission that we have to rely heavily on being able to have the strategies that are going to be utilised or employed in this matter to fight crime.

“Understand and accept by that I mean that sometimes what you do will have an impact on our own freedom to move about and so it is strong as that that.  We are going to have to be much more aggressive in this battle.”

Mr Christie said he has been in discussions with State National Security Minister Keith Bell regarding major strategies being put forward and also plans to meet with the heads of the country’s armed forces over crime.

“With respect to the strategies to deal with this clearly we need to move to a new dimension (and) a higher level of involvement not just with the police force but of the community in this matter. There are a number of matters that I am discussing.

"I just had a meeting into last night with the junior minister Bell of national security where he submitted to me a significant strategy to be employed that we want to be able to give consideration to and have discussions with the security forces of the country,” Mr Christie said.