By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest said that the government’s decision to bring in a special task force from the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist local law enforcement with crime, proves the Progressive Liberal Party was not truthful about having the solution to crime in 2012.
Mr Turnquest told The Tribune that bringing in outside help is an “admission” that the government did not have a plan to combat crime and allowed three and half years to pass knowing what it was doing was “ineffective”.
However, he said, he is “glad” the government has recognised its “weakness” and plans to bring in some foreign expertise, but hopes the arrangement was made after consultation with Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade.
“I would hope these persons being brought in (are an) addition to what is available in the police force and not to interfere with what they are doing. The FNM believes in the police force and its capabilities and we believe they are very effective as long as they are allowed to do their jobs without interference,” Mr Turnquest said.
The East Grand Bahama MP also said he believes the government needs to fix the issue of bail for serious offences and other problems in the justice system before officials seek help from elsewhere.
“Bringing in the FBI will not help if we don’t deal with this bail issue. One of the first things the government did when they came in was reduce the mandatory minimum sentences for gun possession which was counter productive to what the police department and the prosecution was trying to do,” Mr Turnquest said.
“We need to look at the effectiveness of the ankle monitoring system and see if it is working and the laws surrounding it are having a positive effect. Let’s fix these things before we move forward.”
On Saturday, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage told The Tribune that the government has invited a special task force from the FBI to assist local law enforcement agencies in combating “the drug and gang culture.”
The willingness to embrace foreign advice on crime is a sharp turn away from the Progressive Liberal Party’s stance while in opposition.
In March 2012, the Ingraham administration brought in former New York Police Commissioner William Bratton to advise Bahamian police on effective ways of reducing crime.
The PLP called the visit a “media gimmick” and challenged the government to address crime “all the time and not just at election time.”
In a 2012 press release, the PLP said: “Bratton represents the FNM’s latest last minute, superficial attempt to persuade Bahamians that they care about crime.”
Meanwhile Dr Nottage said he, as well as Mr Greenslade, will give an update on the government’s new crime fighting strategies this week.
Earlier this month, Dr Nottage met with US officials at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, to discuss concerns surrounding the crime problem in The Bahamas.
Dr Nottage said he was made aware of a number of crime fighting strategies in those meetings that, if implemented in this country, could “significantly reduce the crime problem.”
Comments
TruePeople 8 years, 3 months ago
Boy what this place would be if we didn't have foreigners to always bail us out !!
From the Haitians cutting grass, to the Chinese commandeering our economy, to the consultants from the 'first-world'.....
Our destiny is very much guided by foreigners, many of our nations victories are won by foreigners, Hell our two main industries (tourism and banking) are both reliant of foreigners and now in a time of need, who we call? Foreigners!!!
sealice 8 years, 3 months ago
I hope all the FBI consultants got work permits - you know how fred does get bout dese tings.....
Sickened 8 years, 3 months ago
LOL. I can see it now... Christie brings in the FBI, Greenslade is told BY THE FBI that he now reports to them directly (but only until murders are down to ZERO), Mitchell comes back from one of his trips to find the FBI here without permits and immediately sends immigration to 'round 'dem up' and kick them out of the country.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
The age-old trick Bahamians always fall for - bring in some foreign people and the locals will be content that all will once again be well. It has worked every time, which is why the trick is being used again. Once Bahamians hear "FBI", they are to believe that ureka, we have found it.
asiseeit 8 years, 3 months ago
Not to worry, the FBI will get to close to one of the protected and they will be asked to leave directly.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
Well they would not be here to conduct law enforcement in any respect because they ofcourse have no jurisdiction to do so. They will just put on a seminar etc which will be flooded with cameras to calm the natives...
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 3 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
asiseeit 8 years, 3 months ago
This also proves that our government is a total failure. All our government is good at is corruption, wastage, mismanagement, and failing! #failure #Bahamasgovernmentsucks #thiscountryisindeepshit
BahamaPundit 8 years, 3 months ago
FNM. Sit small on this one. The PLP made a good decision for once that you should have made when you had the chance. Now, we need some feedback. Is the FBI nomenclature just a rubber stamp and hypothetical or will they come down here and get down and dirty. We require a detailed assessment of how the FBI will be implemented in The Bahamas: what powers will they have, will agents fly to The Bahamas etc. I will be royally p'd off if this is just another PLP smoke screen.
TruePeople 8 years, 3 months ago
Not sure if i agree with your reasoning.
It's like two kids, both of whom jumped off the roof into a pile of bricks and get kapunkle up.
One kid puts a band aid on one of his bruises .... according to you that kid made the "good decision for once" .... i would argue no, they both have made bad decisions, if bad decisions were not made there would be no need for the band aid. The use of a band aid does not turn bad decisions into good decisions.
BahamaPundit 8 years, 3 months ago
If you believe for one second any Bahamian has the intelligence, resources or capacity to solve the gang problem in The Bahamas, I have a bridge I want to sell you.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
Please remind us of how the US has done such a good job in solving gang violence in the inner cities of States all across that country?
Godson 8 years, 3 months ago
BahamaPundit, I do not believe that the citizenry of The Bahamas is intellectually so bankrupt for it to be insinuated that there is not one of us who do not have the intelligence, resources and capacity to solve/address our crime problem; I know that this is quite different from your trajectory of a "gang problem". But is shows your focus is on the wrong thing.
As to fighting the "gang problem in The Bahamas", that just it, "ganging together" is not the problem. We should encourage our youths to "gang". Social bonding is something that ought to be encouraged among the citizenry, especially youths.
Coming together in a 'pack' is what you want your young men and women to do. The issues lies in what activities those pack/gang are minded to do.
The corrosion lies in the fact that we, as a society, have inspired and left the youths with too few and negative alternatives as to what to do with their energies when they do come together in a pack/gang.
Godson 'Nicodemus' Johnson
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
You do understand the FBI has no jurisdiction to carry out law enforcement in The Bahamas, right? They are coming to talk and presumably share info, and will be paraded around in front of cameras at a grand press conference and then business will continue as usual in this country.
DisgustedBahamian 8 years, 3 months ago
This country is not about law. It's about who you know.... FBI is not going to work only for some people, but then that's the Bahamas FNM or PLP
BahamaPundit 8 years, 3 months ago
This is not the FNM I will vote for. I refuse to vote for a bunch of nitpickers. I demand results and a plan of action. Criticizing the PLP gets you zero votes in my book, because a two year old could point out their flaws. The PLP is the status quo, majority rule party. We all know they're terrible, but they represent the majority, black working class that overthrew the white masters. For this reason they are, by and large, allowed to be terrible, simply because they are a symbol of black positivism, if only that. The FNM, however, cannot be terrible; they are not allowed to be. If they do not bring results, they will be shut down like a salad bar at an obesity convention.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
Sicko ^^^
Sickened 8 years, 3 months ago
Good point BahamaPundit. This is the view of the majority of educated Bahamians. Again, not all but most believe this to be true... be they White or Black.
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 3 months ago
Didn't need the FBI to tell us they didn't have a strategy to address crime. Was pretty clear around murder number 50
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