A plan drawn up in the 1970s to address the issues of roadside garages and never enacated remains as relevant today as ever, Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Thompson says . . .
Paul Thompson is the quintessential policeman. His career spanned the modern development of The Bahamas - from colonial times to the challenges of nationhood.
Born in a small farming village in Trinidad, he was recruited by the Royal Bahamas Police Force in 1951. He spent most of his time on the force in the Criminal Investigation Department, retiring in 1981 as an Assistant Commissioner.
He then began a second career as head of security for the Paradise Island Resort & Casino, returning to the police force as a civilian training officer in 1998, and in 2002 was appointed general manager of Wemco Security.
Five years later, he set up his own security company - Paul Thompson & Associates. Now in his 80s, he remains active in security work.
Government must be given credit for efforts over the years to improve the state of our environment in the interest of a clean and orderly society for both ourselves and our guests.
But this costly effort is being defeated by the presence of hundreds of derelict vehicles all over New Providence and on other islands.
Most of these vehicles are abandoned in residential areas where unregulated roadside garages operate. They are left on the sides of streets or in yards and are a health hazard. They provide shelter for pests, reduce property values and detract from the appearance of our neighbourhoods.
A look back may help to inform our present approaches to this issue.
From the early 1950s police officers reported the presence of any derelict vehicle in their station areas. This information was compiled and passed on to headquarters, from where it was sent monthly to the Public Works Department.
The report included a description of the vehicles, the name of the owner and the licence plate number. Owners were then ordered to move the vehicles to a disposal site and a sign was posted with a deadline for this. If the vehicle was not moved within the specified time, the Public Works Department would do the job and bill the owner. Those who failed to pay were taken to the civil court.
When Loftus Roker was Minister of Health and Environment in the 1970s, the proliferation of roadside garages became a contentious issue. Roker set up a committee of representatives from various ministries and the police to draw up a plan to address the problem.
As Assistant Commissioner of Police, I was on the committee. Our goal was to provide the government with a workable procedure to control the rapid spread of unregulated garages and abandoned vehicles in ‘Over-the-Hill’ neighbourhoods.
We produced a list of all roadside garages on the island, as well as the names of their owners/operators. Police officers provided us with information on the number of derelict vehicles surrounding those garages. And we discussed new zoning laws that would close them down.
The plan was to notify the owners that they would have to close or face prosecution. We also recommended that the government provide a suitable piece of Crown land for construction of a simple building to house the various mechanics under one roof in a non-residential area. The garage owners/operators would be fully consulted and encouraged to form a co-operative.
We discussed the approach with some of the owners, who were more than happy with the ideas put forward, and finally presented it to the minister. But soon afterwards, Roker was moved to another Ministry and we heard no more about the plan.
In 1998 the plan was brought to the attention of the public through the media. And in 2007, a letter with information about the plan was sent to Dr Hubert Minnis, then Minister of Health. The Tribune also published portions of the plan in 2007. But over all this time there has been no effort by any administration to implement these well-considered proposals to deal with what has now become an intractable issue.
Today, areas in Bain Town, Grants Town and Kemp Road have become vehicle dumps, which are often seen as good places to dispose of household garbage as well as to hide guns and drugs.
We hear very little about these common sights today, but the plan developed by the Roker committee remains relevant and workable.
A related vexing issue that has mushroomed over time is the illegal dumping of garbage around the island, which contributes to pollution of the water table, creates health hazards, impacts wildlife and is generally unsightly - as well as downright disgusting.
This problem has expanded because illegal dumping often attracts more dumping. It is something we, as taxpayers, should be concerned about because the costs to clean up illegal dump sites can be significant.
Perhaps not much can be done about casual dumpers who uncaringly dispose of their household garbage on vacant lots, unless they are caught in the act and prosecuted. But there are a number of private waste haulers who collect garbage from various places on New Providence. These haulers need to be properly regulated and the regulations actively enforced.
It goes without saying that the vehicles the haulers use should be covered to prevent spillage. I have also recommended in the past that a registry of these vehicles should be maintained by the Environment Ministry. Records at the landfill would disclose whether they visit the dump regularly. And if not, they should be suspected of dumping elsewhere. The penalties for illegal dumping should be high in order to discourage the practice.
Perhaps it is time for the implementation of an environmental court dedicated to the prosecution of crimes like these. Environmental protection has to become a rising priority for us all.
NEXT WEEK: the challenge of effective policing in the modern era
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