The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEWLY appointed National Security Minister Wayne Munroe promised to build a multifaceted approach to the crime fight while pledging not to infringe on the independence of the commissioner of police.

Mr Munroe also said yesterday that he will discuss the need for a new coroner to be appointed so that inquests into police involved killing cases can resume.

Mr Munroe was among nine ministers appointed to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis Cabinet yesterday.

He assumes the role at a time when serious crime appears to be on the rise.

He said crime prevention should entail more than just policing communities.

“As the prime minister said, attitudes about police are important, attitudes around crime are important and simply the desire and commitment by the Bahamian people to be lawful and law abiding would go a long way to stemming the tide of crime,” Mr Munroe said.

“The police become involved after crime is committed in most cases so it is our responsibility to create a society where people do not feel it right and fit to kill one another, to take other people’s possessions, and so it will be a multifaceted approach. Law enforcement is at the end of it. Proper socialisation is at the beginning of it.”

As a lawyer, Mr Munroe took legal action on behalf of several assistant commissioners of police who were reassigned under the previous administration.

Some of those officers, including Clayton Fernander, Ken Strachan and Leamond Deleveaux, celebrated and greeted Mr Davis over the weekend when he arrived in New Providence after securing victory in the general election.

“Some in the Progressive Liberal Party, nonetheless, say the Minnis administration paved the way for police officers to be openly partisan in the upper ranks of the force when it diminished the roles of the officers.

Mr Munroe said those officers will return to work at police headquarters this week.

“It was likely a matter of the view of the previous minister because I’m understanding they will be back in police headquarters tomorrow if not the following day which has nothing to do with me but everything to do with exit of previous minister of national security, because as you can tell I was just sworn in today so that could tell you some of what was likely happening under the previous administration,” he said.

“I believe that the commissioner of police constitutionally is independent, he’s independent of politics.

“I certainly won’t be violating any constitutional independence that the commissioner has.”

As for inquests into police-involved killings, Mr Munroe endorsed the need for hearings to resume.

“A speedy system benefits not only the families who say something went wrong but officers whose careers may be languished and held up while these matters drag on and that will be a matter I will be discussing,” he said.