NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe. (File photo)
By JADE RUSSELL
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
After two recent murders within 24 hours, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said his ministry is seeking to establish programnes to target youth at risk.
Early on Thursday, an 18-year-old youth was shot and killed at his home. The victim was at his home at around 12.25am when he was approached and shot by a man wearing a black ski mask, black jacket, blue jeans and black tennis shoes.
Later the same day, a man was fatally stabbed on Paradise Island in the area of the docking terminal. According to police “the deceased got into an argument with the suspect and was subsequently stabbed in his upper body.”
Mr Munroe said: “We are looking at programmes to address what we call youth at risk. Currently Lieutenant Commander Delvonne Duncombe on the Royal Bahamas Defence Force is looking at transition programmes to track young people. Moving from primary school to high school who may be off course. With a view to getting them into diversionary programmes to try to get them back on course. Then tracking them from junior high school up, seeing have we redirected them or are they still on the path they were on. And if they are then we will have to increase the intervention on that.”
He underscored these programmes would be used to intervene in efforts to assist to divert youths at risk from criminal behaviour.
The minister made the comments during the rededication of chapels at the Maximum & Medium Security facilities.
Mr Munroe said: “We talk about reintegration and rehabilitation here. That’s a concept that you have departed from the norms we expect of you. Stabbing people that’s not acceptable, shooting people that’s not acceptable.
“Once you are now caught you are brought here. We have to programme you now to be a responsible citizen. Because clearly in your upbringing to that point you didn’t get it. You didn’t get that you shouldn’t be stabbing people and you shouldn’t be shooting people. In the Vision2040 (the government's National Development Plan) it is pointed out that we have to move with socialising people properly.”
Comments
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
Too many of our youth, through a failure within family have created crises situations of lack of maturities in education, job skills, overall insecurity, hopelessness, no clear path to the future in housing, or basic dreams. Many cannot read, spell, do math or write so every moment of life is a threat of survival by any means possible. Organized criminal activity that monetized at least food, clothing, a car is being squeezed out but the displaced persons who sought security are left defenseless while still clinging onto violence that leads to death as the only way of life. My father's friend Joe the original owner of Premier Importers both deceased now told me, "I hire them. Pay them. They work a couple of weeks. Next I see them dead. They must be only make enough money to buy a gun. I could tell you," he went on. " I tell them pick up a piece of paper. They do but leave the other four pieces on the ground. They want a job, but don't want to work."
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
UofB psychologists need to collect data from in school children then compare it to the catastrophic young adults to develop a target pattern for early intervention.
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