The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Shanta Knowles said vehicle thefts have increased this year, with officers working aggressively to dismantle stolen car rings operating in New Providence.

“That is one of the biggest challenges, but I want to say thanks to my officers, because they are working furiously to crack these stolen vehicle rings that are in New Providence,” she said.

“As soon as we capture one ring, we notice that there is an increase in another area, and so our resources are being stretched all across New Providence so that we can prevent these vehicles from being stolen.”

In 2024, vehicle thefts sharply increased by 53 percent, with 392 stolen vehicles reported compared to 257 in 2023. In total, 104 vehicles were stolen during armed robberies, with 50 percent recovered. The majority of stolen vehicles were Nissan models, followed by Hondas and Toyotas.

Commissioner Knowles, appearing on ZNS’s The Rundown with Clint Watson on Monday night, also spoke about the country’s overall crime trends.

“So far this year, we are pleased with our numbers,” she said. “We don’t want to talk and celebrate too much because we know that we could be kind of superstitious at times and say we’re celebrating a little bit too quick and things will happen. But we are pleased with what we’re seeing.”

She estimated that most of the homicides last year and in previous years stemmed from retaliation and conflict resolution issues.

The Bahamas recorded 120 homicides last year, a nine percent increase from 110 in 2023. New Providence accounted for 105 homicides, Grand Bahama had 12, and the Family Islands had three.

The commissioner said police have a “very good” detection rate, saying last year’s homicide detection rate was roughly 68 percent.