Statement by Hon. Philip Brave Davis, Minister of Works and Urban Development

Friday, 28 June 2013 08:39

RE: Statement on my comments in respect to Crime

My statement to the press appears to have become a hot topic for discussion in the media and, despite the serious nature of my comments, some have decided to use them for scoring political goals of their own. Therefore I wish to completely clarify my comments so that there is no ambiguity or misrepresentations of the facts.

Make no mistake about it, we all agree that crime is the one national issue that has grabbed the full and focused attention of this administration.

Let there be no mistake: we are unwaveringly and completely committed to driving down its numbers, which rose to unprecedented levels in past years.

Yes, the former Minister for National Security, I believe, did his best. However, his paralysis in awakening the nation and his failure to engage all stakeholders in the fight against the then-menacing problem proved that to overcome this scourge requires a multifaceted approach with all hands on deck in the fight.

Since coming to office, we have rolled up our sleeves and have begun the work to reduce the numbers in many categories of crime and we stand resolute in our quest to deliver a crime free Bahamas for every Bahamian.

The record shows that our efforts are already reaping rewards as crime numbers are trending downwards and are moving in the right direction.

As early as April 2013, the Commissioner of Police reported an already 13 per cent reduction in crime numbers compared to January 1 to April 15 of the previous year. These facts, though inconvenient to many, cannot be ignored nor do they suggest that our work to restore absolute peace to our streets is done. There is much more work to be done, and, yes, we still have a ways to go.

Therefore, as citizens, today let us plant the seeds of commitment to peace and intolerance to lawlessness so that we may reap a peaceful and civil society for the benefit of us all.

And let us all remember the words of Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Perry Christie who told the nation back in 2009, that, “…As parents, as guardians, as brothers and sisters, let me say, as I have said before, that we must each of us be mindful of our personal responsibility to ‘reach one, teach one’; to guide and mentor those under our influence.”