This latest admission by the Chairman of the New Day Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government regarding the government’s “war on crime” is very troubling to say the very least.

“Mitchell on crime: What more do you want govt. to do?” – The Tribune

Except from this article;

“AFTER Opposition members accused the government of lacking a sound plan to combat crime, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell questioned what more they expect the government to do.

He was responding to St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, who lamented the country’s murder rate.

His comment came just hours before police recorded another murder yesterday, the second for the week and the country’s 91st for the year.

“We should all be ashamed, Madame Speaker, that we have not in any meaningful and adequate way addressed the issue of crime in a fundamental way,” Mr. Cartwright told Parliamentarians yesterday.

He acknowledged that a multi-layered approach involving all stakeholders is essential in the fight against crime, but argued that the government is not leading efficiently in this effort.

Mr. Mitchell pushed back, insisting the government is taking the matter seriously and that it was wrong for Mr. Cartwright to push a narrative suggesting otherwise.

“The evidence is there on all the social programmes that have been put in place since 2021,” Mr. Mitchell, highlighting the Urban Renewal programme, the government’s school breakfast programme and other initiatives, emphasising that these are long-term efforts aimed at positively impacting youth.

“I don’t want the public to be left with the impression that we think this is a joke,” he said.”

It would appear that the New Day government is conceding defeat in their “war on crime” and it would be a joke if it were not such a serious matter because the people of The Bahamas that elected them to office on promises of defeating crime cannot….CANNOT… afford for the government to simply give up.

The truth is this that the New Day government seems to have been enacting the every same social programs in their fight against crime as far back as the Christie administration, it was not effective then, so I am at a total lost as to why they would believe that it would be effective today?

What is the definition for insanity again? 

But seriously, we the citizens simply cannot afford for the New Day government to claim “insanity” at this time.

The chairman of the New Day Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) speaks to stopping just short of imposing draconian measures to combat crime and while we do not need overtly harsh measures, we do need the government to impose more harsh strategies to fight crime, even if it means losing the next general election; this is called country over politics.

The odd thing here is this, that imposing the laws already on the books consistently and evenly would be considered ‘overtly harsh” today simply because the average citizen no longer appreciates nor respects the persons that enforce laws on our streets. 

The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) is partly the fault for this and there needs to be a consistent move toward our officers regaining the respect lost; while simultaneously imposing our laws on a consistent basis.

While I truly appreciate that maintaining law and order in a rapidly growing county as The Bahamas especially on the island of New Providence is a difficult task; we cannot no have a government; any government, even seeming to concede defeat.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END