(BAHAMAS CHRONICLE EDITOR’S NOTE: Given Prime Minister Philip E. Davis and his government’s intense commitment to the fight against crime, I absolutely had to share this excellent AS I SEE IT column by Tanya Smith-Cartwright with readers of my Washington, D.C. – based online publication, BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, which has a huge following among the Bahamian diaspora across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as well as in The Bahamas and the wide Caribbean. Tanya and I worked together when I was editor of The Nassau Guardian from 1998 to 2002.)
NASSAU, Bahamas, 19, 2024 –On my way home, about two weeks ago, I watched in amazement as about 20 police cars from behind a wall on West Bay Street – sirens blazing, lights flashing, horns honking, each vehicle accelerating greatly. A police saturation patrol was underway. The Bahamas is now a little safer.
On Tuesday of last week, the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas launched a partnership with the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The launching tool – “Assault on Crime”, a one-hour primetime special on the police’s efforts to curtail crime. This special was just one in a series of events between the new partners that will get the police’s message out there – Officers are serious about putting an end to the overbearing criminal element in this country.
Our primetime special included ACP Warren Johnson, Crime; ACP Zhivargo Dames, Technology; ACP Damian Robinson, Operational Support & ISD; ACP Anthony Rolle, Urban Renewal and ACP Chaswell Hanna, School Policing & Training. Chief Supt. Chrislyn Skippings was also there to talk about the impact on families and communities as a result of crime. All of these officers spoke to the criminal elements in our country and the proposed remedy to combat those elements.
Some weeks ago on a crime scene, Chief Supt. Chrislyn Skippings made an appeal to the public. She said the citizenry of The Bahamas should take an ‘All Hands on Deck’ approach to combating crime. I believe this is the only way and we must have that mindset to succeed in tackling it. We can’t continue to blame whichever government is in power. Crime is not a political problem, it is a Bahamian problem.
Sadly, though, a miniscule few who watched our crime primetime special decided to look at the “messenger” as opposed to listening to the “message”. They were caught up in what it could have been, what it should have looked like; driven by their own personal feelings of rejection. They were clouded and made negative statements with an attempt to overshadow the police’s plan and cause national dissension over a police special on crime that signified the start of a very important collaboration.
Producers of “Assault on Crime” (yes, I was the lead producer) were successful in getting the police’s message out, and launching our partnership with the same. We are the national broadcaster and this is what we do. I look for nothing but greatness from this NATIONAL partnership. So to the salty ones who tuned in just to take personal stabs at ZNS employees, sit back and keep watching as you do now. We need you to continue your obsession! We also encourage you to speak to us in person about your concerns, instead of hiding behind the “sheet” of social media.
Every citizen in this country should have tuned in to our primetime special to see what Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander and the Royal Bahamas Police Force have planned to make our country safer.
After all the complaint is that more needs to be done by police and government to curtail crime. So here we are with all hands on deck.
Under the new leadership of ZNS – Cabinet Minister Myles LaRoda, Chairman of the Board, Picewell Forbes and General Manager, Clint Watson – what was old is in the process of being new again. This partnership with the police is only the start of things. I encourage everyone, including the salty naysayers, to keep close with their national broadcaster. This is YOUR tool to receive information, education and entertainment. You haven’t seen anything yet.
There were many discussions during the primetime special, “Assault on Crime”, that would give Bahamians a better idea of what police officers are doing in terms of crime, technology, operational support; the input of Urban Renewal and School Policing. Discussions also led to the training of police officers and of course the sore subject of police brutality – no officer is above the law.
While we are out there bashing police officers on minor issues, we should sometimes remember that they are human beings too. They have families who care and worry about them as they risk their lives daily to keep us safe. Yes, there are bad apples in that organization; however, they are fewer in number when compared to those who come on the job to go above and beyond to keep our Bahamaland safe.
The public should also pay close attention to the quick turn around in capturing those on the police’s “Wanted List”. Our police force is working for us around the clock and as ACP Johnson and Chief Supt. Skippings said, the police WILL find you if you break the law and evade officers.
Let’s all partner with the police. If you see a crime being committed, report it. If you have critical information that can help the police to solve a crime, call an officer you trust or call Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) – Family Islands 1-242-300-8477 where you will be anonymous.
“All hands on deck” is the only way to win the “Assault on Crime”. Well, that’s how I see it, anyway.
