2011 Crime Reduction Plan

As we enter 2011 let it bring to us and all of our families all peace, good health, and prosperity, if only in your mind. 2010 has been for all of us very trying and freighting as we continue watch as our country spirals down this path of destruction. It seems that we are helpless to do anything about it as we see scheme after scheme fail. Not one to live in the past as there is very little that can be done to change the past. Never the less it is to the past that we must look for lessons learnt to reduce our repetition of the same strategic and tactical errors. With this we must look positively to the future; as it is always what we make it, this is a conclusion that I came to many years ago. With that said I am confident that as the norm many challenges will come our way, so at minimum one should be mentally prepared to face these inevitable events.

One such event is the continued increase in crime and violence in our society, sorry if you were expecting to hear of reduction in criminality in the Bahamas. The present approach to crime management plays a pivotal role in this statement more than the affects that we see around us. For clarity I am not talking about the murders, robberies, assaults rapes etc. Rather the attempt to reduce crime by addressing the judiciary and police, as opposed to an all out attack of the social ills that cause crime. What appears to be missing or lacking from our society is an aggressive approach to reducing juvenile delinquency, which when left to fester evolves into the adult categorization we call crime. It is bewildering that Government Ministries such as Education, Social Services, Sports, Youth and Culture are not receiving more funding, aid and restructuring as a part of a national crime prevention program. The current philosophy of increased police and security presence, alarm systems, burglar bars, reduce cash on premises are all response to crime, not prevention. If one is to compare crime and social disobedience to a disease then the aforementioned ministries can be said to be the preventative and wellness programs; whereas the, surveillance systems, tracing anklets, law enforcement and the courts are likened to pills, emergency medicine, and surgery. For example in the last 10 years we have seen more shifts, reassignments, restructuring in the Police and Judiciary than in all 5 agencies combined. It is painfully obvious that problem is not the fruit which we are attempting to lock up and give harsher sentence to but the tree i.e. our social and cultural infrastructure. aa

What is wrong with the way the Police fight crime will be left for part 2 of this forecast, during this writing I am focusing on the causation factors as opposed to reactive measures.


Education

Has the education system failed regularly becomes a national debate when the results of the BGCSE and BJC are released. This argument has very far reaching ramifications that go beyond our nations ability to compete with the global market place and proving a qualified and deep pool of employable persons. It reflects our ability to communicated and relate to each other. Where there is a break down in communication there is confusion, which leads to frustration, anger, and violence. Rational and problem solving skills are greatly diminished because little Johnny cannot read. After several attempts to save money by purchasing and off market product only to find that the instructions are in every language but English, I have decided to stick with those products that have English as its’ primary form of communication. Of course the issue here is not the savings but the frustration in not being able to understand what was required. The low level of education speaks to the inability of persons to receive instructions but also there difficulty in understanding these directions. Out of unintended shame and embarrassment many times too many a violent responses is given.

‘Boys will be boys’ says the mother as her soon is arrested for the 3rd time for being in possession of marijuana. This is a truth that should not be laughed at but used to our advantage by creating more boys and girls only schools. It appears to me that many of young men and women are distracted and need assistance in prioritizing what is necessary for the various stages in their life. Studies have shown that there are noticeable changes in behavior and better academic performance when troubled young men are placed in a male only environment. Additionally we must realize, as if the need to bring in over 8,000 Chinese labors that not everyone is inclined to be a doctor, lawyer or scientist. We must find other alternatives such as masons, carpenters and mechanics that should be taught form junior high.

Social Services

What exactly is the role of social services in reducing crimes, how can they help? Well my experience with young men and women tells me that they are receiving another type of education besides the formal lesions in school. The ‘school of hard knocks’ regularly reminds these kids that they will not always have food to eat, uniform to wear or worse mommy or daddy to give them the love they need. It easy for those of us who have emotional, educational, and financial backing to sit on the side and critic, demand longer jail terms and hangs, but are we really addressing the problem. Lets be real Bahamas we all need love and the desire to be loved to make it through the day. With this ‘love’ to look forward to then really what is there to loose. Here I see the social worker as more than someone who hands out food stamps or is able to find shelter for the less fortunate but someone who can tap into that inner being and facilitate via church or some other civic group the help needed.


Sports

The social skill one learns from playing sports is terribly underrated and needs to be harnessed immediately. Team and individual sports besides fostering health lifestyles teach discipline, respect, patience, confidence, cooperation, to name a few; fundamental characteristics lacking in many of us today. I am convinced that organized sports programs are one of the most powerful weapons that we have to fighting and reducing crime. Be it tennis, swimming, golf, any of the martial arts discipline, tack and field; we are missing the learning and molding opportunities that these physical and mental disciplines offer. Let’s not get confused, the purpose here is not to create world champions but better Bahamians.

Youth

Forgive my ignorance but what exactly does this ministry do aside for organizing an annual youth march? If we sincerely believe in the statements that ‘children are the future’ and ‘children are the wealth of a nation’, then this division of government must receive more attention, planning, and investment. The primary focus of which must be in the young men, I am not chauvinist but I firmly believe that the man is the fundamental backbone to a healthy society. Where we have seen the decline in good male leadership we have seen a direct increase in moral decay and crime. No I did conduct a research or hire some consultant, I just live here. What amazes me is that already in place are groups such as the Boy’s Brigade, Boys Scouts that can cater to this training of our young men but they lack the funding. Boy’s need to be taught how to be men and lead, we can hope for it to happen with seriously placing effort into the process. Think about it who are the main perpetrators of social disorder and crimes, we all know the answer but yet we are not attempting to get to the source.

Culture

The identity crisis being experience in our country has in my opinion been a major catalyst to the social and moral decay we are currently experiencing. Frankly if you do not know who you are then nothing and no one really matters. What is worse is when an individual is left to discover what his / her purpose on their own is. This hit and miss approach to self discovery is extremely dangerous and wasteful; we must remember what we are loosing are lives not money of some other property. A strong cultural appreciation is key to fostering a strong national pride, where a greater sense of ownership is instilled. This approach to crime reduction makes the Bahamian more than a caretaker but a stakeholder. This taps into the survivalist nature that we all have when it comes to protecting our own. It brings to life again the chorus ‘this land is my land this land your land’ come to life again.


This may be seen as unusual way to start you crime reduction initiatives, but in my opinion it goes to root causes, with specific attempts to kill the seeds that grow into chaotic and freighting lives we are living know. For this refocusing to be successful it requires that all of the aforementioned areas be addressed. It cannot only be education, but we must approach the crime reduction effort from all angles. We are however placing too much focus and emphasis on the end result. When we see past and present governments spending millions on new court buildings, police cars and physical infrastructure, it becomes painfully clear in my opinion that we are playing a game of wait and see. What makes matters worst is boasting of high about a detection rate or as a matter of fact that most crimes are being committed by repeat offenders. We cannot be so excited about hanging offenders and in comparison placed so little effort in understanding and curving the desire to commit these crimes.