Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell touched a deep and raw nerve this week when he announced that police believe prolific offenders are responsible for a spike in the number of reported rapes.
In the catalogue of violent crimes, a special place has perhaps always been reserved for sexual assault, a violation widely feared by many above any other form of attack on the person.
Bell's announcement took the form of a warning - to women in particular - to be vigilant. He did not provide statistics, but told the press that more rapes are occurring, particularly in inner city areas.
The trouble is, according to the man who leads the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), no such increase in sexual assaults has taken place.
Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said he was "surprised" to hear of Bell's comments.
"I do not want to, as we say locally, throw anyone under the bus, except to say rape figures are all down," he said.
"They have been down for a very long time. They are still down over last year's and based on what I see, by the end of this year those figures are going to be down quite a bit over the figures of last year."
Like Bell, Greenslade did not provide any reports or statistics to back up his statement. Still, as the man who oversees the day-to-day operation of the RBPF, one would imagine the commissioner is in the best position to know.
Questions therefore arise: Where did Keith Bell get his information? How, if this information does not square with the understanding of the leadership of the police force, could he have deemed it sufficiently reliable to share with the public?
It is important to keep in mind that Bell did not say he personally understands there to be a spike in rapes, or that this was the considered opinion of the staff at his ministry. He specifically cited the RBPF as the source of the information.
Both the government and the police have repeatedly declared their belief in the importance of not just reducing crime, but also the fear of crime.
This mandate seems to have been on the mind of the commissioner, who spoke out, though obviously reluctant to offend anyone by his comments.
He said: "I do not know today that we have any issue which should cause wide public alarm. I am saying that in the most respectful way."
Considering the countless women in New Providence who may have suffered anxiety or sleepless nights - not to mention the victims of past rapes for whom Bell's comments no doubt sparked utter panic - we feel compelled to call on the minister to explain his claims.
Of course, he may well have been correct in his statements, and the commissioner somehow misinformed. In that case, the public should thank Bell for his vigilance and concern.
Either way, an explanation is, without question, necessary.

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