Overall crime in The Bahamas was down five percent between January 1, 2015 and June 16, 2015 when compared to the same period last year, according to police statistics.
The statistics show that most major categories were down during this period.
But murders were up 10 percent. There have been more murders since June 16, pushing the count to 73 for the year. This means that murders up to today’s date are up 18 percent compared to last year.
While government and law enforcement officials continue to insist that crime overall is down in The Bahamas, they recognize that the increasing murder count is cause for alarm. On its current pace, the murder count would exceed the 127 murders recorded in 2011, when the country set a record for the most murders ever recorded in a single year.
The statistics up to June 16 show that attempted murder was down 46 percent; there were no manslaughter reports (compared to two during the same period last year); armed robbery was down three percent; robbery was down 45 percent and attempted robbery was down 80 percent.
Those crimes all fall under “crimes against the person”, which overall was down 12 percent.
Forty rapes were reported during the period. Forty rapes were also reported during this period last year.
Attempted rapes increased by 75 percent — from four to seven cases.
Unlawful sexual intercourse increased by nine percent — from 69 to 75 cases.
Crimes against property were down four percent.
According to the statistics prepared by the Strategic Policy and Planning Branch of the police force, 91 burglaries were recorded between January 1, 2015 and June 16, 2015, a two percent decrease.
Housebreaking was down 25 percent. The number of cases during that period dropped from 845 last year to 637 this year.
Shopbreaking was down two percent — from 335 cases to 327.
Stealing dropped 14 percent — from 740 cases to 635.
Stealing from vehicles was up 11 percent — from 944 to 1,047.
And stolen vehicle crimes climbed 29 percent — from 348 to 450.
These are the first crime statistics to be revealed since the beginning of the year.
Last week, Minister of National Security Keith Bell claimed the government is winning the war on crime.
Despite a perception to the contrary in some quarters, Bell said the country is safer than it was in 2012 when the Christie administration took office.
“Yes, we are winning,” he said, “winning because we have a comprehensive plan to address crime and criminality. We have implemented programs to attack crime and its causes.”
Bell’s statement came in the Senate while he contributed to debate on the 2015/2016 budget.
A week earlier in the House of Assembly, the budget debate was aborted without Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage contributing to the debate.
Nottage was expected to provide a comprehensive overview of the government’s crime-fighting initiatives and reveal elements of its reported new plan to address the crime problem.
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