The civic organization Bahamas Against Crime and the Bain Grants Town Advancement Association have launched a crime-fighting initiative called "Hands around Bain Grants Town".
According to Rev. C. B. Moss, who has for decades been on the frontline of community development, the objectives are to assemble residents to join hands along a prescribed route encircling Bain Grants Town in a symbolic gesture of protecting the community from crime and violence; to raise funds for community anti-crime efforts and provide anti-crime and violence education material for the public, especially the youth and fund youth programs. The funds will be raised through sponsorships, special donations and T-shirt sales.
Every group within all sectors of the community will be contacted and encouraged to support the project through promotions and participation, according to organizers. All relevant ministries of the government will be acquainted with the project and their input sought, a statement from the organizers said. Because of the importance of the spiritual component, the church will be invited to take a leading role, it added.
The project will be administered by a fully equipped and staffed office located at Yoruba House, Augusta Street. A large group of volunteers serving on many committees and sub-committees will implement the project, the statement said. The event will be held on Sunday, February 28 at 2 p.m. Participants will begin to assemble along the official route and at 3 p. m. the human link will be established by the joining of hands. A brief ceremony will be held at a central point which will be broadcast live on radio and TV, followed by the singing of the theme song, "Only Love Can Save Us Now". The event will conclude with a prayer.
The Hands Around Bain Grants Town event will be the high point of the Bain Grants Town Peace Month which will be observed during February. The month will involve a number of activities designed to focus residents, especially the youth, on the importance of love, peace, and unity in a collective effort in the fight to reduce crime in the community. These activities will include special religious activities; youth essay and art/poster competition and media programs.
To ensure that the expected gains from the project are sustained, an extended program called "Arresting Crime in Bain Grants Town" will operate for the entire year 2016, the organizers said. Programs will be implemented to address the major components of crime and violence, including a parental skills training program; job training and placement; a joint project with the Royal Bahamas Police Force and other law enforcement agencies; conflict resolution programs; academic and vocational scholarships; sporting activities and environmental projects.
"Crime in our nation must be arrested and the success of this ambitious community project will depend heavily upon the generosity of corporate Bahamas and the support of the citizenry of the Bahamas," the organizers said. Crisis in crime Underscoring the importance of the community initiative, the organizers noted that the year 2015 closed out with a violent crime spree, particularly homicides, which resulted in the total of 149, eclipsing the previous record of 127 set in 2011. The first few days of the year have continued the same level of crime. There were multiple shootings, which resulted in two murders.
"[Murder] along with other crimes places The Bahamas among the most violent nations in the world," organizers said, "much to the disgrace and shame of Bahamians who until recently were referred to as being a very peaceful people. This crisis in crime did not happen overnight, but indeed was building up over the past several years.
"Unfortunately, the warnings by Bahamas Against Crime and others that crime would wreck havoc upon our society was ignored. Over the years denial by those in authority, followed by blame placing and finger pointing, particularly by the political leaders, became the order of the day.
"Now that the reality of the crisis cannot be denied or deflected any longer, panic is beginning to set in. Everywhere, people are screaming for action, but little action is seen and few concrete plans are being put forward. Even members of Parliament are urging the people to stage a march on Parliament, confirming that they who are responsible to lead the nation out of the crisis do not know what to do. It is against this backdrop of increasing helplessness that two organizations decided to do something."
Organizers said that at the conclusion of the project, a report will be published for general information.
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