Dear Editor,
The attorney general of The Bahamas, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, said recently that there are over 400 accused murderers on bail. This figure represents more than half of the murders committed in The Bahamas over the last 10 years and could be one of the major reasons for the escalation in serious criminal offenses that occur in our country.
Looking at the factual information above, the average citizen can easily deduce that something is wrong with our current system for prosecuting alleged murderers. We have an endemic problem and this type of incompetence seems to be supported by corruption at the highest levels.
The word on the street is that murder raps are easier to beat than armed robbery. Young men today are more fearful of getting caught for committing an armed robbery than they are of committing murder. For every 875 Bahamians, one accused murderer walks freely amongst us. This does not even take into account the murderers amongst us who have not been charged as yet.
The adverse spinoff effect of having accused murderers out on bail is beyond measure. Can you imagine the negative effect this has on our young men who see these thugs commit murder and then within one to two years these thugs are back on the streets? The abysmal failure of our criminal justice system continues to strengthen the resolve of criminally-minded persons who will as long as possible terrorize our communities. These criminals are revered for their illicit acts and young men know that if they perform an act equally as heinous they can also earn a reputation and be "rated" on the streets.
Gibson mentioned that the case files for accused murderers have been poorly kept and she said that this is one of the reasons why so much of these men are out on bail. I have been unable to fathom how a case file for an alleged murderer out on bail can be poorly managed given the fact that we are well on our way to a fifth murder record in six years in The Bahamas.
I hope Gibson sees the wisdom to further investigate this matter, as it seems criminal to me that an accused murderer is allowed to go out on bail because records were poorly kept given the present capabilities that computer programs provide. The protocol standards have not been exercised and as such those responsible need to be held accountable. The investigation of this intentional administrative failure needs to commence as soon as possible and the criminal case should be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court. This needs to be done in the public's best interest.
Gibson also reiterated that the re-introduction of the swift justice program will resolve this apparent "administrative malfunction" and will net positive results going forward.
I say to the attorney general that good and right-thinking Bahamians are supporting her in the government's efforts to bring this mammoth crime problem under control. Many of us want The Bahamas to be a safe haven again for all citizens and if Project Safe Bahamas, Urban Renewal 2.0 or the swift justice program can keep criminals where they belong and then perhaps act as a crime prevention tools, then we are behind you 110 percent.
Successive governments are to be blamed for our current state of affairs and the ball is now in Perry Christie and Gibson's court to deliver. One accused murderer out on bail is too much, but we now have over 400. These accused murderers pose a great risk to the general public because of their willingness to harm others and to themselves because of vigilantes who are constantly seeking street justice.
I say to you Mrs. Gibson, to let's see how fast we can bring these cases to trial and let the chips fall where they may. We will wait and see the results of swift justice and judge its effectiveness accordingly.
- Dehavilland Moss
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