With several murders occurring over the past week, Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis once again hit out at the government for its "empty rhetoric" on crime.

"Bahamians continue to hear a lot of words and rhetoric from this PLP government that proclaimed we should all be satisfied because they believed the murder rate would not set another dubious record after three straight record setting years," Minnis said in a statement yesterday.

"But that bizarre bravado has gone silent in recent weeks.

"The only consistency in this government's posture on crime is they don't offer any answers or solutions to address the crime epidemic.

"We can all agree that the Bahamian people deserve safety and security.

"There is no argument there.

"But when you control the government and you make promises to tackle crime, it is an epic failure of leadership when you fail to deliver on that commitment to the Bahamian people to keep them safe these past four and a half years."

The Bahamas' murder count for the year now stands at 94.

There have been five murders recorded within the past week.

Murders are down more than 30 percent this year, when compared to last year.

Around this time last year, The Bahamas marked 136 murders.

"The murder rate has hit record highs year after year, over triple digits in each of those years and we are about to hit that dubious distinction again," Minnis said.

"We sincerely hope that there is no further loss of lives and that The Bahamas does not set a new murder record this year.

"Let me make this clear, the PLP government has nothing to celebrate when the murder rate continues to rob so many families of their loved ones.

"We will not remain silent as sexual predators target women at an alarming rate and when foreign governments continue to issue travel and crime warnings about our country.

"People do not feel safe in their homes, or on the streets and it is adversely impacting business and our way of life.

"That is a failure of leadership and it falls at the feet of this government that spends more time telling us that we are wrong about the crime waves that are washing through our streets, rather than addressing the issue.

"... The people deserve safety and security. It's a basic necessity.

"It is time for the government to finally bring forth a real plan to address the high crime rate in our country and stop talking about the issue only when they think it will benefit them."

Despite continuous critiques of the government's tactics of addressing the ongoing crime issue, the FNM has yet to present its plans to address crime.

On the campaign trail ahead of the 2012 general election, the PLP, then in opposition, promised it had the answers to crime.

The party also took the FNM to task on its murder record, erecting billboards across New Providence that read: "Under the FNM government 490-plus murders".

At the time, PLP Deputy Leader Philip Brave Davis defended the decision and asked whether officials were about "hiding the truth"

Sloan Smith, Guardian Staff Reporter

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