It would be "absurd" for anyone to believe there will be a significant reduction in crime in the country overnight, but the government's short-term strategies have already begun to yield some results, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said yesterday.
Dames, who spoke with reporters at Police Headquarters, said his ministry and the relevant law enforcement agencies are dealing with the deep-rooted issues that lead to criminality, and as part of a multi-pronged approach, long-term measures will take time to produce the desired result - a reduction in crime.
Dames insisted there is a significant amount of work to be done before that happens.
"These are social issues; these are deep-rooted issues, issues that have been manifesting themselves over the years," he said.
"...We feel confident that with the strategies and the policies that we are proposing as a government that we expect to see a reduction in numbers as we move forward."
Speaking to some of the short-term strategies, Dames said, "We talk about the increased visibility, but also using the existing technologies that are currently at their (law enforcement's) disposal to direct them in their crime fighting initiatives.
"And, that is exactly what they are doing.
"But, recognize now that the issues that we see have not manifested overnight.
"These are, I said before, deep-rooted issues and we have to introduce measures in the short term, as well as the medium and long term."
Referring to the Free National Movement's (FNM) crime platform, Dames pointed out that legislation will be created for a National Intelligence Agency (NIA), which he called an important component in the fight against crime.
He maintained that the NIA launched by the Christie administration did not serve the purpose it was proposed to.
The former administration's now defunct NIA operated for five years without legislation to govern it.
In the interim - before legislation and strategies are introduced - visibility and presence, particularly on New Providence will be executed at a high level, according to the minister.
There has been a spate of murders since the weekend.
The murder count stands at 77, representing a 22 percent increase in murders.
There were 63 murders this time last year.
When asked about the overall trend of crime in The Bahamas, Dames said he could not provide those statistics offhand, but intends to present statistics to the public on the state of crime in the country in the near future.
He did not commit to a date, but insisted the government will be transparent with the public.
Additionally, Dames indicated that the ministry will review the way the police force records crime and collates statistics to ensure it is a true representation of crime in the country.
He said this will be part of a greater effort to implement performance-based goals in specific categories of crime.

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