96 Killed In 2019 As Murder Count Increases By Five Percent

Fri, Jan 3rd 2020, 10:31 AM

THE country’s murder count in 2019 was pushed to 96, according to The Tribune’s records, a 5.5 percent increase over 2018’s 91 killings. While this count did not fall in line with National Security Minister Marvin Dames’ ambitious goal of seeing the year close out with less than 85 murders, it signalled the second consecutive year that such crimes were less than 100 since 2010. It is also a considerable decrease of 21 percent from 2017’s high of 122 murders. Although last year’s murders represent a minimal increase over 2018, officials have already attributed the change to police resources being stretched thin in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. In an interview with reporters early Wednesday morning, Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said he thought the Royal Bahamas Police Force did “exceptionally” well tackling murders despite having to adjust its policing plan to suit urgent circumstances. “You can always say the things that you would like to do and I think you have to be optimistic about these things but you have to appreciate and understand that only the good Lord can predict the future,” the commissioner said of the murder count on the sidelines of Wednesday’s New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade.

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