PM invites Christian Council to consider holding a National Day of Prayer
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis said yesterday that he is "greatly saddened and deeply shocked" by the recent spate of murders in the country, noting that in the coming weeks, his administration will unveil a 'Whole Government Response' to tackling gang crime.
Prime Minister Davis invited the Christian Council yesterday to consider holding a National Day of Prayer "to help bring healing and comfort."
"I feel the weight of every crime. I hear the cries of every tear shed. I hear the echoes of every plea for a safer nation. I am deeply moved, not just as your Prime Minister but as a Bahamian, a parent, a neighbor, and a friend. Safeguarding our nation's peace remains at the forefront of my mind. In this spirit, I invite the Christian Council to consider holding a National Day of Prayer to help bring healing and comfort," the Prime Minister said in a post on social media.
While delivering remarks at the Royal Bahamas Police Force's annual church service at New Destiny Cathedral, Prime Minister Davis lamented the fact that just seven days into the New Year, the country has already recorded eight murders.
"Yes, crime has been a long-standing issue in our country, but recently, the crime of murder, especially, has taken on a horrifyingly new level of brutality and barbarity. Something has indeed gone very, very wrong in our society," said Prime Minister Davis.
He thanked the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force for maintaining public order and safety and for enforcing the law.
He noted that the goal must not be to fill our prisons with criminals but to deter or prevent crimes from being committed in the first place.
"This is especially true in cases of murder. The primary goal must be to prevent loss of life rather than fill our prisons after those lives have been violently ended. We know that this is much more easily 'said' than 'done.'
"Prevention of any crime is a vexing issue, as there needs to be some indication that a crime is about to be committed before any intervention can be made. But if someone is being specifically targeted to be killed, if there is a conscious, deliberate, prepared effort, especially by someone acting alone, it is extremely difficult to intervene ahead of time," Davis stated.
He continued: "Our focus, therefore, must be to intervene early enough in the lives of young men - because it is almost always young men - we must intervene in their lives sufficiently early so that they do not form an intention to kill in the first place. As is true with the overwhelming majority of people in our country, we must put the idea of killing, outside their moral compass."
He noted that during the past two years, the government has significantly increased the police force's resources to aid in the crime fight.
"Additionally, in recent months, we have begun a strategic initiative to implement a 'Whole Government Response' to tackling Gang Crime. You will hear more about this in the coming weeks," Davis said.
"Our initiative also includes the government's commitment to bring offenders to justice swiftly, to demonstrate that convicted offenders will be punished and that committing a crime carries real consequences. Because we want offenders to be successfully reintegrated into communities after serving their sentence, we are also providing opportunities and pathways to rehabilitation," the Prime Minister stated.
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