Senseless killings on the rise

Time to effectively reduce murder crimes

By: Alliyah Lewis

It is 11pm on a warm March night in the well known tourists destination, Nassau. The sounds of dance hall, reggae, rap and R&B play through the overworked speakers of a well known night club. The base of the music echoes through the quiet East St. as chatter and laughter tries to match the volume of the music. The scent of alcohol, cigarette and sweat pushed some persons to the outside of the club, where they continued their party. The effects of the night began to work on the people at the club; the alcohol and smoke started to kick in and tensions grew. Very loud conversations, turned into passionate disagreements and passionate disagreements, turned into a heated argument. Torry Mcphee, enjoying his night out from a hard day of work, was approached by a man for something unknown. An altercation occurred and Tony, deciding to walk away, was shot in the back of his neck. As Torrys friends all did their best to help them, the man who attacked him ran to his car, got in and drove away. Police announced Torry dead at the scene. To this day, no one has been charged with his murder. This is nothing strange. Nights like this one, happens every day or every other day, for the murder count for this year is over 100. From 2011, the murder count flew past 100. Now that the crime situation in The Bahamas has grown out of control, the government put measures into place to try and combat the issue. The ultimate measure they implemented is passing the anti-crime bill which they think will solve the growing murder rate.

The government has invested in planes, improved witness protection program and put more money into items that would upgrade their crime solving appliances. They had also, temporarily, implemented a mandatory 12-hour shift the all police had to work. The government has managed to reduce the murder rate from 2011 where the count is 127 to 2012 where the count is 103. But that reduction is not wide enough. With the difference being 24 persons, that leaves a lot of room for improvement. Also, during the 12-hour shift there were four murders reported through a three month span. Though these measures have been put into place, the results are not what it should be. The government have to realise that their problem solving techniques are not doing the job, and they have to come up with new, more effective ideas. Dont they see that the country is growing out of control? Dont they see that the once peaceful and serene Bahamas which people use as a get away from their stressful lives is becoming a dangerous place? Karen Hepburn, the aunt of a murder victim, said: Tell the Government get serious! I aint see them doing anything about the murders. The 56-year-old woman of Pigeon Plum St Pinewood said that the Government needs to start hanging. They only filling up the jail more. Those prisoners soon start sleeping on top of one another in them jail. The Government has to see that there are Bahamian people who have good, effective ideas that are worth looking into, if they would just listen. Khandi Gibson, the founder of Family Of All Murder Victims (FOAM), expresses that until the country gets rid of the Privy Council, the Bahamas will not change. Gibson, whos two brothers were killed a year apart from each other, said: Prosecutors in the AG office and the judiciary system need to get strong like the criminals defence attorney, and stop allowing the criminals to make bail. How much time must a person be given bail? Also, in a lot of crime ridden communities, the church needs to become more active. In some households where crime is passed down as a generational curse, it

can be broken by prayer. The church needs to step in and do their job. Because pastors in the community know who are the drug dealers, the robbers, the ones capable of killing; so they need to play their part and do something about it. Gibson said she formed FOAM for the children who do not qualify for survivors benefits from national insurance. She explained that she and other volunteers of FOAM reach out to families of murder victims by attending their funerals, making home visits and offer counselling. But their main aim is to provide for the children. We take the children to the movies, give them gifts for Christmas, provide them with lunch and assists with purchasing uniforms for them. This BTC worker said she has no savings left. She lives off her monthly pay check. Right now, FOAM is holding on to the grace of God, because we need sponsors and no one is helping us; not even the government. Though the Government has the power and many feel that only them can change the country; it is a team effort. Society has to play their part as well. Twenty-one year-old Brenice Dorsett of Bacardi Rd said: Its the people who can make a change. If the mindsets of the people dont change, the murder rate wont go down. Brenice, the cousin of a murder victim, explains that it does not make sense going to the police and the Government because they is human to. The people have to tell themselves, man I have to stop this thing. Gibson passionately concluded that the Government has to stop playing with criminals and show them we mean business. The government has to understand that another very important reason why they have to put effective measures in place to reduce to murder crime is the effect that each killing has on the family. The pain it puts them through, only they can truly explain it. Gibson said: After my brothers got killed, I went into isolation. I went to a shelter because I didnt want to see nor talk to anyone. I thought everyone was the enemy. At one point, I became suicidal. I drank bleach just to kill the pain.

This is just one persons story. There is a story for every person that was killed. Torry was a 25-year-old painter who loved his family very much and who wanted to start a family of his own one day. He is a son that the mother and father will never see again, a nephew that his aunt would not be able to give a big hug again, a cousin that will not be able to bond with his cousins again, a life that could have been saved.

Khandi Gibson, sister of murder victims

Brenice Dorsett, cousin of murder victim