According to Supt Hulan Hanna, Royal Bahamas Police Force Press Liaison Officer, Bahamians actually aid criminals through their naivet� and the illusory belief that “crime will not happen to me.” He spoke to a gathering of group insurance policy administrators during Day Two of the annual customer appreciation exercise organized by the Group Department of Imperial Life Financial. Director of Group Policies, Linda Jarrett, believes that such events are important because they acknowledge the customer as the most important factor in the company’s equation of success by offering sound advice on a number of social issues.
“All persons are potential victims of crime,” said Supt Hanna. “I will not say ‘crime will happen’, but instead ‘crime can happen’. It is impossible to hide away from it. It has, in fact, dictated the lifestyles that people will live.” But instead of giving into the fear of crime, which Supt Hanna says is becoming endemic in our society, the public should take more preventative methods. “Make your buildings less attractive to a potential criminal,” he said, underscoring the issues of “time and expedience” that are crucial factors to a burglar when considering his potential target. According to Supt Hanna, a criminal will opt for a lesser heist with a smaller risk over grander loot that puts him in greater jeopardy.
Homeowners are also asked to understand this “developing criminal mind”. During the Christmas season, a criminal will also wish to give gifts and refurbish his house, said Supt Hanna, “it’s just that his economy is different from yours,” and he resorts to stealing to get what he wants. This behaviour, he said, increases the economic and social costs of crime in The Bahamas.
Supt Hanna is host of the radio programme, Policing Today, and also gives lectures to schools, church groups and homeowners’ associations on a number of poignant social issues, including crime prevention and domestic violence intervention training. Imperial Life Financial organizes this annual event for group policy administrators of its varied life, medical, vision, dental, long and short-term disability, and accidental death and dismemberment policies.
