There is a wave of homicides that is sweeping the Caribbean and The Bahamas is caught up in the vortex of that, according to Superintendent of Prisons Dr. Elliston Rahming, who is also a well-respected criminologist.
“I think the fact that we’ve had 45 homicides so far for the year is troubling,” he said recently, just before the 46th homicide was reported in Eleuthera.
“It’s very worrisome. I think again though, we ought to keep all things in context. In 2000 there were 74 murders for the year. If we’ve got 45 now for the year in November, we’re unlikely to reach the mark of homicides that we had then. So we’ve been here before; this is not new territory for The Bahamas.”
Jamaica recently recorded its 1,380th murder for the year, he noted. That’s a murder for every 2,000 Jamaicans.
Trinidad recently recorded its 320th murder – that’s a murder for every 4,000 Trinidadians.
“And so our 45 murder count means that there is a murder for every 7,000 Bahamians,” Dr. Rahming indicated.
But he was clear not to diminish the significance of the present murder count.
“We wish there were absolutely none and that’s a goal we’ve got to work toward,” Dr. Rahming said.
Pointing to this “vortex” of crime sweeping the region, he said, “I think we have to see it in that light and understand it as opposed to trivializing it or politicizing it.”
It’s a point that Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson has made in the past.
In a recently published book on homicides in The Bahamas between 1991 and 2003, Mr. Farquharson noted that the crime of murder is one that citizens of all nations have historically viewed as one of the most serious offenses that exists.
“This criminal offense continues to gain public notice and awareness as it often dominates in media coverage,” he noted. “At times, public perception can be warped as a result of unsubstantiated rumors and anecdotes concerning the nature and incidence of this heinous felony.”
Commissioner Farquharson also noted that in The Bahamas, the citizenry remains concerned about this illegal act as victims and offenders come from all segments and walks of life.
“The Royal Bahamas Police Force is committed to providing clear-cut facts about this offense as well as other crimes and issues pertinent to the field of law enforcement to members of the public,” he assured.
The publication says the murders of Sir Harry Oakes, Dr. Meyer Rassin, Sister Clare Hass, Cabinet Minister Chuck Virgil and Nurse Joan Lunn are but a few of the many popular cases that have been enshrined as landmark historical events in the minds of many Bahamians.
“Due to extensive local media attention, many members of the public remain convinced and concerned [about] a constantly increasing murder rate regardless of any reductions in incidence or increase in clearance,” the book notes.
Between 1991 and 2003, the murder rate in The Bahamas was higher than the United States and about three times as much as Canada’s on a per capita basis, according to local police.
They also note that The Bahamas had a higher average clearance rate than the United States.
Most murder suspects were single, unemployed males between ages 16 and 24 with violent criminal records. Most murder victims were single, unemployed males between the same ages.
The police also note that seven out of 10 murder victims knew their assailants and most murder incidents stemmed from arguments.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
