The wide publicity one murder may experience in the local press far overshadows the fact that serious crimes are down significantly in 2004, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson who said yesterday the fear of crime remains unnecessarily high.
There were 37 murders so far for 2004, compared to the 50 murders reported last year and Mr. Ferguson hopes that the year will end with no more murders being reported.
ﾠ
With two more weeks to go, he knocked on his desk, indicating that heﾴs hopeful that more murders are not reported anytime soon.
Police officials have also reported that they solved 88 percent of reported crimes this year, which they view as a significant achievement.
Mr. Ferguson said crime solving is important in helping people feel safer in their communities.
ﾓI think we have been faced with just as heinous crimes as in former years, but what you would find so far this year is that overall there has been a decrease in major crimes in the country and I think thatﾴs because of what the police have been doing and other agencies have been doing in the community,ﾒ Mr. Ferguson said.
But he conceded that the fear of crime remains extremely high.
ﾓI think the fear of crime is higher, especially here in New Providence, than crime itself,ﾒ he told the Bahama Journal on Tuesday.
ﾓI think the media have a vital role to play in the overall building of this nation and in the fight against crime. I think the way crime is portrayed in the media has something to do with the fear of crime.ﾒ
Itﾴs why one local daily says it has eradicated murders from off the front page.
While police are pleased that serious crimes have dipped, they say there is still much work to be done to drive the numbers down even lower.
Mr. Ferguson indicated that one murder is one too many.
Continuing to attack serious crimes means continuing to fight illegal gun trafficking, he said.
ﾓGun trafficking is a significant problem and I think gun trafficking will remain a significant problem,ﾒ Mr. Ferguson told the Bahama Journal.
ﾓIn spite of that though we are always working to try to minimize the effects of that on the country. We live in a country that is very vulnerable to that kind of thing and we see that gun trafficking has taken on the same characteristics as drug trafficking ﾖ the cartels and the groups trading in firearms and we find that firearms that are brought in for imports are ending up on our streets. ﾓ
Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
