By August 22 last year, there had been 28 murders; this year, there have been 35 already.
Commenting on the issue, Assistant Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson said: “It is a horrible thing to see that people have no concern of others or the way they feel until it comes to a point where they take away the life of others, and all we as police can do in the end is try to solve who did it and why.”
The rise in the murder rate is part of a long term trend. From 1999 to the present the Bahamas murder rate has risen and fallen each year.
The year 2000 is known as the year the most murders were recorded. In 1999 about 66 murders were recorded.
Eighty-three murders were recorded in 2000, 17 more than in 1999. It became so bad that on May 2nd the Bahamas recorded its second murder in nine hours.
In 2001 the murder rate declined by 61 per cent bringing much relief to many.
In 2002 the murder rate also declined by 40 per cent showing that the Bahamas is trying its best to reduce the murder rate.
On June 25, 2002, now Christian Council president the Rev William Thompson expressed his concern at the “new trend” by saying: “What is happening in our country now, especially with the last spat of murders, is a new trend for the Bahamas with this hacking to death of people.
“Usually Bahamians may shoot you, or they may stabbed you with a knife; or throw a rock at you, but we are not that kind of vicious people to dismember someone’s body like what is happening now.”
[Apparently, we are.]
By: DESTINEY ARMBRISTER, The Tribune
