NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Free National Movement (FNM) deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright yesterday called for a holistic crime fighting plan as murders and gun violence continue escalate across the capital.
The St Barnabas MP said in a statement yesterday that “the senseless killings that have taken place in recent weeks, continue to reverberate throughout our nation, with many of our communities reeling as we continue to grapple with the onslaught of gun violence.”
“Another life has been lost in my constituency of St. Barnabas, which despite the hardships many have been through, is filled with peaceful law abiding citizens who are tired of so often living in fear. We are a nation in crisis and have been so for some time.”
Cartwright noted that crime, particularly on New Providence, is not an issue to be passed off from one political party to another.
“It can only be solved with the buy-in of all stakeholders, inclusive of religious, civic, political and community leaders,” he said.
“There is a systemic issue among our young men who too often resort to violence to solve their conflicts. We are duty-bound as both Government and Opposition to heed the call and forge our collective efforts with other stakeholders to enlist honest and frank strategic national security discussions about the various societal issues cultivating gun violence and other forms of crime,” said Cartwright.
He urged the Davis administration to take the lead in addressing the crime issue holistically, “as it possesses the constitutional tools to most quickly effect order in our country”.
“We continue to offer our support to the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and offer our prayers to the many families across our nation grieving the loss of their loved ones,” he said.
