Dear Editor,
Nassau is dying, both literally as well as figuratively, and unless something is done immediately and without any hesitation, the entirety of The Bahamas will surely collapse and might not ever recover.
In its entire 50-year history as an “independent” nation (a topic for another conversation), the Commonwealth Of The Bahamas has never seen the level of violence and bloodshed as what is happening today. Murders are literally occurring every day; last year, 2023, saw a nauseating 110 people slain like dogs on the streets of Nassau, New Providence. We are now in 2024, and in just 14 days, 11 souls have already been stolen from us, including a 16-year-old girl and a grandmother in her fifties. Not even the youngest amongst us are spared from the carnage, as a toddler lies in the Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital in critical condition, having been shot, an all too innocent victim of the shooting that claimed the aforementioned grandmother.
With crime having run amok and the Bahamian public literally crying out for answers, all the nations have spoken their piece on how the scourge should be addressed and fought. A national prayer. Harsher punishments, with capital punishment in the form of hanging getting the most support. Saturation patrols. Some are even calling for the Cat O’ Nine Tails, a dreaded and reviled implement and relic from our darker days of slavery, colonialism, and piracy, to return. But, one thing that I feel can greatly help this fight against crime and even illegal immigration is the addition of helicopters.
Many nations around the world have added helicopters as an important tool for crime fighting and border protection, with America being the most prominent user of rotary-wing aircraft. It makes perfect sense! The RBPF consistently mentions “saturation patrols”; these patrols can be greatly boosted with helicopters providing a much-needed eye in the sky. How often have we heard of fatal drive-by shootings where the perpetrators, usually driving “a Japanese vehicle”, were able to escape? With a helicopter or several helicopters overhead, all searching for the vehicle once information such as its description and license plate number is given, the vehicle can be tracked, located, and caught much quicker. There would be no escape. The same tactic can be used to fight and prevent illegal immigration: track these sea vessels as soon as they leave Haiti, send out an alert, and intercept them in the ocean before they even arrive. Both the RBPF and RBDF need an air wing, a squadron of good, reliable helicopters piloted and crewed by highly trained men and women, to deal with these vexing problems. One can only hope that our Prime Minister and his government eventually wake up and see the light.
Written by: A Concerned Citizen.
