Murders down 53% over 2018
Authorities were following significant leads yesterday into three murders that occurred between Friday night and Saturday morning, according to officials.
Minister of National Security Marvin Dames told Eyewitness News Online he was advised police had arrested suspects in connection with two of those incidents.
“Our officers are on it and as I said, based on what I would have been told by the commissioner and his teams that these were all unfortunate, [but] isolated incidents,” the minister said.
“And as you are fully aware, they happened on Friday. The police made some adjustments based on those and now they are going after these individuals who would have been responsible because they have significant information.”
The killings took place in fewer than eight hours.
In the first incident, a man standing outside of a bar on Miami Street, off Cordeaux Avenue, around 11:00 p.m. Friday was approached by a group of men, one of whom, shot the victim before running away.
The motive for the shooting was unclear.
Shortly after 3:00 a.m., officers responding to reports of gunshots on Rosedale and Mackey Streets, found a man with gunshot wounds.
Police said the victim got into an altercation with two men when one of them withdrew a firearm and shot the victim.
Around 7:00 a.m., a man walking on Fritz Lane off East Street was killed in a drive-by shooting.
The occupants of a gray vehicle pulled alongside the man and shot him, police said.
The victim, who has not been formally identified, died on scene.
Speaking to the murders, Dames said police will not be able to prevent every killing, but law enforcement and the government recognizes that they “have to stop the carnage”.
He said in response to the shooting, police made some strategic adjustments.
“We’re focusing on cementing our strategy,” the minister said.
“And now that we have essentially begun the process of signing contracts in relation to a lot of the contracts that we expect to rollout shortly, this will further enhance our ability to ensure that Bahamians and those who visit or shores are safe.
He added, “This is the dynamic nature of this business and no one likes to hear of a murder no matter who it is.
“I feel confident that the strategy that is currently being employed is beginning to really cement itself.”
Murders down
The weekend incidents pushed the murder count to six for 2019.
Up to this point last year, there were 13 murders.
This represents a 53 per cent decrease in murders year-on-year.
There were three murders in January, representing a 75 per cent decrease compared to the 12 murders recorded in January 2018.
There were 91 murders last year, the lowest on record since there were 85 murders in 2009.
Last month, Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said the operations and training of all areas of the police force, supported by his anti-crime strategies and policing plan for 2018, “were deliberate and impacted the reduction in overall murders and other serious crimes”.
He said, “This year we plan to be more productive and more aggressive in the carriage of our policing mandate.
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