RISING VIOLENCE: Murders up 67 percent for first half of 2021 but Dames says govt “on the right track”

PLP recorded 512 murders in four years compared to FNM’s 356

June 2021 bloodiest month of the year so far

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Murders for the first half of this year have increased 67 percent compared to the same period last year, according to Eyewitness News’ records.

A total of 34 murders were recorded between January 1 and June 30, 2020.

There were 57 murders up to June 30, 2021 — 51 on New Providence, three on Abaco, two on Grand Bahama and one on Eleuthera.

There were nine murders in January, 10 in February, nine in March, nine in April, six in May and 11 in June — the bloodiest month for the year thus far.

Last year, there were six murders in January, seven in February and five in March, reflecting month-on-month increases.

Murders are also up 21 percent over the 47 murders recorded up to June 30, 2019.

Last month, Minister of National Security Marvin Dames acknowledged the then doubling of murders and armed robberies period-over-period, but said crime overall was down eight percent.

Dames has acknowledged the restrictions of movement resulting from lockdowns and curfews implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 have impacted crime, but he has said that impact was not as significant as some have suggested.

The minister, who addressed the issue ahead of Cabinet on Tuesday, said the increase in murders is not isolated to The Bahamas, but a global phenomenon.

But Dames said progress is being made on a systematic problem that will not be fixed overnight.

“The police have done a tremendous job over the last four years in reducing the [amount] of firearms on our streets,” Dames told the media.

“And we look at the figures over the last four years compared to the previous four years, we have decreases in all of these majority categories and well over 50 percent.

“So, there has been a significant drop-off, but we are not there, as we can see.

“You still have these incidents that pop up from time to time that is a cause for concern.

“But it is not that I am surprised because [they] are here because of decades of neglect and it is not going to take four years to resolve the problem.

“We are on the right track.”

A look at murders in the first four years of the current administration compared with the former shows a 30 percent reduction in murders.

As the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) approached its fourth year in office under the last Christie administration, there were 512 murders, compared to the 356 murders under the Minnis administration.

Between May 7 and December 31, 2012, there were 70 murders.

In 2013, there were 119 murders.

In 2014, there were 123 murders.

In 2015, the year ended with 146 murders, the highest in The Bahamas’ recorded history.

As of June 14, 2016, there were 54 murders.

Between May 10, 2017, and December 31, 2017, there were 69 murders.

The Bahamas recorded 91 in 2018.

In 2019, there were 94 murders.

In 2020, there were 74 murders, the lowest in eight years.

As of June 10, 2021, there were 48 murders.