Drop in crime shows progress under the PLP

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10: While there’s more work to be done, Bermudians should take comfort in knowing that crime dropped a record 10.7 per cent in the second quarter of 2012.

Last quarter amounts to the second lowest quarter for overall crime since 2007.

Gun crime also continues a downward trend. We are making progress. This drop in crime isn’t just by chance. Over the last several years, the PLP Government has been hard at work addressing the public safety issue.

Our plan has consisted of three main parts.

First, support the Police in their targeted enforcement policy.

Second, enact new legislation to give the Police new tools to do their job.

Third, demonstrate our commitment to engage the community and to mobilize the community to counter our gang problem.

While there’s certainly more work to do, we’ve made significant strides making this plan a reality. We passed tough new laws that crack down on gang membership, stepped up gang mediation and introduced tougher sentences for gang-related crimes. We passed laws that give our police more powers to investigate crimes and to disrupt anti-social behaviour affecting some of our neighbourhoods. We introduced new crime fighting technologies and provided the Police the necessary funding for specialist investigators and to exploit forensic examination of crime scenes. Trainers were also brought in to teach the latest crime fighting techniques to our police.

We continued our support for prevention programmes like MIRRORS and the Middle School Summits that help to put our young people in the right path. We introduced inmate rehabilitation and work programmes to ensure that released prisoners don’t return to a life of crime.

We’re working with the police to surely and steadily make Bermuda a safer place. But, government alone can’t solve all of our problems. It’s up to each and every one of us in the community to help identify troubled young people and intervene before it’s too late.

We’re standing strong for Bermudians by acting quickly to bring down crime. But, we all also need to stand strong together and all do our part to build a safer and more secure Bermuda.

Senator Jonathan Smith is the PLP parliamentary candidate for Constituency 28, Warwick West.