Turnquest: Tackling Crime, a Critical FNM Focus
Published: Tuesday June 12th, 2007
National Security & Immigration Minister Tommy Turnquest.
2007/2008 Budget Communication by Minister of National Security the Hon. Tommy Turnquest:
MINISTER TURNQUEST: Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate you on your elevation as Speaker of this honourable House. You are undoubtedly qualified for this important post, and I give you my assurances that we will do all that we can to assist you in upholding the high traditions and rules of this historic chamber.
INTRODUCTION
Mr. Speaker, it is with immense honour that I rise to make my contribution to this historic budget debate. While it is an honour and a privilege, I am also humbled by the confidence placed in me by the very fine people of the Mount Moriah Constituency.
On May 2nd, the constituents of Mount Moriah returned me to this place to once again serve as their representative. Together, we rejoice and I pledge to work tirelessly in their best interests. I am grateful to them for their support and I will work diligently for them over the next 5 years. I expressed my gratitude to them in a “Thank You” letter contained in this brochure, one of which was delivered to every household in Mount Moriah.
Mr. Speaker: The Mount Moriah Constituency Headquarters, currently being converted into a constituency office, is situated on Thompson Boulevard opposite Coca Cola. It has been there for the past 15 years, and I am pleased to state that, even over the last 5 years when the FNM was out of office, my constituency headquarters remained open.
It was the place where our annual Summer Camp was held, our computer and homework classes conducted, our Grill and Chill functions enjoyed, but most importantly, that place has served, and continues to serve as a haven for any resident of the Mount Moriah Constituency.
I am grateful for the kind services of Ms. Barbara Clarke and Mrs. Eloise Cooper who, over the past two years have volunteered their assistance by manning the Headquarters. I know that they are watching, and so I say, Ms. Clarke and Mrs. Cooper, thank you for your faithfulness. I can never truly repay you, but I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you.
Mr. Speaker: Ms Clarke has spearheaded my annual summer camp for many years. We are now registering students for summer 2007. Parents can register their children at the Headquarters or by calling us at 328-8680.
Mr. Speaker: I would like to publicly acknowledge and thank several persons who have worked with me, supported me, encouraged me and fought this battle for a better country side by side with me over the years.
I must thank Mr. Hugh O’Brien of Stapledon Gardens. Hugh was with me from 1985 – that totals 22 years. Mr. Speaker, Mr Hugh O’Brien worked with me, walked with me when I was a much younger man in my twenties. When I started out in my political career, he went door to door with me as I introduced myself to the residents of the Oakes Field Constituency. Hugh is still with me, and I am immensely grateful. His faith in me never waned.
Then, Mr. Speaker, there is Mr. Bennet Minnis, my ever faithful Chairman, who takes his responsibilities very seriously. If you are looking for a true Freedom Fighter and Bahamian patriot, one would not be able find a finer example. I am immensely grateful to him as well. Bennet has been like a big brother to me. He has been my greatest defender.
Mr. Speaker: I must also thank Mr. Roy Davis who has boundless energy and has been unfailing in my last two campaigns over the past ten years. The three of these men are the bedrock of Mount Moriah and are fine examples of ordinary, hardworking Bahamians on a mission to assist in improving the lot of our Bahamas.
Mr. Speaker: Sometimes there is an earthly friend who sticks closer to you than a brother, someone on whom you can completely and absolutely depend. I have found such a friend in Mr. Fred Williamson. Words are inadequate to express the depth of my gratitude to this great Bahamian.
Mr. Speaker, I must also take this opportunity to, once again convey my heartfelt thanks to what I consider to be the best political team in the entire Bahamas – Team Mount Moriah. This team is made up of a group of extraordinary Bahamians. They are hard-working and focused, decent, caring and patriotic. This amazing Team Mount Moriah is committed and faithful. They never lost their focus and they achieved their awesome goal of walking with me in my bid for re-election. And, Mr. Speaker, they did it all with a smile. Thank you Team Mount Moriah. I am forever grateful.
I would also like to thank all of the others throughout The Bahamas who gave me their support. I am grateful to all of you for your words of encouragement, but especially for your many prayers which you continue to send up on my behalf.
Mr. Speaker: I must thank my family, my wife, Shawn, my children, Carey, Robert and Erin, my parents, my sisters, and scores of other family members who all played a part. They have been constant and unwavering in their support and a welcomed oasis in often turbulent times.
And, of course, where would I be without the grace and favour of Almighty God? I am in awe when I think of the tremendous work that He has done in my life. To Him, I am eternally grateful.
Mr. Speaker: I would like to take another minute to acknowledge someone who is very special to me, Mr. Wendell Williams of West Dennis Court / Major Road in Yellow Elder Gardens. In 2002, after the elections results came in that night and it was obvious that the FNM had lost; this elderly gentleman sat in my house and wept quiet tears of sadness. He was heart-broken and perplexed.
I approached Mr. Williams and tried to console him. I tried to comfort him by using some of the same words that he used to encourage me throughout the years. I told him that God was still in control that now is the time to exercise our faith and trust, that we must be strong, that things happen for a reason and so on.
He looked at me and told me that he knew all that. I went to visit him on Election Day to say that all was going to be well, and that he need not come out to vote. He looked at me and told me that he knew all that. Despite, this he told me that he was going to make a special effort to go out to vote; and vote he did.
Mr. Williams told me that he knew that the FNM would win again, but what troubled him most was that he did not think that he would live another 5 years to see the FNM returned to government. Well, Mr. Speaker, on May 2nd, 2007 Mr. Williams was alive to see the FNM returned to power.
He is confined to bed most of the day and his infirmities are beginning to take their toll. But, Mr. Speaker, his heart is leaping, his soul is dancing and his prayers remain unending. I publicly thank this wonderful Bahamian, this fine Christian gentleman for his unwavering support.
Mr Speaker, as I thank the people of the Mount Moriah Constituency for their trust and support in electing me as their Representative to this honourable House, I am reminded of the words of Charles Bower, who said, “You can’t sink the other person’s end of the boat and still keep your end afloat”.
I wish to assure you, the good people of Mount Moriah, all of you, that we are all in the same boat, and that I am in your service in this Parliament, and that we will work together in our efforts to achieve the goals and objectives we set for Mount Moriah, and indeed for our Bahamas.
Mr Speaker: I wish to take this opportunity to reaffirm, in this honourable House, the pledges I made to the people of Mount Moriah, namely:
To assist residents further in their preparation and search for employment. Our job training sessions will continue.
To continue the summer and after school programmes and the Youth Cadet Training Programme.
To ensure that parks and green spaces are developed and properly maintained.
To work with the residents towards the elimination and prevention of crime.
To make certain that our streets and vacant properties remain clean
To ensure that deserving individuals will be given the opportunity to own well-constructed, affordable homes.
To continue to develop community outreach programmes to assist residents in need; and
To organize and mobilize the machinery necessary to make Mount Moriah better.
Mr. Speaker, the years of 2002 – 2007 were interesting years. A lot transpired in those years. First, we as FNMs had to muster the strength to live with the great defeat that we suffered at the polls.
Defeat is never easy to accept but, in an election there is a winner and a loser and one must be prepared to win or lose. After all, Mr. Speaker, it is the people’s right to choose. In those 5 years out of office, we did much thinking and engaged in tremendous soul-searching.
I went door to door talking to my constituents and realized that the years 2002 -20007 were hard for them and they admitted that they never really wanted to vote against us back then and waited for the opportunity to make it right. If you let it, defeat can make you bitter and angry. But there is another way: you can pray for grace and strength and to be open to the valuable lessons that only a defeat can teach.
So Mr. Speaker, the FNM has again taken the reigns of government and we must be faithful to the trust that the Bahamian people have reposed in us. Governing is serious business and this generation and those to come are relying on this government. We must work and act in the best interest of the people and their country. It is our job to responsibly improve the quality of life that they lead.
Mr. Speaker, we must be mindful to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. If we refuse to do this, it will be at our peril. When we claim to have improved the lives of Bahamians, when we claim to have produced avenues of employment for our people, when we claim to have improved our educational and health care facilities and services, our national security facilities and services, all must see it, not only us.
The citizens of this Bahamas should be able to point to it, touch it, feel it and benefit from it. When we claim that life is better, this must be felt and experienced by the Bahamian people. You see, Mr. Speaker, this is a brand new day in Bahamian politics.
Bahamian people will not be fooled. If you say it is so, and they can’t see that it is so, then will vote you out of office for telling an untruth, and for trying to fool them. The Bahamian electorate has independent critical thinkers who refuse to be duped. I thank God for this new, discerning electorate. They will keep us all accountable.
Mr. Speaker: at our Party’s Victory Celebration on 5 May 2007 the Prime Minister admonished us to move towards a government dedicated to serving all Bahamians. He emphasized that we must work together in:
- feeding the hungry;
- giving drink to the thirsty;
- clothing the naked;
- caring for the sick;
- including the excluded;
- inspiring our youth;
- honouring our elders;
- showing tolerance for others;
- healing and unifying this nation; and
- taking care of those who have been victimized, those who got a bad deal with those government houses, those who have been unfairly treated, those who have been wronged.
He concluded by saying that “we have the opportunity to participate in a great ritual of national renewal. The 2007/2008 Budget begins this process.
Mr. Speaker: It is my privilege to contribute to this important Budget Debate on matters concerning the Ministry of National Security and Immigration. I am appreciative of the confidence placed in me by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, in assigning to me portfolio responsibility for a Ministry so critical to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, peace and stability of our Bahamas.
I have assured the Prime Minister of my determination to give dedicated and committed service, to the very best of my ability. I now give that assurance, as well, to this honourable House, and to the Government and people of The Bahamas.
Mr Speaker: I am enthusiastic about the strong and stable political system we have in The Bahamas, and in particular, our tried and true democracy and democratic institutions. It is a fact that we have an electoral system that works, giving to the people of The Bahamas, as a matter of course, the right to choose in parliamentary elections, those that would govern them. At the same time, the people’s right to choose serves as a reminder to us, their elected Representatives, that they have a meaningful stake, and should always have a meaningful say, in the governance of their country.
On 2 May 2007, the people of The Bahamas determined that the Government they wanted for the next five years was that of the Free National Movement (FNM).
In its usual exemplary manner, our country continued its unblemished record of peaceful democratic elections. Our ninety percent voter turnout was, by any yardstick, an outstanding achievement which I daresay few countries, developed or developing, can emulate. Importantly, the participation of the overwhelming majority of eligible Bahamian voters in the elections ensured that the mandate to govern has the broad support of the electorate.
Mr Speaker: Let me also commend all political parties for strengthening the sense of national pride and safeguarding our democracy through the conduct of a virtually incident free political campaign. Let me also say to my colleagues on the other side of this honourable House that we must continue to promote dialogue and understanding among Bahamians, and find common ground, even when we disagree.
As they say, “If two people in business always agree, then one of them is unnecessary”. But I must say, post election 2007, that it feels good to be on a winning team, and even better to again be back in this honourable House.
Notwithstanding, Mr Speaker, I am troubled by the claims circulating in our Bahamas since the 2 May 2007 General Election that the FNM did something wrong, and that “Parliament appears to be for sale”. Regarding Parliament, the claim is not only ludicrous, but it dishonours this honourable House.
Regarding the claim that money heavily influenced the outcome of our elections, I do not recall hearing any such statements after the 2002 General Election. Then, the party opposite was “awash” with money, having received substantial contributions from Hirajachi and others. The party opposite ought not to forget, also, that they were themselves responsible for the 2 May 2007 General Election.
Mr Speaker: we lost in 2002, and the past five years were politically trying times, especially for me. But we endured, because in a democracy, you win some and you lose some. So, Mr Speaker, this is one of the few instances in which I will give advice to the members opposite. The advice is quite straightforward: get over it, and take your licks like a man, or a woman!
Mr Speaker: Whatever one’s political party, persuasion or viewpoint, we can all agree that the conduct of a successful national general election is a complex and daunting task. At the end of the day, voter preparation, conventions, huge and colourful rallies staged by the major political parties, church services, banquets, float parades and other events all come down to one “main event”: election day.
I wish to commend the Parliamentary Commissioner and his staff for the effective service they rendered to the people of The Bahamas in the conduct of elections 2007. We owe much to them for our continuing the tradition of free and fair elections in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Mr Speaker: The 2007/2008 budget laid before this Honourable House by the Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance reflects the goals and objectives of Mount Moriah, but importantly, it reflects those of the Free National Movement Government’s “Trust Agenda”. It incorporates a deliberately and carefully formulated policy outline and contains specific steps to implement the Agenda, and as well to meet our commitment to a “Balanced Budget” fiscal policy.
This budget is visionary, prudent and sensitive, and is underpinned by a firm commitment to provide good governance to the people of The Bahamas.
Mr Speaker: this budget was prepared and presented within a very tight timeframe, following on the national general election. Extraordinary circumstances, however, call for extraordinary responses. Such extraordinary responses are evident in the preparation of a comprehensive budget that sets out appropriations for core objectives in the Manifesto, and reflects our consultations with Bahamians.
Let me comment generally on a number of areas of important budgetary appropriations, before addressing issues directly related to my own Ministry.
EDUCATION
Mr. Speaker: the FNM Government considers human resources development an essential building block of national development. This viewpoint is reflected in the sizable increases allocated to education in the 2007/2008 Budget. The College of The Bahamas, in particular, will benefit from increased allocations on education. This is keeping with the Government’s stance that the aspirations of Bahamians for quality education ought to be supported, and high educational standards ought to be maintained.
The FNM Government has also kept its pledge to reduce the interest rate payments on student educational loans, which encumbered college and university students and their families. Action such as this contributes to equality of opportunity in tertiary education among Bahamians, which, Mr. Speaker, is as it ought to be.
SOCIAL WELFARE
Mr. Speaker: I want to add my voice to that of the Minister of Health emphasizing our Government’s commitment to ensuring that health facilities always have on hand adequate and essential drugs required for common recurring ailments. We are making this new and innovative approach possible through proper budgetary allocation; indeed it is an essential element of our “Trust Agenda” with the Bahamian people.
TOURISM
Mr. Speaker: Tourism continues to be the main engine driving socio- economic development in our country, and which is responsible, in large measure, for the high standard of living our people enjoy. But, Mr. Speaker, we live in turbulent times, when terrorism and other grave problems endanger safety and security, and raise significant concern for the safety of the international traveler. We all know that our capacity to promote The Bahamas as a safe tourism destination is critical to maintaining our status as one of the premier destinations of choice in our region.
My Ministry is fully committed to working together with the Ministry of Tourism to put in place an effective framework for public safety, particularly at sea and airports. This is an exercise in which all relevant agencies of my Ministry will be involved.
Safety and security issues have also come up from time to time at the Lynden Pindling International Airport. My Ministry is committed to working in partnership with all stakeholders, to ensure that this principal gateway to The Bahamas not only meets international standards, but that the facility provides a safe environment for international travelers.
Mr. Speaker, here are other allocations in the budget which I would like to highlight:
$3 million to the Department of Social Services to address poverty alleviation
$2 million to the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Community Affairs to provide subsidies to the Scholarship Loan Scheme; and
$1.5 million for summer employment and $700,000 for the Summer Youth Programme.
Mr. Speaker: my final comment before I take up matters pertaining to my own Ministry concerns the decision of the Minister of Finance not to include Supplementary Appropriation Bills along with the budget, as was done in the past, but to deal with them separately. I commend the Minister of Finance on this decision.
MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
Mr. Speaker: let me now take up my primary mission today, which is to address the 2007-2008 Budget, and specifically the policy choices and programmes that will be implemented by the Ministry of National Security and Immigration in the coming year.
These policies and programmes take as their starting point two key considerations: the first is the objectives in Manifesto 2007: to guard and protect our national sovereignty, to ensure domestic security and tranquility and to improve public security. The second is the justifiable concerns Bahamians have in all these areas, particularly the high incidence of crime in our society.
Mr. Speaker: within the portfolio of my Ministry are the agencies having within their mandates the maintenance of law and order, border protection, including combating smuggling of all kinds through our archipelago, protection of our marine resources and the critical electoral function. As you know, these agencies are: the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Department of Immigration, Her Majesty’s Prison and the Parliamentary Registration Department.
As appropriate, the agencies comprising my Ministry will work in concert or on their own to address critical matters within the portfolio. This honourable House can expect to be appraised, throughout 2007-2008, of the provision of equipment and technology, education and training aimed at upgrading skills and competence, and innovative programmes to address an array of national security and immigration challenges facing our country.
Mr. Speaker: recognizing the urgent need to address the issues in the portfolio of the Ministry of National Security and Immigration, and taking decisive steps to address grave public concern over many of these issues, the FNM Government has given high priority to my Ministry in the 2007-2008 Budget.
The Ministry has been allocated, in the aggregate, $205,638,867.00 on the recurrent side, an increase of $16,110,210.00 over the 2006-2007 Budget. On the capital side, the aggregate amount allocated is $27,587,500.00, an increase of $8,220,500 over 2006-2007.
Mr. Speaker: Head 29 provides to the Ministry of National Security, outside of the agencies, an aggregate amount of $2,145,506.00 on the recurrent side. Of this amount, the allocation for personal emoluments is $1,239,310.00, an increase of $594,018.00 over the 2006-2007 budget. The amount allocated to general expenditure is $1,444,660.00, an increase of $700,846.00. The 2007-2008 amounts allocated on the recurrent side and on the capital side are:
[See Chart Below]
Mr. Speaker: As you would no doubt be aware the good people who reside in, and visit The Bahamas have indicated that the high incidence of crime and the fear of crime are fundamental concerns. If it concerns residents and visitors alike, it concerns this FNM Government.
I intend, Mr. Speaker, to make these issues a focal point of my endeavours as Minister of National Security and Immigration. What I am aiming for, Mr. Speaker, is a paradigm shift that would reduce significantly the fear of crime by law-abiding citizens and visitors and correspondingly, that would increase the fear in criminals of the consequences of their crimes.
ANTI-DRUG SECRETARIAT
Mr. Speaker: the decades old problem of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs into and through The Bahamas is a consistent, critical and challenging one for our country. Our archipelago is flung widely over nearly 100,000 square nautical miles of ocean.
Our limited resources, both human and financial, in turn limit what our small country can do to patrol such a vast area. We are strategically located as we are between source and supply centres of illicit narcotic drugs in Central and South America and the Caribbean and enormous demand markets in North America and Europe, we are a natural, though very unwitting, conduit for drugs moving from south to North.
It is practically taken for granted, in the circumstances, that the illicit drug trafficking problem will always plague us. We need only look at newspaper reports of fields of marijuana in our family islands, of drug seizures, including from vessels engaged in migrant smuggling, and consider the availability of drugs in our country, to know that this presupposition may not be far from the truth.
We are not, Mr. Speaker, alone in the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. It is a worldwide scourge, a trans-national problem. Trans-national problems can only be tackled through trans-national cooperation. The Bahamas and the United States, for example, have cooperated in fighting the drug menace for decades. There have been challenges along the way, but beyond doubt, Bahamas-United States cooperation has been exemplary. Outstanding examples are Operation Bahamas, America and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), and our effective Counter Narcotics Joint Task Force.
At the end of the day, however, combating the deleterious and dangerous impact of drug trafficking and drug abuse and related criminality, including dangerous and violent crime, begins at the national level. The United Nations, the Organization of American States and other important international and non-governmental organizations having drug control within their mandates, have for decades strongly advocated the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive drug control plans.
Whether referred to as a “National Master Plan” or “National Anti-Drug Plan”, the underlying principal of an anti-drug strategy is the Co-ordination, collaboration and horizontal management of all national drug control initiatives to ensure a balanced approach between supply, demand and trafficking. The strategy is, therefore, multifaceted, multidisciplinary and multi-agency, including agencies of Government and non-governmental and private voluntary organisations, all acting in an integrated manner.
Mr Speaker: The Bahamas has had a National Anti-Drug Plan since 2004, a beautifully bound and colourful publication. Technically speaking, The Bahamas even has a National Anti-Drug Secretariat. And also technically speaking, that Secretariat has quarters in Church House on East Street Hill. Again, technically speaking, the National Anti-Drug Secretariat also has staff.
Now, Mr Speaker, I am going to share with you and with this honourable House two anecdotal things said about National Anti-Drug Plans. The first, Mr Speaker, is that an National Anti-Drug Plan that is a secret will surely die. The second? Lets see, Mr Speaker, if this honourable House can get this: “Ready, FIRE, and then, AIM: A National Anti-Drug Plan that is not immediately implemented.
Mr Speaker: The scourge of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in The Bahamas and its deleterious impact on our people is grave a matter, and no doubt the National Anti-Drug Plan is key to addressing this grave problem in a in a coherent way. It is the intention of the FNM Government to review the National Anti-Drug Plan, so that we can make whatever adjustments are necessary, with a view to ensuring that the Plan can be implemented in the shortest possible time.
We need an actively functioning Anti-Drug Secretariat, Mr Speaker. An actively functioning National Anti-Drug Secretariat could never be a well kept secret. And we certainly should not fire before we aim!
It is our intention to provide appropriate staff to the Anti-Drug Secretariat, so that it can begin the critical work involved in coordinating The Bahamas anti-drug efforts in a comprehensive and integrated way. Resources from the $ $1,444,660.00 allocated to general expenditure within the Ministry of National Security’s (Head 29) in the 2007-2008 budget will be used for this purpose.
ROYAL BAHAMAS POLICE FORCE (RBPF)
Mr. Speaker: The existing Police Act, Chapter 205, Part II section 4 states that “the RBPF shall be employed in and throughout The Bahamas for the maintenance of law and order, preservation of peace, the prevention and detection of crime, the apprehension of offenders and the enforcement of all laws with which it is charged”.
This makes the RBPF central to the public safety initiatives of my Ministry. Budgetary allocations have been made for the RBPF in line with the significant responsibility it continues to have for law and order, and the short, medium and long-term strategies it must adopt for this purpose. The RBPF can also expect to have essential equipment, technology and training made available, and the introduction other policing programmes, including those that would address entrenched social problems.
NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMUNITY POLICING INITIATIVE
Mr. Speaker: the concept of a partnership between police and community in The Bahamas is longstanding, and stems from the concept that policing is an extension of the community. Consequently, police stations have, over the years, been established in various districts to better and more efficiently respond to community needs, with the primary focus being on the maintenance of law and order.
Under the previous FNM Government, the CDR Group out of the United Kingdom conducted a review of the RBPF. One hundred and twenty-nine (129) of the Group’s recommendations were accepted. One aspect of the report addresses the devolution of responsibility of the police High Command to commanders in the various areas of New Providence and elsewhere in the country.
The concept of “intelligence led policing” was introduced. This concept held that if commanders and their teams were to develop good relations with communities in their designated areas, information would be passed them. The collation and analysis of this information would assist in the prevention and detection of crime. The concept, Mr. Speaker, may have presented a sound policing strategy, even today, but its implementation required more than that. It required capacity building, cultural adjustment and human and financial resources.
With the introduction of the Urban Renewal Scheme, the role police officers assumed did not provide sufficient scope for the concept of “intelligence led policing” to be implemented as anticipated.
Mr. Speaker: if we review the record of detected crime for 2005 and 2006, we will see that the change in New Providence is not appreciable. Crime rates remain high in our major population centre, and ours is a relatively small centre by international standards. It will be noted that crimes against property, such as housebreaking, shop breaking, and vehicle theft, continue to rise. Crimes against persons remain at unacceptable levels.
[See Chart Below]
Mr. Speaker: the RBPF will launch tomorrow its new Neighbourhood Community Policing Initiative. It is an initiative that is being given new direction on our watch. The strategy introduced by the Commissioner of Police incorporates some the pre-existing initiatives, and is based on a four-pronged approach: intelligence gathering, prevention, crime fighting and community cohesion. The key factors in the new programme are:
- A more structured approach to Community Policing;
- Greater Community Involvement;
- Better management of resources; and
- Mechanisms to monitor service performance.
Divisional commanders in New Providence and Grand Bahama have divided their divisions into zones based on demographic and socio-economic variables. A total of 33 zones for New Providence have been identified. An Inspector will be in charge of the zones in his/her Division, and will have a ‘Community Beat Team’ (CBT)’ to support him. Each zone will be policed by the CBT lead by a sergeant with a team of six Regular Police and a team of Police Reserves. This will amount to a complement of 264 officers for the programme in New Providence.
In addition to foot patrols the officers will also conduct vehicular and bicycle patrols. A fleet of 68 cars, and 68 bicycles will be required. In the Family Islands, each island will be considered a zone, and function with their existing manpower capacity. Some additional vehicles may be required for islands such as Grand Bahama where it is proposed to provide an additional 12 vehicles.
To encourage greater community involvement, each zone will establish Select Committees such as businesses, church, youth, sports, etc. The types and structure of the committees would be determined by the needs of the community in that zone. Additionally, the zones will have its own Consultative Committee thus creating greater community participation at the consultative level.
Divisional commanders will be required to provide audits and periodic reviews of manpower and deployment to ensure that resources are being properly managed in the programme. This will also be viewed in relation to performance mechanisms, such as feed back from the committees and the general public of the quality of service provided. This will enable the service providers to determine where resources are most needed, what services are need, the quality of service, and what adjustments and training is needed to improve on the quality of service.
Mr. Speaker: of the $117, 466,594.00 on the recurrent side and $11, 226, 000.00 on the capital side allocated to the RBPF under Head/Item 31, $2,000,000.00 have been allocated for the expansion of the force by an additional 200 officers. This represents an increase of $1,353,600.00 over 2006-2007.
An important objective of this expanded force would be to provide an obvious and continuous police presence, on foot and in mobile patrols, throughout The Bahamas. We believe that this enhanced presence should have a decisive impact on crime, as it puts police officers in a position to quickly deal with threats to the peace in our neighbourhoods and streets.
Mr. Speaker: we aim to enhance the capacity of the RBPF to detect serious crime and to bring those responsible to justice. This objective is taken into account in our “Modernization Plan”. Under this plan, $3, 000,000.00 is to be spent on the purchase of new vehicles. These vehicles are urgently required to make the RBPF a more highly mobile, flexible force.
The new police cruisers contain mobile data terminals (MDT). This is highly expensive equipment, but a good investment, in that it enables Police Control to communicate directly with a mobile unit. A critical aspect of the MDT is that it allows for rapid response – law enforcement measures such as “name checks” can be carried out immediately.
The MDT also goes a long way towards meeting the concerns of senior management in the RBPF for a secure radio network. Such a network would prevent unscrupulous individuals from compromising police operations and the safety of officers. A final word on the MDT: since the Control Unit is constantly in touch with the mobile unit, it allows for greater control of assets and a higher level of accountability.
Mr. Speaker: there is another significant asset the RBPF has acquired to combat crime and criminality, and which will be further upgraded/improved using resources allocated in the current Budget. It is the AS400 Computer System, an automated system that forecasts future manpower and resources needs, permits quick retrieval of vital information for officers in the field, is a comprehensive database on criminals, determines crime trends and improves communication amongst the various units of the RBPF.
The $3,100,000 that has been allocated for the integrated communication system, computers and related equipment represents an increase of $400,000 over last year’s budget.
The Police Information Technology Unit is seeking to provide computer training for all members of the RBPF, to ensure that this technology is available to a wide range of officers. An allocation of $400,000.00 has also been made for local and international training of officers and other personal, an increase of $85,000.00 over 2006-2007.
Mr. Speaker: there are a number of essential services of the RBPF for which funds have been allocated in the 2007-2008 Budget. Let me first speak to the acquisition of fire prevention and protection equipment. We aim, in allocating $1,000,000.00 for this purpose, to reduce the tragic deaths due to fire in The Bahamas.
An amount of $951,400.00 has also been earmarked for the development of a state-of-the-art national forensic science DNA laboratory, and for upgrading services in ballistics and other areas of forensic work. An additional $500,000.00 has been earmarked for a finger print automated ID system for the Forensic Laboratory.
Mr. Speaker: we expect to commence expeditiously with plans for the construction and upgrade of police stations and living quarters in the family islands, and in particular, in Abaco, Exuma, Eleuthera, and Bimini. The design of these stations would be like that of the Cable Beach police station, and they would house the administration, detective unit, traffic and other divisions.
We expect that new stations and upgraded accommodation will go a long way towards boosting the morale of officers and would improve the efficiency of police services in the Family Islands concerned. It is also expected that an extension will be made to the Police Headquarters in East Street, to accommodate the re-structured Policy Team and the Forensic Laboratory. The amount allocated for these initiatives is $1,448,600.00.
TRANSPORTATION
Mr. Speaker: The RBPF intends to establish an office of fleet management, and to implement a new police transport policy, and to adopt and adhere to a sustained maintenance protocol so as to ensure the maximum longevity of RBPF vehicles. I believe this to be a prudent decision and project, given the vast amounts of the people’s resources that have been provided for the transportation fleet. I will be following these developments closely.
ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE
Mr. Speaker: this country has entrusted to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force the protection of its sea borders from international criminals that would undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity and compromise the national security of The Bahamas. We have asked the RBDF to guard us against phenomena such as illegal migrant, drug and arms smuggling, against human trafficking and of the pouching of our marine resources in territorial waters which span some one hundred thousand square nautical miles.
We have asked the RBDF to do more. We have asked them to perform humanitarian tasks, including maritime search and rescue and disaster relief, and on occasion, we have asked them to join regional and international peace-keeping operations.
However, this Force, of which we are asking so much, has but limited surveillance and detection capability, lacking in particular, aircraft surveillance capability; it has manpower constraints; it has the capacity to conduct only limited patrols; the high cost of fuel often hampers its capacity to conduct continuous patrols; and it has acute training needs.
Mr. Speaker: the RBDF requires the tools to do what we ask them to do, and that is what this FNM Government seeks to do in this 2007-2008 Budget. The highest priority in this Budget is given to security and law enforcement. The RBDF benefits from these allocations.
It has been allocated a budget of $45,390,256, and increase of $4,703,002 in the recurrent budget, as well as $12,941,500 in the capital development budget, and increase of $5,401,500.00. Much of this budget, Mr. Speaker, is earmarked for the purchase of new equipment, vessels and additional manpower.
Mr. Speaker, We are firmly committed to the strategic acquisition of sea-going and air assets to enable the Defence Force to effectively discharge its mandate. In the current budget, 2006-2007, we have already committed funds to acquire 2 40ft Dauntless craft and 2 27ft fast boats.
$6.9 million is included in the 2007-2008 capital estimates for the acquisition, refitting and dry-docking of patrol craft, an increase of over $4.9 million over last year’s estimates. Most of these funds will be used to acquire (2) 40ft boats, (2) 60ft short range patrol boats and a Zodiac hurricane inflatable boat.
Along with the (4) 40ft boats being donated by the United States Government, the first to be delivered in four months and the second a few months later, the Defence Force would be able to significantly upgrade its sea patrol capacity and enhance the Force’s maritime law enforcement capabilities.
And, the Force’s monitoring and surveillance capabilities from the air will be substantially improved by the purchase of two (2) aircraft, an AP – 68 observer aircraft and an amphibious 208 caravan. $2.16 million has been allocated in this budget to facilitate this critical acquisition.
So, Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage the senior officer who begged for the tools to do the job, that fairly soon, the Defence Force will have an additional 12 new sea patrol craft and 2 suitable-equipped aircraft. And Mr. Speaker, more to come.
I expect as these assets begin to come on stream, the RBDF’s capacity for selective patrolling, with intelligence gathered through surveillance flights, will be considerably improved and the proud and hard working men and women of the Defence Force would truly be able to “guard our heritage.”
The current staff complement of 1,003 officers and marines will be strengthened by one hundred (100) new recruits during the fiscal year 2007/2008. To ensure that officers of the RBDF develop the skills necessary, the Training Department has made recruitment, training and academic development its principal objectives. To the extent that training opportunities are available, officers will be trained overseas.
Mr. Speaker, we know that The Bahamas is continuously plagued with an influx of illegal immigrants from Haiti and Cuba, a serious drain on our scarce resources. The RBDF satellite base at Matthew Town, Inagua is strategic in location and critical in the RBDF’s efforts to maintain a presence in the southern Bahamas to combat these illegal migrant flows.
In the 2007/2008 budget, one million ($1,000,000) have been allocated for the expansion and upgrade of the existing facilities, in particular to accommodate additional manpower to crew vessels to be stationed in Inagua. It is expected that a detention facility will also be constructed in Inagua to house detainees, who will then not have to be sent to New Providence. Pending repatriation, they may remain in Inagua.
Plans are also being considered for the establishment of a permanent base in the northern Bahamas. This base will facilitate interdiction and as well will be for the launch of disaster relief missions in that area. The RBDF will continue to be a key player in disaster relief /hurricane preparedness as we move into the 2007 hurricane season.
HER MAJESTY’S PRISONS
Mr. Speaker: we as a people have cause for great concern about what is happening in our society and reflected among the population at Her Majesty’s Prison. No, it is not just the matter of overcrowding in the maximum security prison and the consequent human rights questions raised on this matter by organizations such as Amnesty International.
It is that 87% of the prison population is between the ages of 15 and 29 years of age, and that the overwhelming majority of those incarcerated are young men. The crimes they have committed range from heinous to petty. The rate of imprisonment in The Bahamas is also cause for concern. At 478 per 100,000 of our population, our prison rate is the 8th highest in the world.
Mr. Speaker: there is another group of persons at Her Majesty’s Prison in Fox Hill. It is the Superintendent of Prisons and the dedicated men and women who give yeoman service as prison officers and civilian workers. The Ministry of National Security and Immigration, Mr. Speaker, has responsibility for both these groups. Indeed, it is our responsibility to provide leadership for the formulation and implementation of prison policies and programmes and to ensure that the organization and administration of the prison is consistent with international standards and best practices.
PRISON LEGISLATION
The prison, Mr. Speaker, is an area in which we seem to be putting a square peg in a round hole. The existing Prison Act is based on the English Prison Act of 1952. It has never been substantially amended to reflect advances in prison services and international prison standards the world over. That is why, Mr. Speaker, the FNM Government signaled in the Speech from the Throne our intention to amend the Prison Act.
We will have to address the vexing and pressing problems at Fox Hill Prison. The number of persons serving sentences for minor crimes in our prisons, for example, is staggering. Some 78% of all those in prison are serving sentences of one year or less.
A significant number of those incarcerated in our prisons are also foreigners who have breached the Immigration Act. Persons remain in our prison for many years, notwithstanding the clear indication given by their action and demeanor that they are remorseful for their crimes, and have responded positively to rehabilitative intervention.
Further, the number of persons held in prison on remand at any given time is staggering. Indeed, close to one half of the prison population are persons awaiting trail. Further, of the 2,400 admissions last year, 62% were on remand.
Mr. Speaker, it is undoubtedly time to take a more critical look at the staffing and management philosophy of the prison, and at prison reform, including uses of the prison for the treatment of offenders. In this 2007-2008 Budget, the FNM Government will begin to move decisively in this direction. Under recurrent expenditure, we have allotted the sum of $20,294,439.00 to Her Majesty’s Prison, and under capaital expenditure, an amount of $3,400,000.00.
Mr. Speaker: as it now stands, the prison does not have the required contingent of officers. The establishment numbers for the officer corps is 700. Currently, there are some 500 officers, a shortfall of some 200. The 2007-2008 budget allocation will permit the engagement of an additional 50 persons to add to the officer’s corps. Importantly, it will allow the engagement of much needed civilian staff, so that prison officers may be released from day to day administrative and clerical duties to perform their essential security functions.
Mr. Speaker, Her Majesty’s Prison has never had a proper parameter fence. It is essential to the security and well-being of society that there is a clear and secure separation of offenders from the general population. During 2007-2008, work will be advanced on the prison security fence, to the tune of $500,000.
It was on our watch, Mr. Speaker, that the existing eighty cell Remand Center was built. It is our intention to continue to upgrade the prison facility prison, to provide a secure and appropriate environment for offenders and prison officials alike. Consistent with our “Trust Agenda”, the FNM Government will begin processes for advancing construction of a new maximum security remand prison.
Mr. Speaker, when public officials give their best in service, their dedication ought to be recognized. My recent visit to the prison, and to the quarters assigned to single officers left me with the distinct impression that we are not doing what we ought for our prison officers who have shown a willingness to be on call twenty-four seven.
In this budget, $1.9 million is allocated for new construction and improvement. From this sum, officers have the assurance of the FNM Government that a new complex will be constructed for single prison officers, and that the quarters for married officers will be upgraded.
Mr. Speaker: I would wish to make some comments on the matters on the treatment of offenders that we would address in the context of the new Prison Act we expect would be passed in this honourable House. The FNM Government intends to review the matter of the use of the prison. We will, for example, look at alternatives to custodial sentences for minor, non-violent offenders.
At the same time, we will ensure that dangerous, violent offenders; traffickers in drugs; guns and human cargo; excessive multiple recidivists; child molesters and sexual predators serve out their time in a secure facility. These and others are the pressing policy matters that will exercise the minds of my Ministry as we move forward on the long road towards prison reform.
IMMIGRATION
Mr. Speaker: immigration, and particularly illegal immigration, ranks high among the concerns of Bahamian citizens and residents alike. To be sure, it is an ever constant shadow looming on our horizons, requiring unrelenting vigilance and exacting a heavy told on our country’s resources.
In the Budget before this Honourable House, an amount of $2,000,000.00 has been allocated for the repatriation of illegal immigrants. This represents an increase of $800,000.00 over the 2006-2007 budget allocation.
Mr. Speaker, resources are also being allocated for the recruitment of fifty additional officers, to bring much needed support to the Department. In our Trust Agenda, this Government clearly indicates the direction in which it will proceed on immigration matters. We pledged, for example, to:
Articulate and implement a medium to long-term immigration policy providing for timely, transparent and expeditious application processes, and the regulation of the status of long-time residents and the registration of children born abroad to Bahamian married women
Reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the country by sustained, regular and routine arrest, detention and repatriation of illegal immigrants found in The Bahamas
Introduce fraud-proof immigration permits
Ensure the enforcement of immigration laws without fear or favour
Provide for timely processing of applications for expatriate skilled labour or technical expertise required in the economy but not available in the country.
Mr. Speaker: let me assure this honourable House that we intend to keep these pledges.,
I say, Mr. Speaker, that Bahamian citizenship and Residency and Work Permits are not for barter or for sale. I believe that our people and others holding legal status in our country have an obligation to contribute to the orderly development of our society and our nation, and ought not be complicit in the violation of our borders by illegal migrants, no matter from whence they come.
Rest assured that my Ministry will give priority to ensuring integrity and efficiency of immigration systems and procedures for conferring status of any kind, and of protecting the borders of The Bahamas. In this, the Minister of State for Immigration in my Ministry has a critical lead role.
As we know, Mr. Speaker, the border protection function is one that spans several Ministries and Departments of Government. Within my Ministry, initiatives will be taken to foster and enhance inter-agency cooperation, in particular between the Department of Immigration and the relevant law enforcement agencies.
In that regard, I expect the Department of Immigration and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to engage in constant dialogue, as we move forward wit the planning of Defence Force bases in Inagua and Grand Bahama, our Southern and Northern borders.
PARLIAMENTARY REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT
Mr. Speaker: democracy is a powerful force, and in The Bahamas, it works. I know we can all agree that our longstanding reputation as a politically stable country accounts in large measure for the growth and development of our tourism industry and the attraction of our country to foreign investors.
As the keeper of the mechanisms and procedures of our democratic system, the Parliamentary Registration Department makes a significant contribution to the growth and development of our country. Election 2007 is now behind us, and this, I believe ought to be a period of consolidation for the Department.
As you would be aware, Mr. Speaker, Local Government Elections and School Board Elections are next. I might add that both of these are a product of an FNM administration. iAs The Department is responsible for both sets of elections, which will be held during the months of June and October 2008 respectively. The Department is in the process of preparing for these elections.
It is also engaged in the continual updating of the current voters register and in encouraging eligible voters to register. The Department also plans to conduct public education programmes to inform the general populace of their role in sustaining and enhancing The Bahamas democratic tradition.
Initiatives will be undertaken in this budget year to review the Parliamentary Elections Act, with a view to amending that Act as necessary. This will be a cooperative exercise between the Parliamentary Registration Department and the Office of the Attorney General.
Mr. Speaker: the voter registration process itself is antiquated. Funds have been allotted for research into more efficient methods of voter registration. Comparative studies will be conducted in various jurisdictions, with a view to adopting a process relevant to The Bahamas. In the meantime, Parliamentary Registration Department information technology personnel staff will be trained in AS400, in preparation for the anticipated conversion to electronic registration. An amount of $2,949,683.00 has been allotted to the Parliamentary Registration Department for 2007-2008.
CONCLUSION
Mr. Speaker: We know that national security and immigration issues are among the high priorities on our national agenda. The public is speaking out on these issues. They are demanding that crime, and particularly crime of a violent nature, be tackled in an effective and sustained manner.
They are urging that a serious and sustained challenge be mounted against those who continue to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of The Bahamas, and would engage in the human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, alien smuggling and other nefarious activities into and through our archipelago, and would pillage our marine resources.
They are asking that our vibrant democracy not be tainted by the corruption illegal activities can engender, and the tragic undermining of the values and hopes of Bahamian society.
Mr. Speaker: the problems are challenging, the solutions complex. In many instances, we find ourselves seeking to address new and rapidly emerging problems with old, established practices and/or outdated legislation. At the same time, The Bahamas is expected, as a responsible member of the international community, to respect and enforce internationally recognized standards, for example, for the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders and for the detention and repatriation of illegal migrants. Some of these international standards are contained in international treaties to which The Bahamas is a states party.
Mr. Speaker: if the portfolio of the Ministry of National Security and Immigration seems to be a portfolio of challenges, it is because it is, indeed just that.
In implementing this portfolio, however, we do have some distinct advantages. We have a longstanding history of close cooperation with the United States of America, in particular, in combating drug trafficking and migrant smuggling into and through The Bahamas. This is close cooperation we expect to continue.
Importantly, we have within the portfolio the lead agencies responsible for law and order, for protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of The Bahamas and for the treatment of offenders. We are able to develop, under the umbrella of one Ministry, the links between these various constituent parts of the Ministry, and through cooperation and collaboration, devise a comprehensive response to some of the worse ills affecting our country today.
Mr. Speaker: this is an opportune time for me to commend those that have been on the frontline in efforts to protect the security, stability and democracy of our country. I wish to recognize the efforts of the Commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Superintendent of Prisons, the Director of Immigration and the Parliamentary Commissioner. I thank them for their service.
Mr. Speaker: I believe that with this team, we are up to the challenges facing our Ministry and our country. Those who would violate the laws and regulations of The Bahamas, whether by sea, air or land, can expect that we will pursue them relentlessly. We have made promises to the people of The Bahamas in our Manifesto. As the Latin Proverb states, “Promises get people’s attention, but it is performance that keeps it.” The Ministry of National Security and Immigration wants to keep the attention of The Bahamian people – we intend to perform.
Mr. Speaker: before I close, there is a commentary I must make on criticisms which the minority party proposed to level at this FNM Government.
The minority party has accused us of not caring for people. Let me ask this question in this Honourable House, “Does the minority Party believe itself to have a monopoly on caring? And what is this caring of which they speak?”
As the saying goes, “Caring is as caring does”.
How can say that you care about people, yet do very little or nothing of consequence to improve the quality of their lives? If you cared for Bahamian parents and their children, you would have improved their schools and the hospital and clinics that provide them with health care.
If you cared for the Bahamian people, would have paved the roads on which they drive, provide meaningful jobs so that they could support themselves and their families. If you cared for Bahamians, you would ensure that those with responsibility for protecting them: the RBPF and the RBDF, were equipped with the right tools for the job.
If you cared, you would have presented a budget, adopt policies and create jobs to improve the lives of fellow Bahamians.
If you declare ad infinitum that you care, yet did little, if anything to make the lives of people better, then the criticism you level at this FNM party are simply words uttered in frustration, or perhaps even guilt.
Mr. Speaker: Let me emphasize that this FNM Government is about love, about care, about concern.
This first FNM budget gives tangible expression to the strong feelings we have for our country and our fellow citizens. The overriding objective of our budget is to improve the quality of life of Bahamians from all walks of life, conscious as we are that action speaks louder than words.
Mr. Speaker, our goal is to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
Mr. Speaker, let me also thank the members opposite and their supporters for their frequent references to the FNM Government as a ‘Gussiemae’ Cabinet.
You see, Mr. Speaker, their accusation reminds me, and the others Members of this Cabinet as well as discerning persons in our nation of the faith that this Government has in the many young people in whom the Bahamian people have placed their trust and confidence by electing them to this Honourable House.
Certainly, if the fine people of The Bahamas have faith enough in my fellow FNM Cabinet Ministers, many of whom are much younger than me, to elect them, then this Government should confirm that faith by appointing them to positions of leadership.
Mr. Speaker, it may be an unsettling thought, but it is the fact that those who served us over the last several decades will not be with us forever.
Love of our country is what compels this FNM Government to give the next generation of young elected officials the opportunity to serve the Bahamian people in Cabinet.
In this way, they would acquire the training and preparation required to navigate the ship of state and move this country we love forward.
This is an approach strongly advocated by John Maxwell, noted authority on leadership, who has expressed the view that ensuring long-term accomplishment means training for succession.
Our Cabinet, Mr. Speaker, includes Representatives of Golden Isles, South Beach, Sea Breeze, Pinewood, Marco City, and Montague, all energetic young men and women of vision, willing an able to make a positive difference.
Our Cabinet, comprising qualified young and older members, is bursting with energy, ideas and desire to serve the Bahamian people.
There is, I believe, a lesson in all this. It is that if the members opposite had given the younger members of their Party the opportunity to serve at the highest level, things may have worked out quite differently.
Mr. Speaker: we in the FNM Government are happy and the majority of the Bahamian people are happy that things turned out the way they did.
The people chose us, and it was their right to chose. The members opposite may not like it, but we must all respect the people’s wishes. The beneficiaries of this Cabinet will no doubt be the Bahamian people.
While we thank the members opposite for their participation in this budget debate, and even for their criticism, we want to assure them that we will not be deterred by rhetoric.
Our electoral victory gives us a mandate to deliver, and deliver we will. We move on to do the work of the people.
We ask Almighty God for strength, wisdom and guidance.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you.
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