Page 12 SectionA The Abaconian September 15, 2008 Police held a Town Meeting in Dundas Town By Samantha V. Evans In an effort to keep Abaco a safe place for residents to live and for guests to visit, the Royal Bahamas Police Force hosted a Town Meeting in Dundas Town on August 28 at the Dundas Town Church of God. The meeting was held to let the community know that the police want to partner with them to make their community better. Supt. Shawn Norville-Smith stated that over the past four month since he arrived on the island, he realizes that there is a lot to do but the police cannot do it alone; they need the support of the community. In fact, it is his mandate to ensure that residents and visitors to the island are safe. He hopes that this meeting will open the doors for the residents to voice their concerns, offer the officers constructive criticism, and give them suggestions on how to improve the service presently being offered to them. Abaco has deployed for service 50 po- lice officers who are spread out over the island. Since there are only 30 of them as- signed to Central Abaco, they really need the residents to be their eyes and ears. Supt. Norville-Smith stated that in the past three years the main areas of concern have been house and shop breaking, and stealing from vehicles. In 2004 there were 55 house break-ins, in 2005 there were 51 house break-ins, in 2006 there were 60 house break-ins, in 2007 there were 74 house break-ins and so far this year (Jan.-June) there was 57 house break-ins. From 2004 there have been the following numbers of shop break-ins: 2004 - 54, 2005 - 49, 2006 - 84, 2007 - 58, and so far in January to June 2008 - 60. Out of these statistics there have been 21 house break-ins and 10 shop break-ins so far in Dundas Town alone. Supt. Norville-Smith explained to the residents that from their investigations, they realize that many of them are not se- curing their homes properly; they leave valuables exposed in their cars and do not secure important documents. He further explained that Abaco is growing and many people are moving here for employment, but all of them are not upstanding citizens. Therefore, residents need to do more to keep themselves and their valuables safe. Insp. Edric Poitier, Officer-in-Charge of the detective investigation unit, gave crime prevention tips for the residents. He stated that before citizens can keep themselves safe, they must understand crime and how it occurs. He stated that three things must be present for crime to take place: there must be a desire, a target and an opportu- nity. Insp. Poitier explained that persons who commit crimes believe that the reward is worth more than the consequences of their actions. Hence, in order for a situa- tion to change, stiffer laws must be passed and enforced. Additionally, he stated that there are also criminals of opportunity. These are the persons who do not desire to commit a crime but take advantage of an opportunity that arises. He told residents Denim Day is Friday, October 3rd 242-461-1000 | www.babfinancial.com Freeport 242-352-7209 Exuma 242-336-3035 Abaco 242-367-5601 British t*\ American FINANCIAL MORTGAGES + MUTUAL FUNDS « LIFE INSURANCE * HEALTH INSURANCE ANNUITIES & PENSION PLANS + FINANCIAL PLANNING & INVESTMENTS that the target must be attractive and there are ways that they help criminals. The items must be valuable, inertia-size volume which means that criminals take items they can carry even if it worth less than a larger item, it is made visible for criminals to see, and it is accessible. He gave residents the following tips to avoid becoming a target: e Secure homes properly e Cut down overgrown bushes and hedges around their home ¢ Leave outdoor lights on ¢ Be more alert and report suspicious be- havior ¢ Do not allow strangers an opportunity to see what is in their home ¢ Place identification marks on valuables ¢ Secure personal items and documents © Get to know neighbors and be each oth- ers’ keeper ¢ Establish a neighborhood watch At the end of the presentation, the resi- dents asked questions and made comments. Many of the residents are concerned about the corruption they experienced from of- ficers who were previously assigned to the island. They stated that when they would make complaints, the information was always leaked back into the community which put many of their lives in danger. The residents told the police officers that the residents their do not trust the police any longer, and it will take some time for that to change. Supt. Norville-Smith apologized for the actions of his colleagues and told the resi- dents that this is not the way he or his team operates. Insp. Poitier stated that this is a new crew running the police department and they are committed to upholding the law. Hence, they would like the residents to join forces with them and help them to make this community a much safer place for them to be. Supt. Norville-Smith stated that he will do what he can to regain the trust of the community by holding quarterly town meetings and employing other strate- gies that they will be able to see very soon. In the meanwhile, he told the residents to continue not turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to criminal behavior but rather seek as- sistance from him or his lead officers so that they can deal with such matters includ- ing police corruption directly. 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