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Archbishop Drexel Gomez: "The present level of criminal activity in our country is unacceptable, and a strong public opinion must arise to combat this social evil"
Related to country: Bahamas

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Gomez laments worsening social decay:
By CANDIA DAMES, Guardian News Editor -
Nassau, Bahamas:



Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez yesterday lamented the fact that there does not appear to be a loud public outcry over the high rate of crime in the country, and said the social and moral decay evident in 1994 when he headed a commission which produced a report on national youth development, has grown significantly worse.

"The present level of criminal activity in our country is unacceptable, and a strong public opinion must arise to combat this social evil," said Gomez, as he testified during a hearing of the House of Assembly Select Committee on Crime at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel.

He said this is a situation that has alarmed him.

"We don't seem to be able to develop a sustained public opinion on anything, perhaps with one exception, and that is on local politics," said the archbishop.

But he also said the escalation of crime and violence, including murders, has created a situation in which many members of the society are alarmed and afraid.

"The most casual observer has to agree that crime is by far the single most serious issue impacting the quality of life for Bahamians and visitors alike today," Gomez said. "...The truth is, the high level of criminal activity reflects a society that has lost its moral bearing."

He, however, warned against "quick-fix solutions" like the resumption of hanging, bigger prisons, longer sentences and more police officers.

"I commend the police force for its valiant effort in detecting crime and bringing persons to justice, but the reality is that we make their job that much more difficult if we continue to produce criminals faster than they are taken off the streets," Gomez said.

Referring to the private sector, Gomez said it needs to do more to financially support programs that would address social issues.

"Given the fact that we allow companies to repatriate their profits, there should be some way in which more of those profits are directed locally...I think that people who make a profit out of The Bahamas should return some of that for the benefit of The Bahamas," he said. "...The reality is that the private sector needs to do more."

Gomez then pointed out that more than a decade ago, his commission called for a national debate on the social issues that were impacting crime, but the debate never transpired.

"We felt that since we had gone all over The Bahamas in search of these opinions and attempted to discover the reality of the situation, we felt that the least that should happen is to have some kind of a national debate for people to comment," he said. "But none of that was done and to me, that is a serious failure...I am not certain that the political hierarchy is sufficiently convinced that public opinion really matters."

In its 1994 report, the Consultative Committee on National Youth Development said there was no one palliative which will solve the crime problem. It called for fundamental social and economic reforms that address child protection, education, health, social services, mental health services, employment and community development.

Yesterday, Archbishop Gomez said churches in The Bahamas can do much more than they have attempted to do in dealing with crime and violence. He also lamented that some religious leaders are more concerned about acquiring material things, than they are about helping to address society's social and moral erosion.

"While many ministers of religion are quick to take a judgmental position in respect of persons involved in crime, there has been no concentrated effort on the part of churches to engage in an objective assessment of the root causes of crime and violence," he said.

September 12, 2008 | 11:30 PM Comments  0 comments

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