Minister of National Security, the Hon. Wayne Munroe appeared on The Rundown talk show on Tuesday.  This came a day after Commissioner of Police, Shanta Knowles released the crime statistics for 2024.

Munroe said, “island crime has been trending down,  all except murder and we’ve seen on the last statistics even sexual offences now are trending down and that must be because the public is getting it.”

Show host Clint Watson asked Munroe whether he thought he was effective as the national security minister.  He said, “bearing in mind what the job remit is, yes.  The main task of the Minister of National Security, across the agencies, one with the police is to understand that the police are the police, I’m not the police.”

Complaints against police officers increased by 115% in 2024 with 315 reports.  The minister said, “statistics like that can be interpreted in one of two ways.  For instance, with the sexual offences they were going up for a while because as you make something more comfortable for someone to report more people will report it.”

Munroe added, “I’m more encouraged when I see policemen being held accountable cause that tells me the system is working.”

Crime in The Bahamas decreased by 10% in 2024.