The murder count for July rose to 20 on Saturday morning. This month’s count exceeded the record established four months ago.

According to police statistics, the highest number of murders in one single month previously stood at 16, which was recorded in March, and before that the record was 12, which was recorded in January.

Before this year, the record stood at 11.

As noted by Sergeant Chaswell Hanna of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in his recently published book “Reducing murders in The Bahamas: A strategic plan based on empirical research”, the previous record of 11 murders was achieved four times: October 2005, December 2006, November 2007 and September 2009.

“We’ve never had [20] murders in one month,” confirmed Assistant Superintendent Anthony Ferguson.

“Obviously the police, and as a country we really have to be concerned about the amount of violence that we are having. I think that as Bahamians we have to get together and provide the information necessary in going forward to assist the police.”

The rise in murders is believed to be the result of a drug and turf war, however Ferguson did not comment on that.

According to statistics, July is usually one of the busier months as it relates to murders.

So far this year there have been 85 murders.

(Nassau Guardian)