Confronted with high violent crime, the PLP government adopted new strategies to make communities safer.

In 2023 it launched the “Clear, Hold, Build” initiative – an intensive crime reduction and neighborhood stabilization program. Piloted in the Englerston community of Nassau, this three-phase approach deploys heavy police presence to “Clear” an area of gang activity and illegal weapons, then “Hold” it with sustained law enforcement and social services, and finally “Build” it up through community projects, job programs, and youth activities .

The results have been promising: “Since the launch of Clear, Hold, Build, crime in Englerston has decreased significantly,” reported National Security Minister Wayne Munroe in late 2023 . Gunshot incidents and murders in that area dropped notably over a few months.

Given this success, by 2024 the Royal Bahamas Police Force expanded Clear, Hold, Build to other hotspots – including Nassau Village and parts of Carmichael – with similarly encouraging early outcomes . Importantly, the “build” phase engages multiple ministries: renovated community centers (like the newly opened Nassau Village Community Centre ) offer programs from Social Services’ “Empowerment Hour” to technical classes by the National Training Agency, to give residents positive alternatives.

The government also established a special Crime Management Task Force in February 2025 to coordinate these multi-agency efforts and oversee swift improvements in any resurging crime areas . Meanwhile, overall national crime-fighting has been bolstered – the Police Force hit a record 90% murder solve rate in 2023, 150 new police officers were recruited, and legislation was passed to impose heavier penalties for gun traffickers.

The five-pillar crime plan (Prevention, Policing, Prosecution, Punishment, Rehabilitation) is being executed: e.g. programs like “Crime‐Free Schools” and the Youth HYPE program target at-risk youth (Prevention), backlog-clearing projects in the courts have sped up trials (Prosecution), ankle-monitoring for suspects on bail and a dedicated Gun Court improve oversight (Punishment), and inmate vocational training at the prison has expanded (Rehabilitation).

Together with Clear, Hold, Build, these measures have started to bring down serious crimes – and restore hope that troubled neighborhoods can transform into communities of safety and opportunity once again.