By TAMARA McKENZIE, Assistant News Editor, tamara@nasguard.com

The government and its Minister of National Security were urged on Thursday to develop a concentrated effort to address crime and use its available resources to tackle the increasing scourge.

And as the nation's murder count now stands at 26, Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Glenys Hanna-Martin said while violent crime is rising at an alarming and unprecedented rate, the government appeared to be "helpless" to arrest the violence while more Bahamians were living in fear.

"It is the duty of any government to ensure the public safety of its citizenry, yet each day in the face of never before seen bloodshed, our population is observing the sustained inaction of its government," Hanna-Martin outlined in an issued statement.

"Bahamians have a right to expect peace of mind and freedom from fear in the enjoyment of their homeland, and it is the government's duty to provide this for its people."

The PLP chairman said the party is concerned that no discernible effort or strategy is being employed by the government to effectively address "this worrying, seemingly unrelenting trend in this country."

"The time for action is now," Hanna-Martin said. "The people are calling on its government to provide for public protection."

Just last week in an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham admitted that the issue of crime and not being able to control its prevalence was one of the government's biggest disappointments after serving for one year in office.

"The solution of course is much broader than law enforcement," the Prime Minister said. "We need to [be] determined to have a cultural shift that will not tolerate or admit the level of disregard for the law, which is now tolerated in our community."

Since coming to office, the government has also appointed a National Advisory Council on Crime as a move to address the crime situation. The Council, headed by Bishop Simeon Hall, works closely with the government and stakeholders to introduce new and practical proposals and approaches for halting and reversing current crime trends in the country.