Political victimization and incompetence on the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF)

By Dennis Dames:

I received a telephone call from my father today.  He is a retired Assistant Superintendent (ASP) of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).  He’s very outraged about a Superintendent of that organization in the name of Stephanie Demeritte, escorting prisoners to court.  He says that it is out of place and dead wrong; it’s really a job for a Constable. 

 

My dad further stated that Superintendents are essentially executive officers on the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) - who in some cases, command hundreds of men and women.  He said that it was also wrong to have had the late Superintendent Sands performing the same low ranking work.

It is a shame to see Superintendent Demeritte like the late Sands waste away in a senior rank which is just below Assistant Commissioner.  It is a reflection of an organization which appears to be in the evil grip of politicians, or plain old incompetence.  The Commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force should be embarrassed and ashamed every time he sees a senior commander of his force in the newspapers or on the evening news holding on to prisoners on their way to court.

It’s a situation, according to my father – which no doubt is contributing to the low morale on the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).  Why would a competent Bahamian join an organization that has no respect for its executive rank?  It means that it’s possible for a Superintendent of police in The Bahamas to direct traffic, work on the fire truck, be a chauffeur et al - under the existing status quo.

It is not a good reflection for the future of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) in my opinion.  We need to do better in our beloved country, if we expect better.  Stop the political victimization and shallowness in The Bahamas; or like the late Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling (SLOP) use to say: What goes around comes around – my brother!

April 07, 2014

When Police Shoot and Kill

The Bahama Journal Editorial


We live in a time that seems to suggest that there is a war going on out there; with the police pitted against some of their fellow-Bahamians.

With this in mind, today we suggest that, the time has come [and perhaps, some of that same time might have already come and gone] for those in charge of the Royal Bahamas Police Force to be up and doing with coming clean with all they know concerning matters that now routinely lead to the death of this or that civilian.

And for sure, as one incident yields to another in what seems to be a spiral of criminal and police instigated violence – some Bahamians are beginning to tire of what they say happens to be high-handedness on the part of some police officers.

While we are certain that policing is peculiarly stressful in these very hard times; we are also quite sensitive to complaints coming in to the effect that, police officers sometimes do overstep their legal boundaries.

Indeed, such has been admitted by any number of law-makers and bureaucrats who speak knowledgeably about the so-called ‘bad apples’ in uniform.

Here reform is badly needed; and for sure, there is also some indication that, the time might be ripe for the high command in the police force to review its policies concerning who should or should not be armed while on routine patrol in our heartland communities.

And so today, [and like a host of other Bahamians]; we are all ears as the police make it their business to come forward with a fully plausible set of explanations as to how and why it came to be that a young Bain Town man who was said to be gambling on the side of a street now finds himself quite dead.

We need some answers.

Indeed, while we are not quite sure as to precisely what did go down in Bain Town this Saturday past, when a young man died [purportedly at the hands of a policeman]; we are nonetheless prepared to suggest that fear played a major part in skewing the perception of both the policeman and the man he allegedly killed.

As one man tried to run away from the police; he was felled by a bullet coming his way from the muzzle of a policeman’s service revolver.

In time, the rest of this story will be told.

But for now, take note that, something has gone so badly awry in this land that, police and the citizenry are seemingly locked in a mire of mutual incomprehension.

Evidence in support of this conclusion comes from any number of sources; some of these inclusive of reports attributed to the police and to some of our citizens, particularly from any number of people who live in our heartland communities.

On the one hand, we have situations and circumstances where police are convinced that this or that neighborhood is said to be infested with drug dealing, street-level prostitution and a host of other so-called ‘deviant’ activities.

And for sure, there are all those other reports that are proud to report that, while there are problems arising in some of our heartland communities; none of them reaches that level of panic as suggested by some observers who might have other ideas.

Here suffice it to say that, we are absolutely convinced that much that we hear about what is happening in these communities is comprised of a tissue of lies, some stereotyping and a host of gross generalizations.

Evidently, this juxtaposition neatly explains how –in case after bloody case – the police shoot someone or the other who – on examination – turns out to be somebody’s good child.

But for sure, in a situation where fear prevails, misperceptions will and do arise. And so today, we have a situation on our hands where fear, dread and criminality run rampant; with some of our adolescent youth little more than, rapists in the making; murderers in training and thieves in their infancy.

This they do when they are called to provide bail for this child or that child who is –as the saying goes – held in the protective custody of the state.

Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture.

Clearly, then, nothing real or good can come from this latest outrage so long as the police and the people are seemingly at loggerheads.

Here we go further as we note that, things can only go from bad to worse in this land of ours so long as some of our youth [particularly some of those young men who live in the so-called ghetto] see the police as part of an oppressive Babylon.

By the same token, our police officers must come to the realization that, things are not as bad in these heartland communities as some of the stereotypes surrounding them might, would or could suggest.

November 24, 2010

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International

The Governing Free National Movement (FNM) slams Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts

By CANDIA DAMES ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:



The Free National Movement (FNM) yesterday accused Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts of launching a personal attack on outgoing Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson because of a decision by the police force to probe a rape allegation against the former minister several years ago.

"It appears that Bradley Roberts' personal vendetta against Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson is related to the decision of the Royal Bahamas Police Force to properly investigate and to forward to the Office of the Attorney General the corroborated criminal complaint of having been raped made against then Cabinet Minister Bradley Roberts by a businesswoman," the FNM said in its statement.

The FNM statement was sent a day after Roberts released a statement in response to an announcement from the Cabinet Office that Ellison Greenslade has been appointed acting commissioner of police as Ferguson is on pre-retirement leave.

In his statement on Sunday, Roberts said the PLP remains disappointed over the initial "political" appointment of Ferguson.

"This was a human example of the FNM's policy of 'stop, cancel and review', in what would have been the most appropriate appointment of Mr. Greenslade," Roberts opined.

"This decision, we feel, contributed to the disintegration of trust on the Royal Bahamas Police Force as well as very regressive crime fighting strategies during one of the most socially chaotic periods in the history of our country."

The PLP chairman said Greenslade is therefore forced to begin his new post at a grave disadvantage with murder and armed robbery statistics higher than any other time in the country.

But the FNM shot back yesterday saying it is unfortunate that Roberts should continuously seek to politicize the Royal Bahamas Police Force and, in particular, the outgoing commissioner. The FNM said Roberts, while commenting on Greenslade's appointment, was unable to resist once again "making nasty personal attacks" on Ferguson.

Responding to the FNM's statement, Roberts said the party is "totally wrong" in its suggestion that he holds personal animosity toward Ferguson.

"The allegation of rape made against me was after all, unequivocally and unconditionally withdrawn by the virtual complainant," he noted.

"I do not for one moment believe that it was my statement on the appointment of Greenslade which caused the ire of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and (FNM Chairman) Carl Bethel," Roberts said.

"Rather, it was what I brought to the attention of the Bahamian public regarding a serious matter which was dealt with by a Senior Justice of the Supreme Court which involved Commissioner Ferguson. I am being so viciously attacked because of this matter of national interest which I revealed at a meeting of the PLP Fox Hill Branch..."

Roberts was referring to a ruling handed down months ago that was critical of the commissioner of police.

The Nassau Guardian reported recently that the Office of the Attorney General withdrew its appeal of Senior Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs' decision to stay the prosecution of two men accused of a murder that occurred almost 10 years ago.

Police arrested Shawn Saunders and Warren "Spy" Ellis last year and charged them with the murder of Timothy Jansen Henfield — who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2000 — and conspiring to murder his older brother Marvin Henfield.

The prosecution's decision not to proceed with the appeal is significant as Prime Minister Ingraham had repeatedly said in Parliament that Isaacs' landmark ruling of May 27 would be challenged. Justice Isaacs said the evidence in the case had been "tainted by police misconduct."

Proposed prosecution witness Lorraine Major swore an affidavit alleging that police had pressured and tricked her into giving a statement that implicated both men in the murder. She alleged that Police Commissioner Ferguson (who at the time was acting commissioner) and an ASP Fernander had obtained her statement through coercion.

Roberts claimed that if this ruling had been made against a junior officer he would have been disciplined in accordance with Force Orders.

"COP Ferguson should be treated the same way as every other officer would have been treated; i.e. he should be suspended, interdicted, disciplined and the matter investigated," he said at the Fox Hill meeting. "COP Ferguson should go now without further delay."

Quoting what he said at the meeting, Roberts said the PLP was investigating the filing of a constitutional motion to put the commissioner of police on leave in accordance with Force Orders.

"I wish to make it clear that at no time did I personally attack retired Commissioner Ferguson, outside the realm of his office," the PLP chairman said in his statement yesterday.

"At no time for that matter can it be said that I have gone on a personal attack of the personal character of any politician or high-ranking member of society from the seat of the PLP chairmanship. I have been fierce on issues, fierce yes, on inefficiencies in the performance of duties. And I shall continue to, in a relentless fashion, expose these deficiencies and or corruption wherever they may be hiding, as it relates to the governance of our country.

"But the Bahamian public has my assurance that I will never sink to the level of gutter politics as has been espoused by this communications unit of the Free National Movement."

Roberts informed that his attorneys have advised that a portion of the FNM's statement is clearly libelous and as such his legal team is exploring the option of legal recourse.


December 08, 2009

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