NASSAU, The Bahamas – Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson told junior managers attending a one-day Police workshop on crime fighting tactics and techniques that it is “critically important” that the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force continue to explore new, proactive initiatives and strategies in the war on crime.
Mr. Farquharson said the Force, where necessary, will revisit pre-existing policies and procedures with a view to ensuring that they continue to best assist members of the organization in reaching their objectives in the war on crime.
“Even though each and every member of the Force shares the same general responsibilities, junior managers have the awesome responsibility of structurally implementing the plans that are geared towards the overall success of policing in their districts,” Mr. Farquharson said.
“The mandate of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, though very clear, cannot successfully be achieved without proper, well organized planning. As the world changes so do crime trends and other social challenges.
“It is therefore critically important that the Police Force continues to explore new initiatives and strategies and, where necessary, revisit pre-existing policies and procedures that will assist us in accomplishing our goals,” Mr. Farquharson added.
Mr. Farquharson said the seminar for the junior managers – officers holding the rank of Chief Inspector and Inspector – was held at a critical juncture in the Force’s history as it will afford those officers the opportunity to help forge the way ahead.
He said in the coming months, the Royal Bahamas Police Force will be faced with the challenges of a general election, the introduction of a new Police Act, the introduction of a new Witness Protection Act, which was passed in the House of Assembly last week and the constant fight against crime.
“We must lay the groundwork in order to fight this monster called crime, which seems to be an epidemic throughout the region and the world,” Mr. Farquharson said. “Crime is a problem that everybody, everywhere, is concerned about.
“We happen to be part of that slice of the criminal justice system that must be on the forefront to combat this evil in our country and around the world.”
Undersecretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Peter Deveaux-Isaacs, said junior managers must continue to wholeheartedly embrace their expanded roles as protectors of The Bahamas as the country needs them to do so more now than ever before.
“Never in its history has the Royal Bahamas Police Force been challenged to the extent that it is being challenged, and never before in its history will men and women like yourselves have to rise to the occasion. It’s as simple as that,” Mr. Deveaux-Isaacs said.
“Increasingly you are being challenged to take great care of our Bahamas and each and everyone of you has to ask the one question that we in the ministry have to ask ourselves everyday: ‘Am I doing whatever I can to make the Police Force the most efficient and most effective organization in this country’,” he added.
Mr. Deveaux-Isaacs said the mandate of the Royal Bahamas Police Force has been increased within the past two years to include responsibility for school policing, tourism policing and witness protection programs, to go along with its earlier roles in community policing and the Urban Renewal Program, among other responsibilities.
He said the Force will also have to plan new strategies to accommodate the increased flow of persons into a number of Family Islands for which developments and other foreign investments have been approved by the Government of The Bahamas.
“Each anchor property development requires your security assistance and yet people complain that the Police are not doing their jobs,” Mr. Deveaux-Isaacs said. “But I will tell you that the people who complain about the Police not doing their jobs are in a great minority because the Bahamian people are very, very proud of the Police Force.”
Mr. Deveaux-Isaacs told the junior managers that they have a long and storied legacy to uphold as the Force has a long, distinguished and unmatched history that was secured over a period of more than 160 years.
“The Police Force is a noble institution that has a history of great accomplishment and those who are privileged enough to wear the uniform as a member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force ought to wear it in great pride and dignity and honor, based on the Force’s many great accomplishments,” Mr. Deveaux-Isaacs added.
