Let's Help and Support The Police to Weed-out All of The Corrupt Policemen From The Ranks of The Royal Bahamas Police Force - Bishop Delton Fernander

Say NO to Corrupt Police Officers in The Bahamas!

By Dennis Dames
Nassau, The Bahamas

I wonder if the president of The Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) in his laid-back defense of The Royal Bahamas Police Force in the investigation of one of their senior top Officers - relating to serious alledge crimes - was speaking casually as a Bahamian, a member of the Masonic Lodge family in The Bahamas, or a pastor. He is wearing so many hats these days - and he has now found himself in the line of fire of the Bahamian public that wants the Johnson investigation to be favourably beyond distrust and national contempt.

Bishop Fernander must be a resident of a another planet. He has obviously not been keeping-up with all the scandals of devilish criminal acts coming out of the ranks of the RBPF in recent times. Senior Officers have been recorded in the acts of committing serious crimes - like, assisting in the unloading of dangerous and illicit drugs from the plane of drug traffickers!

Bishop Delton Fernander, ask the Commissioner of Police - Clayton Fernander about the huge amount of Police Officers he had to fire or send home - because of their dirty and outrageous criminal actions! Ask the Commissioner of Police about the number of Officers of the Force who were recently cited by the Coroners Courts for manslaughter! Yes, the Bahamian Police have illegally killed many of our Bahamian brothers like dogs on the streets of The Bahamas in recent times.

Bishop Fernander, do you really think the Commissioner of Police can lead a fair and balanced investigation against his good old buddy, Chief Superintendent Johnson - who he said publicly was the man for the job? Do you actually think that it's only about Chief Superintendent Johnson, and not about the entire Force? It does not seem that you are thinking straight, or dealing with a full deck these days. What a shame!

What kind of salvation the masonic lodge provides you that our Living Lord does not? What is the connection between the Redemption of our Living Messiah and the masonic lodge - which you are a member and brethern of?

Bishop Fernander, why are you under the impression that corruption and criminality on the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) are not endemic there? The streets of The Bahamas know better than that Bishop.

The Police Force in the Bahamian nation is in a distressful crisis, so is the national security of The Bahamas - Bishop! Corruption and criminality is alive and well in the ranks of that organization - in my view.

Policemen in The Bahamas have been found with illegal weapons in recent times - Bishop. Who controls the illegal guns in our nation Bishop?

Policemen are in our jail for raping their underage family members - while still active members of the Force. Policemen are in our prison for all manner of horrible crimes before they were fired from the Force.

Policemen have skiped the country recently to avoid answering for their wicked crimes - bishop. So, you did not convince me and most citizens that the Chief Johnson always acted alone in his alleged crimes while being the chief of the Criminal Detective Unit (CDU) of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

There is no doubt that the very many of Bahamian Police men and women are honourable and righteous people, but the actively rogue among them are eroding the already frigile integrity of The Royal Bahamas Police Force. All of them must be weeded out in order to restore the public's trust and confidence in The Force.

The good Officers there will rejoice fittingly - if such a noble thing become a joyful reality. Thus Bishop, let's help them celebrate! Let's let it be known as one people - that bossman Johnson investigation must be and appear to be just in the eyes of the Bahamian people. The good future of The Bahamas and its Police Force depend on it.

The Bahamas police are doing their job, but the Bahamian courts are soft on law breakers

Tough laws promised to keep criminals in prison

tribune242 editorial

Nassau, The Bahamas



AN EXASPERATED Police Commissioner yesterday called for stiffer penalties for law breakers.

He said that criminals were not taking the law seriously because punishments were too light. In other words criminals were just playing a catch-me-if-you can game with the police, while wreaking vengeance on society.

The Commissioner was asked by the press whether the police were doing enough to stop the bloodshed -- which with 100 murders made Bahamian history over the weekend. As we wrote this column last night a report flashed across our screen that two more persons- a man and a woman- had just been shot in Nassau Village. They were taken to hospital - the man in serious condition, the woman stable.

One could almost see the Commissioner biting his tongue at yesterday's conference as he tried to gingerly skirt the reporter's question.

He said police officers were arresting the suspects, but after a person was charged it was out of their hands and up to the courts. He said he did not want to speak on the issue in too much detail.

He might not want to elaborate on what is a sore point in police ranks, but we shall do it for him.

The answer simply put is: The police are doing their job, but the courts are not.

Let's look at a five-day period to give our readers some idea of what is happening.

Between July 12 and 17th this year 39 prisoners were released from HM Prison by the courts.

Of this number 22 of them were in prison on remand. The courts gave them bail and released them.

Of these, six were charged with murder and at least three of them went before the magistrate's court with a well established criminal record.

Also among the 22 released onto the streets within a five-day period were persons charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, armed robbery, rape, housebreaking, possession of firearms and drugs, causing grievous harm, fraud and forgery. Many of them have prison records, most of them for violence. Four of them were fitted with electronic monitoring devices.

Examining their records it is obvious that they have been sent back into society without any hope of finding a job or earning an honest crust of bread to keep them alive until their court date. And so what do they do?

We leave it to our readers to answer that question. It is easy to connect the dots and understand what is happening in the country. Commissioner Greenslade has already connected the dots, but does not want to talk about the picture they present -- at least not in public.

In an England gone soft on law breakers, a sudden outbreak, mainly by youth, of rioting and destruction last month, quickly brought legislators to their senses. Vowing to stop the "slow-motion moral collapse" of his country, Prime Minister David Cameron demanded stiff penalties for law breakers. The courts immediately responded, so much so that the weak-hearted are sniffling that the law is going too far. But Cameron is taking no nonsense. He has vowed to introduce laws to "crack down on lawlessness and promote a responsible society."

He directed his cabinet to look for ways to combat a "broken society" in which "fathers had abdicated responsibility for their children, schools had given up on discipline and crimes had gone unpunished."

The courts' harsh sentences were intended to reflect the authorities' anger at the looting, burning and murder that raged through London and spread to other cities.

For example, a mother who was given a pair of shorts stolen by a rioter was jailed for five months, a student went to prison for six months for stealing a box of bottled water worth about $4, while a man was jailed for four years for posting a message on Facebook to encourage people to start a riot. Courts also remanded defendants in custody until their court hearing.

Mr Cameron was pleased that the courts had sent a tough message by stiff sentences. Across the country courts were working extra hours to deal with the offenders, which moved into the thousands.

Police Commissioner Greenslade wants sanctions tough enough to make persons afraid to carry a gun in this country because they would know that they would be removed from their family and friends for a very long time.

Since the courts don't seem inclined to step up to the plate, when the House of Assembly returns from its summer break on October 5 government plans to introduce a number of new Bills to prevent violent, repeat offenders from getting bail.

"We hope that we will provide some teeth, some additional resource, to keep these criminals behind bars," said National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest.

Some Bahamians are so agitated by the seeming indifference of the courts, that they are now suggesting that maybe there are those in the system who are trying to embarrass the government.

The situation is bad, but we hope that it is not that bad.

September 20, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Bahamas Blog International

Crime and corruption have been – from time immemorial - one of the royal roads toward fame and fortune in The Bahamas

A Culture of Criminality
The Bahama Journal Editorial



No number of artfully contrived ‘meet’ the press-briefings, stage-managed walk-and-talk exercises on the part of the police high-command – or for that matter, ardent prayer meetings on this or that street corner can do much in terms of ridding this nation of its scourge of crime.

In addition, there is no doubting the clear import of all of the information now pouring in concerning the extent to which the police are ‘losing’ in the fight against the so-called ‘criminal’ elements that are seemingly embedded through and through Bahamian society.

Indeed, crime and the mentality that spawns it is so deeply woven into the fabric of things Bahamian that, some pundits and some other acute observers say that, what we have to contend with is a culture that fosters and rewards criminality.

What we know for sure is that, this land of ours is one of those interesting places where while the wages of sin might be death, the rewards from crime, schemes and scams are some times quite bountiful.

In this regard, we take note of the fact that crime and corruption have been –from time immemorial- one of the royal roads toward fame and fortune in The Bahamas.

Reference here might be made to those times past when piracy was the order of the day in The Bahamas or when rum-running provided a sure basis for primitive capital accumulation.

That life style continues.

For better or worse, today’s Bahamas remains that kind deeply corrupted place where corruption is rife.

And so it goes for either the good policeman who can see nothing really wrong with accepting ‘gifts’ from this or that shady character; or for that matter, with the cop who knows that he has a well-deserved reputation for brutality and violence against people in the supposedly protective custody of the state.

This list can also be extended to include the pilferer of stuff belonging to his employer; the person who receives goods he knows to be stolen; and all others who routinely get away with the crimes they commit.

As they say, to make a long story short – the fact of the matter is that our beloved land is home to tens of thousands of people who are willing and able – at the drop of either pin or hat- to rip each other off, rape, maim or kill if the circumstances so warrant.

This is a mess.

And so, try as they might, the Ministry of National Security and the Royal Bahamas Police Force cannot ‘solve’ this nation’s crime problem; and for sure – those Bahamians who believe that they can pray crime away had better wake up, face facts and understand that, faith without works is dead.

Evidently, crime hurts; and clearly, we all pay a high price when some in our midst can and do get away with the crimes they commit; with some of them against property and some others against the person.

Indeed, no day passes without some revelation or the other concerning the extent to which social life in The Bahamas is shot through with allegations concerning who is on the take.

One measure of the extent to which corruption has taken root is to be found in the oft-mouthed rationalization that since practically every one is corrupt, no one should be condemned too harshly for some small indiscretion or the other.

In one prime instance of corruption alleged, former Commodore Clifford Scavella noted that it was his estimation that up to a quarter of the Defence Force complement was rotten.

And in the believe it or not category was the assertion that apart from this rot, all was well in the ranks of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force!

In that same vein are to be found assertions concerning the extent to which The Royal Bahamas Police Force has to contend with its own so-called ‘bad apples’.

And after that, there is that myriad of allegations concerning the extent to which other government agencies are caught up in the coils of corruption. It is common knowledge in some circles that certain Immigration officers routinely accept gifts from this or that person.

It is also assumed that there are Customs Officers who are on the take. All of this is confirmed when from time to time one or two of these crooks are charged and convicted; and then, there are all those other instances where and when crime runs amok in our homes, on our streets - and in some of this nation’s suites.

And so, when it is all said and done – the Bahamian people should look deeply at what it is that they have become as they have decided to go in such hot pursuit of the Almighty Dollar.

January 26, 2011

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International

...the real McCoy in today’s blood-drenched Bahamas – Blam/gadjammit!

“…bite and blam…”
Rough Cut,
By Felix F. Bethel
The Bahama Journal




“Today it is the right that amuses itself with violent chat and proclaims an injured innocence when its flammable words blow up…” Jacob Weisberg.

“The officer approached her and [grabbed] her, [yanked] her hair and then the woman (Farah) threw her drink in the officer’s face, and the officer bit her,” Gibson claimed. “You should know the law. If you approach her, you’re supposed to arrest her and carry her. How could you beat her and bite her... what is this? Are we not humans anymore?”

From what I am hearing, some tourists are not coming back to the Bahamas – ever! “They said they’re not coming back here because if this is the way the police treat Bahamians they don’t want to return.”

As some of them are said to have described the police… They’re nasty… [The police] scared us…”

Ho dear what can the matter be…oh dear; ho dear, who cares anymore… and so [and on this note], I wish to remind you that, now that they are done with their pleasantries about a merry Christmas; a happy and prosperous new year and a host of other bull, the nigs and the nig police have returned to their nasty past-times.

And so the hurt continues; and as police beatings make the headlines and [sadly] the same tired-assed politicians are bleating like lambs on the way to the slaughter –with some bleating about national security and others bloviating nonsense galore about majority rule.

In the meantime – as the following news excerpts reveal – the beat continues.

Story number one concerns an event that involved two women, a fight, some biting and fine some face-scratching – and a bevy of shocked tourists.

Here I am told that, “…Tourists and Bahamians looked on in horror as a police officer allegedly beat a woman before hauling her off to jail yesterday in the area just behind the downtown straw market.

Edena Farrah is the name of the woman who was allegedly beaten by an off-duty officer for reasons that are still unknown.

Now note this: “The lady (Farah) was on the scooter with about 12 tourists following her… She stopped and was talking to the tourists, and the police woman, who wasn’t even in uniform, grabbed the woman by her hair and started to beat her…”

And then we have the question: “How could we have policemen in the force like that? The police should not be [acting] like that…”

Thereafter I am told that, some of the tourists on the tour chimed in with color commentary to the effect that, the police who beat the woman was truly nasty.

“They’re nasty… [The police] scared us. We came here; we spent our money and what are they doing? They beat the woman. They’re showing us bad things. They should not do that. It’s scary because you know you have lots of tourists here. They should cut it out. The policemen are a little too aggressive here. Just let them tour... let them serve us. We’re coming here because of the people. Don’t be aggressive here.”

And then there was even more commentary: Referring to the vendors who had served her earlier in the day, the woman added: “These are lovely people. The police should help - not hurt.”

“They’re nasty… [The police] scared us.

Now hear some of what happened ex post facto; and now – for emphasis – and after the nasty facts on the ground, Superintendent Wayne Miller informed media that he could not give details on what happened as the matter was still under investigation.

And as the investigation begins, Miller explained that, “Right now I’m trying to restore calm… We’re going to look at everything that happened then give a report…”

Yeah, Miller, I hear you.

Even now, I wonder if Miller heard what one witness said she saw and thereafter what the newspaper said she said.

Here I am told that, Wendy Nixon, a straw vendor, said she was sickened by what she witnessed.

As I am told she said that, “The police beat her like they wanted to kill her. I’m calling on the chief of police to investigate the officers. They are not officers; they are bullies.”

The plot sickens and thickens: Natasha Farrah said she was told that her sister was punched in the face several times. Several family members gathered yesterday at the Tourism Police Station on Bay Street where Farrah was being held…”

Another sister said police would only say that Edena Farrah was arrested for disorderly conduct.

And then we get another blast of hot opinion: “She’s in there bruised and bloodied. She is not a robber. She is not a thief. And she is not a murderer. Instead of beating her they need to go and do their job…”
Oh dear, [and sadly so] they are doing their jobs!

The only mercy in all that stuff that involved the police woman who they said bit the woman and then and thereafter yanked her hairy head has to do with the fact that there was no blam-gadjammit involved this time around.
Thank God for little mercies.

While this was so here; things were decidedly different there in Tucson, Arizona where as one Jacob Weisberg wisely advises: “…First you rile up psychotics with inflammatory language about tyranny, betrayal, and taking back the country.

“Then you make easy for them to get guns. But if you really want trouble, you should also make it hard for them to get treatment for mental illness.

I don't know if Loughner had health insurance, but he falls into a pool of people who often go uninsured—not young enough to be covered by parents (until the health-care bill's coverage of twenty-somethings kicked in a few months ago), not old enough for Medicare, not poor enough for Medicaid.

“If such a person happens to have a history of mental illness, he will be effectively uninsurable. To get treatment, he actually has to commit a crime. If Republicans succeed in repealing the Obama health care bill, that's how it will remain.

“Again, none of this says that Tea Party caused the Tucson tragedy only that its politics increased the odds of something like it happening.

And as the wise one concludes and as I concur; “…It was in criticizing writers on his own side for their naiveté about communism that George Orwell wrote, "So much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot."

Blam/gadjammit in Tucson, Arizona where a gunman armed with a Glock semi-automatic killed so very many people. Ironically, had he made it to the army and thence to the place where killing is condoned, Obama may have had reason enough to call him a hero.

Oh dear…Ho dear!

Sure seems as if contexts do matter when you set about that nasty business of wishing or wanting to kill people.

Here I end as I might not have wished but nonetheless, I have for you some real blam/gadjammit coming from the bloodied eye of that storm coursing its own destructive way through these islands, rocks and cays that belong to so very many foreigners.

The facts are clear and simple enough: A pre-school teacher was shot about the body multiple times with a shotgun by a lone gunman on Sunday night, leaving her school community in a state of shock and her family devastated.

According to police, Denise Adderley, 39, of Chippingham, was at Texaco Service Station on Wulff Road and Kemp Roads when she was shot.

Adderley died on the scene, bringing the murder count up to three for the year.

A man was arrested and a shotgun seized, according to police.

There it is: the real McCoy in today’s blood-drenched Bahamas – Blam/gadjammit!

January 13, 2011

The Bahama Journal

Bahamas Blog International

Bahamas: The FBI is assisting local detectives with their investigation into the disappearance of German businessman Johannes Maximillian Harsch

FBI ON MISSING GERMAN BUSINESSMEN PROBE
By STAFF WRITER
Guardian News Desk



The FBI is assisting local detectives with their investigation into the disappearance of German businessman Johannes Maximillian Harsch, police have confirmed.

The 46-year-old who lived alone in Fernandez Bay, was last seen on Sunday, May 2, having a meal at the Hawk's Nest restaurant at around 10.30 p.m.

Superintendent Leon Bethell, commanding officer of the Central Detective Unit, confirmed that local detectives took security camera footage taken from Harsch's home to the FBI for enhancement. According to Bethell, police still have the incident classified as a missing person investigation, although homicide detectives were on the case.

Police found Harsch's home secure, his truck untouched, his yacht tied up to a dock, and his aircraft sitting on the New Bight airport runway undisturbed; however, they fund no trace of Harsch, who reportedly had a disagreement with another resident on the island. The resident thought Harsch was too friendly with his teenage son.

Police arrested and questioned three persons about Harsch's disappearance but there was no evidence to file charges.

8/28/2010

thenassauguardian

Bahamas Blog International

Bahamas: Policing before Farm Road

BEFORE the Farm Road Project was started in June 2002 -- which later evolved into Urban Renewal -- active community policing was making itself felt. So much so that the Eastern Division Pacesetters, launched from the Elizabeth Estates Police Station, had already won the first international police award for the Bahamas.

The presentation --in which the Bahamas placed second in the competition -- was made by the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police in 2001.

The Tribune was also presented with a plaque as the first partner to join the Pacesetters and introduce them to the public. Other newspapers and many other partners followed.

And so we can write with first hand knowledge about the Pacesetters and their programme to promote "The Police are my friends!" theme and take active door-to-door policing to a community. It was an initiative of which the whole community was aware and from which it saw positive results.

"The Police are my friends!" initiative was first introduced by ASP Shannondor Evans in 1998 in Freeport where he was Officer in Charge of the Eastern Division of the Grand Bahama District.

He was later transferred to Nassau and posted at the Eastern Division-- Elizabeth Estates Police Station. It was here that the Eastern Division Pacesetters was born. The object was to promote through many initiatives the idea that the police were the friends of the community. It was an effort to build a partnership between the police and the community.

Mr Evans had the ingredients of a successful programme, but he had to find a vehicle from which to launch it. One day he arrived at The Tribune and met with Godfrey Arthur, our advertising manager. Mr Evans, is an officer one has to take seriously. So fired with enthusiasm was he that he immediately caught Mr Arthur's attention. The idea was then brought to us and in no time The Tribune was on board with a weekly programme that lasted over a year. At first it started small with weekly announcements of meetings. Then it branched out into space given to introduce, with photographs, the various police officers in the programme and different members of the community who agreed that the police were indeed their friends. It caught the public's attention.

The object was to train the community to become aware of and accept the fact that 4,000 police officers, members of the Reserves and civilians could not police 300,000 people adequately, unless the people wanted to be policed and were an integral part of the project.

After spending four months training his officers, ASP Evans and his men took to the streets. They visited every home and business in the Eastern Division -- a total of 8,512 homes.

As a result of increased housebreaking complaints occurring in the eastern area, ASP Evans launched an initiative to ensure the presence of more police officers on the streets, through track roads and in the bushes. He planned to conduct the exercise one day a week for five weeks. Between 30 to 40 officers were deployed each week and their orders were to take an "aggressive approach toward preventing crimes."

His appeal for financial support was copied to leading residents in the eastern division. One of the names on the list was that of Dr Bernard Nottage -- and so no one could say this programme was politically motivated because those of all political persuasions cooperated.

ASP Evans had committed himself to providing lunch for the officers to prevent them leaving the area. He was, therefore, appealing to leading citizens in his division for "lunch" money. In his letter of appeal he announced that the late Roger Carron, The Tribune's director, had already provided lunch for the first day out. Others followed.

Mr Francis Cancino of the Amoury company recalls one weekend sitting with his family on his porch when up rolled Mr Evans and his team on bicycles. Mr Evans introduced himself and explained the team's mission. "He impressed me quite a bit," Mr Cancino will tell you today. "He gave out pamphlets with very good tips for the homeowner," Mr Cancino said. These were brochures with crime tips and a questionnaire. As a result Mr Cancino was also a supporter and helped with donations, among them computers. Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette and his wife, Robin, were also enthusiastic backers, giving of their time and finances. Mrs Symonette worked closely with the children, and provided gifts at Christmas.

Said Godfrey Arthur, who lives in the Eastern Division: "You could see the morale of the Elizabeth Estates station improve. After Mr Evans' transfer to the Police College we have seen an increase in petty theft and home invasions in our area. When he was in charge there was a policeman in your area every hour on the hour. He attended all the town meetings and was present for all the Crime Watch committee meetings. His team was responsible for the decrease in petty crime -- the man was on the job day and night. He made certain that his division was patrolled."

Today, said Mr Arthur, "we no longer even see the 'Police are our friends!' signs in our district."

However, this is the type of programme that each division needs if a dent is to be made in crime.

November 24, 2009

tribune242

Bahamas Caribbean Blog International