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.

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