THE outsourcing of Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers for street patrols would cripple border protection efforts, according to Opposition Leader Hubert Minnis yesterday.
Dr Minnis criticised the current administration's rationale after it was revealed that the government will be reviewing the Defence Force's role in the fight against crime.
"You're bringing the Defence Force into the streets, what are you going to replace them with?" Dr Minnis asked.
"You will leave your borders now widely open because you've mobilised your force somewhere else. Then you have problems with illegals, problems with your health system, you have problems with your schools, you have the possibility of diseases being introduced.
"Then problems with poaching," he added, "that is a lucrative market.
"We export products, what's going to happen there? The export market would decrease because of the poachers fighting on the high seas, that has always been a threat.
"All of these things," he said, "one has to consider."
In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, junior National Security minister Keith Bell said the government is considering whether RBDF officers will be put on patrol to replace police who are "pulled out for something else."
Last night, former National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest said: "If you know you have 2,900 police officers, and you have just under 1,200 Defense Force officers, if you start allocating 30 or 40 of them to guard ministers, if you take another 40 and put them in Urban Renewal and then take another 100 to 150 to put in various public schools, very soon you see that you're running into a human resource issue. But they're in charge, the people will judge them by what they do."
He added: "They said this from day one that they had a plan to fight crime, presumably this is now their plan."
Comments
242 12 years, 5 months ago
That adds up to bout 200 police straight chillin and RBDF doing the Police jobs while a sloop of people and guns slip in on yamacraw beach
242 12 years, 5 months ago
I remember when my school had a Police. The officer would be eatin hot patty while big fight on the next side. I hope the more equipped officers stay on patrol.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
might as well put them on land ,not like this gov going to get them any boats , wonder what happened to the 70 footer FNM already order and was being built
242 12 years, 5 months ago
It's not a good idea for various reasons....you don't want a town with military forces runnin round fighting crime. Tourist will say HELL NO go there for a what? there is a war going on.
bookiedread 12 years, 5 months ago
The PLP has once again shown that they do not have a plan for crime in this country. I remember their election promises, and so do a whole lot of people. The RBDF should remain at sea and not on land. To bring them on land would demoralize the RBPF. It would make them seem incompotent. We can not control what an individual does so crime will always be around. What we can do to stop alot of this foolishness happening in this country first starts by HMP. Witness tampering or hits on witnesses starts from up there and the prisoners ability to communicate on a daily basis with people on the outside by way of cell phones. Why hasn't anyone really tried to curb this problem instead of the minister trying to release these bunch of goons back on the streets.
242352 12 years, 5 months ago
READY ON DAY ONE!
Say What????
242 12 years, 5 months ago
they meant January 1st ya see
gigi 12 years, 5 months ago
so is the R.B. Defence force only about those on the high seas? whoa what will happen in the case of a National Coup will they stay out there then when the land is overrunned? i'm only curious
realfreethinker 12 years, 5 months ago
People we are in trouble the minister and his deputy had a meeting with all the law enforcement agencies in the country and after seeing the notes decide they should be armed even though they have body guards. that tells you everything you need to know about their crime strategy.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
they said they are going to reduce crime ,,i think they meant any chance of crime againts them....
TalRussell 12 years, 5 months ago
For the sakes of Jesus has the Comrade "the other" Alexander A. been absent from the Haitian problem for the past 5 years?
How could PM Christie leave our borders any more widely open. Has he visited PMH or Abaco at all during the red shirts regime's time in power. Can there be much more of a problem thrown at our health system than the rocks the red shirts threw its way. The schools are already overcrowded with Haitians and the diseases done arrived.
Comrades not only are they done here they were granted Bahamaland Passports in the thousands by the red shirts regime.
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2012…
242 12 years, 5 months ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl…
242 12 years, 5 months ago
Tal I found a video of one of your comrades
PKMShack 12 years, 5 months ago
Sounds like a crime plan to me. The 48 % getting what they voting for. NOTHING Thats Leadership you can depend on. Arm themseleves, raise their own pay, and keep the water muddy so the 48% do not notice they have been hood winked with promises that cant' seem to surface. Good ole PLP doing what they do.....Nothing......can you say you are really surprised?
Oracle 12 years, 5 months ago
TalRussell can I kindly buy the illustrious Russell name from you least they associate all of us with your ignorance and stupidity.
TalRussell 12 years, 5 months ago
Hubert relied on his former law partner to handle all the money business at their law chambers, so I'm sticking with the man who can at least count and manage money. He helped Hubert to make his first million dollars so, maybe PM Christie can help pay off the billions you red shirts got Bahamaland in hock to the foreigners for.
Concerned 12 years, 5 months ago
My God, what have we gotten ourselves into with this PLP Government? I cannot fathom that the people who were elected to lead us would seriously consider this plan without seeing the far reaching implications. I am very concerned.
John 12 years, 5 months ago
I dont see anywhere in the story where it says that the defence force will abondon our borders in favor of fighting crime on the streets of New Providence. In many instances there are a number of defence forces officers on base with basically nothing to do, since available boats have been manned and sent off to sea.(to protect our boarders) Some boats may not be sea worthy and the availabliity of fuel is also a factor that limits the number of officers deployed to sea. We have a crime crises in the Bahamas, more particularly New Providence, and the government (and everyone else) should pull out all stops to get the situation under control. The defence force Is suppose to be a military operation that should be trained to handle situations on land as well as the sea. A temporary (did I say temporary) assignment to the streets of Nassau will enhance their skills and experience and should help in putting a dent in crime, at least.
The Pindling government used the defence force to assist the police, during elections, for exampl.e and to man high security places in critical times and in peace time. They are still assigned to certain posts, the US Embassy to name one. Those who criticize this move to get the defence force to help clean up crime on this island seems to have put their desire to seeing the PLP fail above that of seeing crime curbed and the slaughter of young men in this country stop. That is a selfish and dangerous attitude..more destructive than the crime that is trying to consume us all! The murder count grew from 47 in 2006 to more than 127 in 2011, MURDER almost trippled in 5 years.. imagine the stats for other crimes. MP's are having their licence plates stolen and now senior ministers of the government see the need to carry weapons..When will enough be enough with this crime? Support the effort OR offer better ideas!
santopadro 12 years, 5 months ago
Firstly, I highly recommend that Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition Leader, The Honourable Dr. Hubert Minnis, hires a military consultant to best advise him on matters concerning the employment of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RDBF), particularly in support of civilian authorities... In fact, in keeping with provisions contained in the Defence Act, for decades the RBDF has provided personnel to assist The Bahamas Immigration Department in the round up, detention, and deportation of illegal immigrants. Moreover, since its inception, The Defence Force has deployed its personnel during periods of national disasters to assist our civilian population in recovery efforts. Besides, oversight of these operations currently falls under the Director of NEMA, who is presently a senior Defence Force Officer under secondment to National Security working in this civilian capacity.
Furthermore, immediately following 9/11, Defence Force Personnel were provided with specialised US Military Training and dispatched forthwith to guard and protect our nation's major ports of entry, including Sir Lynden Pindling International Airport. Please be advised, the swift deployment of these brave men and women to provide security to our ports practically recused our nation's number one industry, Tourism, from ultimate demise. prior to this, the US was threatening to issue a travel advisory to their citizens coming to The Bahamas, as they considered us to be a "soft" target for terrorism. Today, these well-trained Marines provide security and protection to the cruise ship passenger at Prince George Dock.
Second, I am taken aback that Dr. Minnis appears to be unaware that RBDF Commandos are competently trained in tactics in support of civilian authorizes during periods of civil unrest. Truth be told, our nation is in the middle of a crime crisis, which, in my humble opinion, spiraled out of control because of ineffective actions undertaken by successive governments.
Third, l would like to remind Dr. Minnis that during the civil unrest in Bimini several years ago, the Royal Bahamas Police Strike Force, backed up by Defence Force Commandos, were immediately dispatched aboard two Defence Force Vessels to maintain law and order in that region of our archipelago. Today, in my humble opinion, drastic times calls for drastic action. Consequently, I strongly disagree with the Minister's comments that deployment of qualified and well-trained Marine Commandos to augment the Royal Bahamas Police Force in high crime areas "would cripple border protection efforts", as the Defence Force has always performed admirably during periods of national crisis
sturrup2 12 years, 5 months ago
Isn't it just the way this discredited FNM party and its supporters think. The mindset of a jackass. "Incompetence personified" left a gigantic mess that must be cleaned up. Instead of talking about what can't work, how about putting foward some solutions. Oh I forget, in five years your solution with respect to the road improvement project was to put hundreds of small businesses out of business. Well, so it goes...
242 12 years, 5 months ago
Good points however i tjink yall missed thepart about police officers being removed to do other jobs
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
crawfish season coming , don,t worry fellow fishermen ,the RBDF, going be on land becuase the police in schools ,urban renewal, and guarding PGC
John 12 years, 5 months ago
Beyond what was posted previously, the situaiton we face in the Bahamas is one of spiritual warfare. Something that is going on in many other Caribbean countries and major cities in the US. Just this weekend 3 young men were killed in Auban Texas and others injured during a violent outbreak over a young girl. We should not miss the point that many persons who kill or comit crimes of violence have no prior criminal record. In addition to human action and policing efforts we need to call a national day of prayer and fasting to restore spiritual peace to this land. Satan knows he is on his last lap and he is about massive destruction of the human race and the gathering of souls to spend eternity with him in torment. He can only be stopped with Divine intervention...let us pray...Joh n 3:16
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