THE controversial spate of deaths in police custody has brought the Royal Bahamas Police Force to “the crossroads” according to Bishop Simeon Hall.
The outspoken Pastor Emeritus of New Covenant Baptist Church said that while he supports the Commissioner of Police and all the officers who serve under him, the recent deaths has besmirched their reputation and raised concerns about police brutality.
“The Bahamian public must be reassured that those responsible for carrying out the law abide by the law and face the harshest punishment when they break the law,” Bishop Hall said.
He said that most right thinking Bahamians are not against the police the police, but they are against the “slightest hint” of police brutality.
“I also wish to question our system of referring matters of this nature to the Coroner’s Court. It would seem more just if in these kinds of cases, a coroner were a medical doctor or pathologist, rather than a magistrate, as is done in the United States,” Bishop Hall said.
He added: “The police needs the support of the public but they will not receive it from a distant, suspicious community angry by the obvious acts of disregard for the law by the minority of persons on the police force.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Perry Christie promised to personally investigate the incidents after the families of the victims protested in Rawson Square, demanding justice for their loved ones.
The families have also called for the resignation of the Minister of National Security, Dr Bernard Nottage after he walked past them on his way to the House of Assembly and “ignored” their cries for help.
Comments
John 11 years, 9 months ago
Are a number of policemen suffering from 'battle fatigue'? Are some officers getting fraustrated and burnt out on their job and starting to act out-of-character? Some taking matters into their own hands and killing persons incustody? some getting choked to death, others smothered in plastic bags and yet others having the life litealy beaten out of them? Are other officers themselves turning to crime or drug or alcohol abuse? Is it because they cannot cop with the stress of their jobs? Do policemen ever get psychological evaluations? What about rotations? Do they ever move officers from highly stressful posts and lace them in less demanding onesand explain to the officers the reason for the shift?
stand_up 11 years, 8 months ago
Hi there, I'm in London working as a record producer and I just got a call from ,y son who wrok's on the our Lucaya beach resort as a water sports instructor.
He had his car sprayed by plain clothes police who followed him and then started opening fire.
he pulled up to a squad car thinking they would stop or drive off but they came out the car while changing clip to shoot again.
he drove off. further up the road they met them lying face down on the ground.
they arrested and charged him and his friends with knocking down a police officer which they did not do. he told me that the police was trying to break his back bumper off with his foot.
he said he looked up while lying face down on the graveled floor only to have his face stomped on the rocks by an officer's shoe.
Please help.
He said they came by his grandmothers home without a search warrant and as she was asking them to produce one they just barged pass her stating they came to search her premises.
My other son, Antonio's twin, who also works on the beach doing the same thing, started shouting at them for pushing his grandmother and they wanted to arrest him for protesting their heavy handedness towards his nan. she stopped them and both she and him and her other daughter who just had a baby were all arrested.
now i know this message is a bit long winded but i think it's important that you get the full story.
he and him friends are now on a $9,000.00 bail. He's enrolling in COB(while he works)to qualify to study law over here. I am an affiliate with the bahamas high commision. and I want to but i don't know how to bring this matter up to them. but if need be i will make it my life's work to bring this to the forefront of the world.
I don't blame the police when they allow the few bad apples that wreak havoc on a helpless public.
I blame the people who fail to make noise when wrong is being done by those sworn to defend the law.
Im really sad, upset but most of all im angry. to know that if you are poor and cant afford a lawyer, there is no means by which you can get representation.
CAN YOU HELP? IF NOT DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE CAN GO TO RECEIVE SOME ASSISTANCE? He's been through alot Mr. Darville. And his head is in the right place.
ambitious hard working and keeping his nose clean. Now this. Please Help.
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