The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday denied he has attempted to influence aspects of the commissioner of police’s 2018 policing plan, calling such concerns misguided.

Mr Dames told reporters that any delay in the release of the plan had more to do with Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson’s attention to detail, and nothing to do with his review and commentary.

Mr Dames, a former deputy commissioner of police, said he had only been privy to an early draft of the plan, and following his review, he asked Commissioner Ferguson to prepare the document to be presented in Parliament.

“The crime plan will have to be tabled before the House, but there are some edits,” he said when asked about the plan by reporters yesterday. “They had completed their drafts, but there were some edits that were completed and they will produce it into a booklet form. I am hoping that in the next week or two, that we can lay it before the House.”

Mr Dames added: “Yes, I have seen the first draft. It is the commissioner’s plan and so it is how he intends to police the Bahamas over the next year or so and we will give him an opportunity to execute that plan.”

Mr Dames said rules permit him only to review the plan, present it to Parliament, and meet with the commissioner at the six-month mark to review the success of the plan.

To that end he stated: “We have no input as to how we lay our policies, his plan is consistent with our policies. That is it. That’s how he intends to use the force over the next year.”

Mr Dames added: “As a government, the law is quite clear. We will have an opportunity to review that plan within six months to see whether it is on target.”

The plan was expected earlier this month, when Commissioner Ferguson released the 2017 crime statistics, but has not been made public to date.

Commissioner Ferguson has maintained that the plan is on the way.

Additionally, Mr Dames yesterday also indicated that law enforcement agencies may need to re-evaluate recruitment procedures and policies, in view of police officers who have been brought up on criminal charges.

Mr Dames admitted there needed to be a “closer look” as to who law enforcement agencies were recruiting.

Moreover, on the issue of recruitment, Mr Dames said persons pursued and enlisted by law enforcement agencies often reflect the wider society.

He contended that agencies try their best to vet persons during the recruitment process, but like in any other profession, the process is not perfect.

“The police are a microcosm of our society. No police organisation or police force anywhere can tell you that they have been perfect with recruitment.”

He continued: “Now after that said, yes, there are things that we definitely have to change and we have to do to improve the quality of individuals we take into our law enforcement agencies. As a government, we continue to say that.”