The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 900 Bahamian police and defence force officers are on the ground in Abaco and Grand Bahama, according to the Office of the Prime Minister, which said the necessary resources are being provided to ensure safety and security on those island.

Meanwhile, over 100 officers from the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Defence Force arrived in The Bahamas yesterday to assist local law enforcement in providing safety and security on Abaco and Grand Bahama in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

The 119 Trinidadian soldiers, consisting of 100 officers from that country’s Defence Force Regiment, Coast Guard, Air Guard and Reserves, will be on the ground for the next 30 days as part of T&T’s support for The Bahamas’ disaster relief efforts.

The remaining 19 “reconnaissance” officers will also be stationed in The Bahamas to provide feedback to officials in T&T on how they may better assist local law enforcement while here, according to T&T’s Minister of National Security Stuart Young.

Mr Young, who led yesterday’s contingent along with the commodore of T&T’s defence force, Darryl Daniel, said he has also brought with him a “small crew” from T&T’s Electricity Commission to assist with disaster relief efforts. He also said another crew from his country’s Water and Sewerage Authority should be in The Bahamas by Tuesday to “provide whatever support” they can.

Meanwhile, Mr Young said the people of T&T are busy putting together “as much relief supplies as we can get” in accordance to what Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has asked for. Mr Young said it is his hope that T&T’s private sector assists its government in getting those donations to The Bahamas “as quickly as possible”.

“It’s a time like this when the global eyes are on our region, and I’m proud to be a son of the soil, not only of Trinidad and Tobago but of the CARICOM,” Mr Young said.

“Because we may have our differences as we go along, as everyone does, but any time it’s a time of need like this we always come together.”

The arrival of yesterday’s contingent came hours after 120 officers from Jamaica’s defence force arrived in The Bahamas to lend their support to the ongoing disaster relief efforts.

National Security Minister Marvin Dames and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Tellis Bethel met the Jamaican contingent at the Lynden Pindling International Airport sometime after 11pm.

Speaking during a press conference to mark the arrival of the contingent from T&T, Mr Dames said the support of both Caribbean nations is a “testament of the relationship between all nations of the Caribbean, that in times of crisis they all rise to help and assist one another.”

“Today we welcome the resources from Trinidad and Tobago, because now (we) will have a complement of officers from this great nation as well as Jamaica, to complement our Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and there’s no doubt about it, Commodore Bethel and his team are grateful.

“…Because ours is a small country of just some 400,000 people, but a lot of land to (cover). And the more the merrier. And Commodore Bethel and his team would have worked with our brothers and sisters throughout this region on many operations. So the good thing is we’re not talking about strangers here; we’re talking about persons who know each other. And that brings a lot to the table.”

According to a statement from the OPM, a total of 274 officers from both the RBDF and the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) were stationed on Abaco as of Saturday. Another 666 RBPF and RBDF officers were stationed on Grand Bahama, inclusive of police reserves.

Additionally, the OPM’s statement said there are “large numbers” of security forces from the United States and the United Kingdom on the ground on both islands involved in search, rescue and recovery efforts.