POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander. (File photo)
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
COMMISSIONER of Police Clayton Fernander revealed on Friday that a fleet of 100 new police vehicles, valued at $2m, was purchased to aid in the fight against crime within the country.
Out of the 100 vehicles, 37 are on the ground, with the remaining 63 to arrive within the next week and a half, according to the police commissioner.
“I looked at the fleet of vehicles that were present during that time, I did research within the region with respect to a fleet of vehicles and we came up with the frontier trucks that are being used across the region in the fight against crime,” Commissioner Fernander said.
“The Prime Minister agreed with my proposal of 100 vehicles and he signed off on it almost immediately with finance and here we are today. At present on the ground as we speak, we have a total of 37 vehicles. The balance, which is 63 vehicles, should be here on the island in another week and a half, it's on the way to New Providence.
“So, we are pleased with the government for signing off on this and we are ready to move.”
Commissioner Fernander promised that the new fleet of vehicles will increase saturation patrols in hotspot areas and serve as a deterrent for crime within the various communities.
“The Bahamian people want to see more boots on the ground, more presence within the community to prevent these incidents from happening and we will do just that,” Commissioner Fernander said during the press conference on Friday.
“The officers are up to the task, and all of the officers who were identified for this initiative were briefed already yesterday (Thursday).”
He noted a few members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force will work alongside police during this initiative.
“And what this will do? The response time will be less,” he said. “The presence of complaints will be timely. This will reduce the fear of crime because if you are sleeping tonight, and you see that glare of the police light through your window, you feel good to know that the police are in your neighbourhood.”
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, who was in attendance, said this initiative serves as a step employed by his administration to address the issue of crime.
“This press briefing really is just to update the public on the steps and initiatives that are being employed by this administration to address the issue of crime and the fear of crime,” Mr Davis said.
“We, my administration, upon coming to office understood and appreciated that our country has been drifting in a cycle of violence that does not augur well for economic goals. The first step to any growth is to ensure that our citizens feel safe and that they could operate in a secure environment and we have identified some initiatives, one of which is saturation patrols.
“We recognised there are limited vehicles to make efforts of saturation patrols effective, so we decided to invest in that in acquiring 100 vehicles specifically for the purposes of this initiative.”
Mr Davis noted that successive governments placed focussed efforts into detection, prosecution and punishment, rather than prevention.
He said realigning the focus on prevention would allow for less attention in those areas.
It was also noted that The Royal Bahamas Police Force partnered with Bahamas Power & Light to improve streetlights throughout the community to combat crime.
The objective of the initiative is to change, improve, and restore streetlights throughout the capital, specifically in “hotspot” areas in terms of violence.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 7 months ago
"We recognised there are limited vehicles"
Different day...
The cars will be destroyed in another year. Crime is imcreasing. The criminal mind is deteriorating. Added to that saturation patrols are not scalable and theyre not sustainable. Thats where we start from, the solution comes next.
John 1 year, 7 months ago
The police were getting new vehicles from time ago. Yes, the vehicles are a necessity and should be reliable and in great running condition. BUT the commissioner did not misspeak ( virtually) when he said he need more boots on the ground. Foot patrols in some areas, bicycle patrols in others. Make the police presence a part of the community presence. Not just rolling through a community full speed and the a/c on ‘Alaska’
John 1 year, 7 months ago
Most of the crime in this country is police generated! Keep your boots on whilst I explain: it started back in the 1980’s with the so called ‘war on drugs.’ This so called ‘ war on drugs’ was actually a ‘war on Black people, and especially Black men.’ Where police were instructed to drive into Black neighborhoods , site a ‘suspect’ make that eye contact with him until he feels uncomfortable and decides to move away or even run. The police then move in, tackle him question why he run. And sometimes when the ‘suspect’ is clean and innocent, the dirty cops with the blessings of their superiors will plant evidence on the suspect ( gun, drugs, stolen items) and book the individual. And because he is unable to afford s defense attorney he goes to jail on a long time and is innocent. And don’t say it doesn’t happen here, don’t say there are not dirty cops here ( just follow a case that is now the coroner’s court). Don’t say profiling does not happen here, where young men are not targeted, searched, many times intimidated and harassed by police, Some even lose their lives. Two and three at a time sometimes at the hands of police, Then there’s the Kemp Road incident. So what is the point? The point is a lot of the crime in this country will not cease until the police force, including its top brass, end the war on young, Black men. You police force and police men and women ( because there was a woman police officer who was carrying on worse than the men, roughing up the young men verbally and physically abusing them. Making it patently obvious that she had other things going on in her life that make proper and ordered policing impossible). You cannot continue yo assume every young man in this country is a suspect, Then assault, harass, intimidate them ( break their balls) and even arrest and put false charges on them. You must, Mr Comissioner, end the war on your young people, Stop these full body searches in the middle of the streets even in high traffic. It makes the police officers look worse than the suspects when they go in a persons wallet and drawers and shoes in the middle of the the streets. There should be a a pat down etc to ensure that the suspects have no weapons and the officers are safe. But if a search beyond that is necessary then inform the suspects of the suspicion and of their rights then take them to a police station and do the rest of your police work there. It is sickening to see young men being strip searched in the middle of the streets. Don’t wait until this country gets like the US with 211 mass shootings for the year ( yes 2023) before you end your war on young men. You must eliminate the need for anyone in this country to say, ‘ If they ( police) gonna treat me like a criminal, I may as well be one.’ And remind your officers they will be accountable for their actions . Especially when they operate outside the law,
TalRussell 1 year, 7 months ago
What if Comrade Commish --- had taken a pass to buying 100 new policemans' vehicles --- And instead of providing instructions on --- Trigger Pull Techniques to Improve Your Shot. --- The Commish was to fund classes to whoop the polcemans' in shape to be --- Walking the communities, the streets and jibes. -- Try offering training to the colony's uniformed policemans' to be asking of the conflicted popoulaces' --- 'How can we be of assistance, --- Rather than ---yelling' --- 'Hands Up ---Whilst 'pulling the trigger'. --- For some -- It wasn't their first time shooting at someone popoulaces' --- Reliable source says that at least -- 35 of the vehicles -- are being assigned to the senior ranked policeman's officers that wear them brown khakis. --- Them is in the most need of whopping in shape to walk-the-blocks. --- No No Yes Yes? Yes?
sheeprunner12 1 year, 7 months ago
So, what has happened to the hundreds of police vehicles that the PF has gotten over the last decade?
And crime is exploding in Nassau ....... Why is crime not increasing in the Family Islands, even though they don't get new PF vehicles every year???
Having flashy new trucks won't reduce nor solve crime.
TalRussell 1 year, 7 months ago
@ComradeSheepRunner12, the bare serious crime numbers show that going on another new vehicle spending spree here and there --- Hoping to curb violent crime is like --- Grabbing a bit of sand and expecting the beach to disappear. --- Policing as we know it --- Is as broken as the 100 newly acquired vehicles' will be in just 12 short months' time. --- ComradeSheepRunner12, --- Isn't this the ripe time to place policing' --- Under the management of a --- Civil Command. --- No No Yes Yes?
DDK 1 year, 7 months ago
Crime IS increasing on the Family Islands, they get plenty of new vehicles too, also plenty of khaki.🤣😂🤣
TalRussell 1 year, 7 months ago
@ComradeDDK, are you with me when it comes to Freeporters' experiencing increased serious crime --- Maybe it's time to --- scrub 'policing; power' --- away from Nassau Town's central command --- To return policing' back under --- The "Civil" Command -- Of the Hayward and St. George families. --- No No Yes Yes?
killemwitdakno 1 year, 7 months ago
But none stay on the same corners where we hear repeated murders.
John 1 year, 7 months ago
The world is a different place now but the old folks use to ‘stay away from the police and stay away from the courts. If you see them going one way, turn around and go the opposite direction.’ But I this is a different day and time now if you do that these days the police will say you ‘acting suspicious’. And go from therr
ExposedU2C 1 year, 7 months ago
Wow! The Tribune's staff reporter failed to disclose that these new Frontier trucks are EV flat bed trucks. Not sure why the police need flat bed trucks. And how are these lithium battery powered new trucks going to be recharged when the lights start going out later this summer as things heat up and the demand for electricity surges?
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