The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A TRUANCY crackdown has targeted barber shops where students have been hanging out, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Chaswell Hanna.

 ACP Hanna said school resource officers had issued warnings in two instances to students and barber shop owners.  

 Officers targeted barber shops near schools that have become known hangouts for truant students, reminding them of the Education Act and the importance of attending classes during school hours.

 “We had an incident in the area of CH Reeves,” ACP Hanna said.

 “There’s a nearby barber shop that we had a reason to go into based on information, and we found students in there just before, just after school had convened. They were warned, and they were reminded about the Education Act and the fact that between school hours, nine and three, students must be in school. So they were warned, and we didn’t have any issue from them.”

 A similar situation occurred near SC McPherson, with police taking swift action. ACP Hanna said: “We can make application to the licensing authority to have the licence revoked for the barber shop and their business closed down. That’s how serious we are about enforcing the rules of the Education Act.”

 In August 2023, the Royal Bahamas Police Force expanded its School Resource Officer (SRO) programme by certifying 27 additional officers.

 “The private schools want the SROs, and the primary schools want the SROs,” said ACP Hanna, adding that plans for expansion to primary schools will be announced by the Education Minister.

 He added: “One of the issues we found last semester best with parents coming on campus creating a disturbance because they had some issue with a grade, perhaps, of a child, and we’ve charged parents for assaulting members of the school faculty and staff, so we don’t have any issues with that. We see parents becoming more involved.”

 ACP Hanna noted a nearly 17 percent reduction in school incidents compared to the previous academic year.

 “The barber shop owners, they know that we mean business,” ACP Hanna said. He also called on the public to report students found in barber shops or other unauthorised locations during school hours.

 “If you see kids, whether it be in a barber shop or anywhere where they’re not supposed to be during school hours, we want you to let us know because we need to get them to where they need to be. Their parents send them to school. They need to be in school getting their education.”