History of the Police Reserves- History of the RBPF

HISTORY OF THE RBPF
RBPF (1804-2020)
Historical Overview
Formation of the RBPF
Organization and Structure
Past Bahamian Commissioners
Leadership in Question
The Force After Independence
Women in Policing
The Police Reserves

History of the Police Reserves

From the early 1940s, The Bahamas experienced several incidents of civil unrest. As a result of the NIA incident and the arrival of the Worchester Regiment, locals became more agitated. In January of 1958, there was a general labour strike of all the labour forces. The Worchester Regiment assisted the Police in this strike but the locals did not appreciate the way they were being treated. Tensions between Bahamian residents never settled down. Bahamians decided that they did not want anyone from the outside to police them and spurned the idea of Police Reserves. The first documentation of a possible establishment of a Police Reserves is found in the Police Report of 1944. It stated that the Commissioner would be in charge of the Reserve Force, which was comprised exclusively of part time officers. A uniform with distinctive differences should be worn by the Reserve officers to show the difference between full time officers and Reserves. These officers would also be required to attend official parades and lectures.

The Bahamas' Police Reserves was formally established in June 1965, over 20 years after it was first recommended. The official recruitment of the first squad of reserves occurred in August if 1965 with a total of 59 male volunteers. These men came from all walks of life, each having different professions. The men, who were mostly World War II veterans, were trained for three months at Police Headquarters. The group of men, many of whom owned businesses, wanted to assist the police in the fight against crime.