Posted on January 18, 2021 | by The Royal Bahamas Police Force
The Commissioner of Police, Paul Rolle Esq, held his annual Meet the Press briefing on Monday 18th, January 2021 at the Paul Farquharson Center, Police Headquarters. He addressed the state of crime in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the restructuring of the Force.(Complete Press Brief Below) I commend each and every police and Reserve officer for their outstanding service as the Force continues to navigate through the most challenging policing era in modern history. As we continue to tip the scale in law enforcement across the Caribbean, we have integrated emerging technologies into our policing operations with the introduction of ShotSpotter, Marco's Alert Digital Billboards, drone technology, closed circuit television (CCTV), body worn cameras, and dashboard cameras. We have also upgraded and improved our information communications technology platform seeking to deliver the best possible law enforcement policing services to the Bahamian public. During the year, there were 4,275 breaches to the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Order. This figure includes 2,370 curfew violations. The Force also responded to 126 COVID-19 calls for assistance. Despite the coronavirus the members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force persevered amidst the challenge and were still able to make a positive impact on crime. Our National Neighborhood Watch Council has created 144 neighborhood watch groups throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas as a means to bridge the gap between the police and the community. It is incumbent upon all Bahamians to participate in community building efforts. Officers at the divisional level will continue to interact with residents, business owners, schools, and religious institutions to ensure that all are safe. Our most notable highlight for 2020 was the overall reduction in crime. The men and women of the Force performed at an exceptional level and were able to accomplish this feat in a number of ways. I now turn my attention to crime "At the end of 2020, Chicago police reported more than 750 murders, a jump of more than 50%; Los Angeles saw a 30% increase over the previous year with 322 homicides; There were 437 homicides in New York City, nearly 40% more than the previous year. Armed Robberies Sexual Offences Missing Persons Domestic Matters I Now Look at Suicides Crimes Against the Property Stolen vehicles decreased by 19% with 229 incidents, compared to 283 in 2019. Hondas were the most targeted vehicles of choice representing 34% of all vehicles stolen. Residences continue to be the most targeted location. Housebreakings decreased by 13% with 598 incidents, compared to 684 in 2019. New Providence District accounted for 379 or 63% of all housebreakings, most of which occurred in the Eastern Division. Grand Bahama including Abaco and Bimini accounted for 126 or 21% of housebreakings and the Family Islands accounted for the remaining 16%, most of which occurred in Eluethera with 40 incidents. Shotspotter Police Involved Shootings Complaints against Police I now wish to address the restructure of Force
"On March 30th, 2020, I was sworn in as the 8th Commissioner of Police for The Bahamas. It is my distinct privilege to command the Royal Bahamas Police Force in this capacity and serve the Bahamian people.
I assumed command at a time when the Force was managing two major incidents including the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Dorian and the emergence of the novel coronavirus.
Our country remains in a state of emergency, but with the Lord on our side, we will continue to defy pessimism. It is indeed a humbling experience and I am grateful for this opportunity to serve my country.
I pledge to do my best to discharge my duties during my tenure as Commissioner of Police. I am cognizant of the fact that I am only here for a season and my allegiance is to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
I acknowledge the Almighty God in all matters and I continue to seek his guidance for my life as I serve as head of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
To that end, the courageous men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Bahamians, residents, and visitors. These are tasks which every police officer must embrace given the intense scrutiny from the public and the media, which help to keep us accountable for our services.
As the police continue to face new threats and challenges in 21st Century law enforcement, we must continue to upgrade, and review practices aimed at providing policing services that are relevant in today's rapidly changing policing environment.
We have taken a strategic approach to address emerging and ongoing issues. Therefore, we have invested in our human capital and other key resources to assist with the overall management of crime.
These investments are critical to the dynamics of the Force as we continue to transition into a learning organization with employee development through constant training at every level.
The Force continues to recruit the best and brightest prospects from all Bahamian communities. These prospects include university graduates with varying professional disciplines to further propel the Force into an organization that is revered by Bahamians and envied by international law enforcement counterparts.
We have spent just under a million dollars on maintenance of existing fleet of vehicles, our aircraft, our marine resources, our stations and other work space in an effort to remain compliant with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Our aim is to keep our officers, visitors and prisoners safe. The police force was allocated $135 million for 2020 and we managed it prudently and sought other ways to save so as not to waste the tax payers' money.
Overall, the Royal Bahamas Police Force was challenged and rose to the occasion amid its vast responsibilities in 2020. The year was distinct compared to previous years in every aspect as a worldwide occurrence took place.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global health crisis. By mid-March the COVID 19 pandemic reached the Bahamian boarders and drastic measures were undertaken to sustain the Country and help save lives.
We had to make adjustments to the way we performed our tasks and duties.
By the end of the year, the coronavirus impacted the entire Commonwealth of The Bahamas with 7,887 confirmed cases. This figure includes 288 members of the Force who tested positive for COVID-19.
On the other hand as part of our humanitarian efforts and strategy to assist in the fight against crime, the Force continues to partner with communities throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
We are fully cognizant of those communities that were negatively impacted by the pandemic based on feedback from our community outreach portfolios on the ground including the National Neighborhood Watch Council (NNWC), Urban Renewal, and the National Crime Prevention Office.
As a result, we secured and distributed more than one million dollars in goods to further expand and bolster our community policing efforts throughout the communities in New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.
Our community relations activities included community walkabouts, food drive initiatives, distribution of food and grocery vouchers, water, face masks, school supplies, and tablet computers for children to access the virtual learning portal and the encouragement to residents to wear face masks to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Due to the exceptional work of the National Neighborhood Watch Council, the Force received the coveted 2020 Community Policing Leadership Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
During the final quarter of 2020, the National Neighborhood Watch Council coordinated efforts with Urban Renewal and embarked on the, "We Are One" neighborhood cleanup campaign that was sponsored by the Ministry of National Security.
We will continue to build on these initiatives and share information on crime trends in the various communities to involve citizens in keeping their neighborhoods safe.
Section 4 of the Police Force Act 2009 outlines the mandate of the Force. Our current crime fighting strategies and policing initiatives seek to build safer communities through engaging public discourse, support and participation.
We have successfully fulfilled the objectives outlined in my 2020 Policing Plan and I will present the 2021 Plan in due time.
They are to be commended. We kept communities safe by providing high police visibility throughout the Commonwealth as a crime deterrent strategy. We ran daily operations that targeted hotspots and prolific offenders as a daily crime preventative measure.
We restructured the mobile division with additional officers and launch the Operational Command Division putting more police patrols throughout New Providence and Grand Bahama.
We executed numerous search warrants and detained persons on outstanding warrants of arrest. We conducted road checks and engaged in aggressive stop and search tactics to remove illegal firearms and dangerous drugs from the streets of The Bahamas.
Notably, we seized 279 illegal firearms, 4,044 rounds of ammunition, and charged 178 persons for possession of illegal firearms. We seized 4,301 pounds of marijuana, 1,505 marijuana plants and 165 pounds of cocaine.
As a result, we arrested 1,383 suspects and charged 1,120 persons for possession of dangerous drugs.
We invested in training and improved our case file preparation process resulting in higher conviction rates.
We continue to demonstrate compassion to victims of serious crimes and conducted 101 family meetings, 151 telephone call follow-ups and 95 agency referrals for counseling.
We collaborated with other law enforcement agencies and ran joint operations with the Defense Force, The Bahamas Department of Immigration and The Bahamas Customs Department in addressing the overall fight against crime.
I thank each of these agencies' leaders and teams for their continued support.
We expanded the investigative capacity of our Financial Crime Investigations Branch with additional officers and training.
All officers at the Branch are now certified at international standards to conduct financial crime investigations. As a result, the unit has become fully compliant and was part of the requirement for the Bahamas' removal from the Financial Action Task Force's Grey List We conducted anti-money laundering and compliance training at local banks and insurance companies.
We have since assisted several countries with money laundering investigations, effectively seizing millions of dollars in cash and assets.
We conducted thousands of traffic stops and cited motorists. We participated in radio and television shows aimed at educating motorists.
We gave out fliers with safe driving tips. We did regular patrols of our highways and employed speed guns to monitor and crack down on reckless drivers.
We mobilized officers throughout the Bahamas and issued over 18,000 fixed penalty notices. Based on our road safety measures and strategy we saw a 6% decline in traffic fatalities and 31% decline in road accidents. Despite this fact the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama continues to be of concern for speeders.
We utilized our community reach through the National Neighborhood Watch Council, Urban Renewal and the National Crime Prevention Office to educate the public on domestic violence, crime prevention tips and road safety.
We amplified our community policing message using our website and social media platform, talk shows, documentaries, public service announcements, literature and seminars.
We engaged the youth face to face and through virtual platforms with various positive initiatives.
We instituted a youth band and established a cadets program in Inagua, North Andros and South Andros.
We hosted youth camps and sporting events as an outlet to keep young people occupied and out of trouble. We conducted lectures and seminars to dissuade young people from joining gangs and engaging in crime.
We also educated the Force on domestic violence and reinvigorated our relationship with the Bureau of Women's Affairs, the Department of Gender and Family Affairs, the Community Counseling and Assessment Center, the Department of Social Services and our international affiliates on Women's Affairs.
We have witnessed the ascension of police women to key positions within the Force including Deputy Commissioner Ismella Delancy, Assistant Commissioner Loretta Mackey to the Executive Team.
In addition, we now have female Officers in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Department in Shanta Knowles, Central Commander Mary Mitchell, Eastern Commander Linda Moxey, Public Safety Commander Maxine Leary-Rolle, Family Islands District Commander Dellareece Ferguson, Grand Bahama District Public SafetyCommander Kimberly Taylor, Human Resources Director Patrona Bethel, and Forensic Science Director Rochelle Deleveaux.
Of particular note is the appointment of Assistant Superintendent Chavonne Dames, the first female police officer to be appointed as Police Liaison to the United States to be stationed in the Consulate in Miami.
I wish to congratulate ASP Dames. I also wish to thank Chief Superintendent Wayne Woodside, who will be returning home after the handing over, will be assigned to a new portfolio.
Preliminary figures indicate that overall crime for the year 2020 decreased by 16% over the same period in 2019. Crimes against the person decreased by 21% with 712 incidents, compared to 896 in 2019.
Homicides decreased by 23% with 73 incidents, compared to 95 in 2019. This is the least amount of persons killed in a year in fifteen years. We have recorded a constant decline in homicides since we peaked in 2015 when we recorded 145 murders.
There were 59 murders in New Providence, 9 in Grand Bahama and, 5 in the Family Islands. Victims between the age of 18 and 35 represent 62% of all homicides.
Retaliation and conflict were the most common motives for murders representing 54%. Homicides were more prevalent in the Southern Division which accounted for 16% of the overall total.
Fatal gunshot wounds remain the leading cause of death accounting for 57 murder incidents. We were able to solve 75% of all murder cases.
Despite the effects of the coronavirus, these numbers were achieved primarily through the dedication of the hard work of the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
This is commendable when we compare The Bahamas to other places in the world where crime actually increased.
We have seen a recent spike in homicides at the end of the year and at the beginning of this year.
These could be related to the seasonal impacts, loosening of restrictions on lockdown and changes in police activities as more emphasis was placed on social distancing.
We have solved over 85% of murders occurring in 2020. Overall we have done well and I am extremely pleased of the sacrifices these officers continue to make in the face of much undeserved criticisms.
For the period in review, armed robberies decreased by 41% with 313 incidents, compared to 531 in 2019.
Armed robberies occurred mostly between the hours of 4pm and 12am. Armed robberies were more prevalent in the Southeastern Division which accounted for 18% of the overall total.
Most armed robberies occurred on the streets with business establishments and residences close behind. Firearms continue to be the weapon of choice for the commission of armed robberies.
During the period under review, the Sexual Offences Unit investigated a total of 213 cases. This figure represents a 34% increase over 2019 when there were 159 sexual offences reported. These offences include rape, unlawful sexual intercourse and attempted rape.
The Investigators have noted a recent trend in sexual offence cases occurring at Air BNB Rentals where parties were hosted.
Additionally, young females were being targeted via social media.
The Missing and Exploited Persons Investigations Team of the Criminal Investigation Department continues to work with the National Trafficking in Persons Task Force.
The combined efforts of these teams have resulted in The Bahamas maintaining its 'Tier 1' ranking in the U.S. Department of State's 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report for the 6th consecutive year.
There were 100 reports of missing persons throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Eighty-eight reports required no further action where persons were found safe and 11 cases remain open under investigation.
Notwithstanding, the majority of missing person reports were adolescent females engaging in sexual intercourse.
For the period in review, overall cases where domestic violence was a factor, decreased by 39% with 2,436 incidents compared to 2019 when 3,972 incidents were recorded.
Domestic related incidents include family relations, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, and/or friend in general.
For the period under review, we saw a 38% increase in suicides in The Bahamas with 11 incidents as opposed to 8 in 2019.
Ten of the victims were males and one was a female. The majority of the male victim (5) range in age between 31 and 45.
One victim was under 18 years, two age 18 to 30 years and two 46 to 60. The single female fell between the ages 46-60. Six persons committed suicide in New Providence and five on Grand Bahama.
We recorded a 20% reduction in attempted suicides with 45 incidents as compared to 56 attempted suicides in 2019. Forty of the attempted suicides occurred on New Providence and five on Grand Bahama.
Overall sixteen males attempted suicide last year. The majority of them were between 18 and 30 years old.
Twenty nine females attempted suicide with the majority (18) ranging between
Crimes against the property decreased 15% with 3,519 incidents, compared to 4,128 in 2019.
Cases of stolen vehicle were more prevalent in the Southwestern Division which accounted for 21% of the overall total.
Thirty-eight percent of all stolen vehicles were recovered for 2020. Stealing from vehicles decreased by 32% over the same period in 2019.
During the year, the Force responded to a total of 1,052 gunshot reports. Forty-four percent or 467 gunshot reports were confirmed by our Shotspotter technology.
The majority of ShotSpotter detections occurred in the Southern, Northeastern and Northwestern Divisions.
However, the Southeastern and Southwestern Divisions remain a hotspot for gunshot reports.
There were 20 incidents of police involved shooting incidents during 2020, resulting in 11 deaths and 11 non-fatal injuries.
Ten of the fatal injuries are before the Coroner court and a police sergeant was charged before the Magistrate court in the other one.
In two of the nonfatal incidents, disciplinary action was taken against two officers. Suspects were charged in the other matters.
In 2020, we recorded a decline of 2% in complaints against police from members of the public with 149 as opposed to 152 complaints in 2019. This is the lowest amounts of complaints against police in five years. We peaked in 2018 with 213 complaints.
Thirty seven disciplinary cases for 2020 ended with conviction resulting in terminations, resignations, reductions in rank, reduction in seniority and fines. Officers in ranks from Constable to Superintendent were affected.
Forty four complaints for 2020 are currently under investigation, 21 cases were withdrawn, 30 cases were unfounded, and 17 cases are pending trial.
The strength of the Force currently stands at 3,570 sworn officers including 900 police reserves. In the last five years, we recruited 508 police officers. During the same period, we lost 515 officers including 93 police officers last year to retirement.
Due to attrition factors, an additional 121 police officers are expected to retire by the end of the year and another 130 officers are expected to retire in 2022 beginning January of next year.
These numbers are daunting given the fact that we were unable to sustain recruitment levels to supplant these losses, particularly when taken in the context of expectations of the force.
We are hoping to conduct a recruitment exercise in short order as an initial step to rebuild the strength of the Force.
This is critical because it takes at least 1 to 2 years before a new police officer is "fully productive". That means that even after an officer has retired, newly hired officers, may not be as productive as the previous officers for 2 years.
We'll be losing out on potential value for months to years after our retired officers have left.
Notwithstanding, I will continue to review policies and realign the ranks of the Force to efficiently manage manpower resources at all police stations throughout The Bahamas.
I will ensure that training plays an integral role as the Force transitions into a learning Organization. In 2020, the Force facilitated the training of 2,548 police officers, and an additional 207 law enforcement officers from other agencies.
I am in the process of restructuring the Force and a number of officers were served transfers to the Family Islands and Grand Bahama to reinforce manpower numbers in those districts.
There were also transfers in New Providence at every level to fulfill the functional capacity at each division as described in the Organization of the Royal Bahamas Police Force as we expect a number of retirements during the year in the senior ranks.
Therefore, I exercised my authority under section 12 of the Police Act 2009 to effect these changes, which are as follows:
All of these officers have served and continue to serve this country admirably and have my full confidence. I ask that the residents get to know their new commander and work with them for the continued safety of their community.
We will continue to effectively maximize our human resources in addressing public concerns and preventing crimes at the neighborhood level.
Our fundamental task of protecting the Nation is herculean in nature, and one we take very seriously.
The welfare and safety of our officers and the people they are sworn to protect is a high priority on our agenda.
We have effectively executed our duties for the period and maintained the core values of the Organization.
We have managed our resources efficiently and displayed high levels of competency and work ethics to consistently enforce policies that govern our daily operations and the Emergency Powers Order.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force remains steadfast in its law enforcement mandate and will continue to function accordingly.
The Organization is filled with creative and innovative police officers, who possess the requisite skills, talents and expertise to manage crime.
We are optimistic about 2021 and we look forward to maintaining an equitable relationship with members of the public as we perform our pivotal role of creating safer communities in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
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