The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), one of the oldest continuing institutions in The Bahamas, having been around for nearly two centuries, is facing one of the worst crises in its long history.
The crisis results from the recent indictment of 11 Bahamians and two Colombians on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, possession and use of firearms, and firearms conspiracy.
Among the accused, the indictment named Chief Superintendent Elvis Curtis, the officer-in-charge of the Airport Division, police Sergeant Prince Albert Symonette, who worked closely with Curtis, and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Chief Petty Officer Darrin Roker as conspirators aiding the transshipment of tons of cocaine from South America through The Bahamas and into the United States.
What makes the issue so bad for the police force is the language the United States used in its indictment. It repeatedly blames corrupt members of the Bahamian police force for facilitating the massive flow of cocaine into the U.S.
“The increase in cocaine flow through The Bahamas has been a direct result of drug fueled corruption that has infected various Bahamian institutions,” according to the indictment.
“More specifically, since at least in or about May 2021, corrupt high ranking members of the RBPF and other Bahamian government officials have worked with Colombian and Bahamian drug traffickers to facilitate the receipt, protection and safe passage of massive cocaine shipments through the airports and ports of The Bahamas.”
The government is struggling to respond to the crisis. Symonette and Roker have been fired by their respective organizations. A recommendation has been forwarded for the termination of Curtis.
The prime minister has acknowledged the magnitude of the moment.
“Madam Speaker, these are not isolated incidents or random breaches of conduct. The indictment paints a picture of deliberate actions, of people using their positions of authority not to defend our nation but to enable criminal networks to thrive. For years, as we fought to keep our borders secure, the very institutions meant to safeguard our sovereignty were compromised,” he said on November 27 in the House of Assembly.
Though Curtis, Symonette and Roker are named members of the police and defense forces, the indictment suggests other unindicted co-conspirators exist in the Bahamian security forces.
The prime minister pledged a series of changes in response to the crisis. He has met with the US charge d’affaires and formally asked the Americans for the name of the alleged corrupt politician who for a $2 million bribe pledged to assist the drug traffickers with armed police escorts, according to the indictment.
His party has also brought to the House legislation intended to provide independent oversight of law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, the prime minister met with the leadership of the police, and he intends to meet with the leaders of the defense force.
Out of the meeting with police came the decision to change leadership of the force. Commissioner Clayton Fernander is retiring. Shanta Knowles will replace him.
Fernander has had a long and distinguished career. No allegations have been made against him. Davis just thought it was time for a new generation of leadership in the force.
“The commissioner has served the force with distinction and I want to emphasize that there are no allegations of wrongdoing against him,” said the prime minister on December 4 in the House. “But the Royal Bahamas Police Force needs change.”
A new face
History has now put a heavy burden on Knowles, who will be the first woman to lead the force. It falls on her to clean up the organization.
Knowles has an impressive resume of more than three decades of service. She has served in a number of divisions, including the Southern Division, Criminal Investigations Department, the Family Island District of Exuma, and Eleuthera, and the National Crime Prevention Office, Human Resources Department and as commandant of the Police Reserves.
Knowles has also managed the Sexual Offenses Squad and the Trafficking in Persons Squad. She successfully investigated the first human trafficking case in The Bahamas. Her most recent appointment was as the assistant commissioner in charge of the Northern Bahamas.
The prime minister voiced support for Knowles when he announced her appointment.
“She is a strong and seasoned professional, ready to lead the force through an era of substantial reform,” he said in a December 4 statement.
The force was a patriarchal institution for most of its history. Only in the past three decades have women been more fully embraced in wider roles in the organization.
The first woman on the force was Audrey Weigh in 1964. Ismella Davis-Delancy was appointed as the first woman deputy commissioner in April 2020.
For Knowles, restoring trust will be her first major task. Fernander has acknowledged via this crisis that there is a “culture of corruption” in the police force.
Were other officers allegedly working with Curtis and Symonette? If so, how many? Who are they?
The public wants to know that the new leader of the force is serious about looking inward to determine if there are more bad apples related to this scandal.
The public also wants resolution to the voice note scandal. The outgoing-commissioner pledged a conclusion to the investigation by the end of the year. In that scandal there were allegations of bribery, corruption and possible complicity in murders regarding the police. Will anyone be charged?
In this historic moment it is important that the new commissioner is open and accessible to the media so that she can communicate to the public the various changes she is making to the force. The people need to see that change is happening in its various forms.
The people want her to succeed
By being open to the public and being strong on ridding the force of corrupt officers, Knowles will receive the support of the public.
The Bahamian people want the police force to succeed. The men and women of the force are our frontline protectors. In our most vulnerable moments we call the police for help.
What the public wants to know is that the person on the other end of the telephone line is an honest officer who is on the job to serve and protect. They do not want their officers to be secret agents of Colombian drug dealers.
The overwhelming majority of police officers are honest, hardworking men and women. However, there is a group who have lost their way. That group needs to be ejected from the force so that the honest officers can do their work for and on behalf of the Bahamian people.
All right-thinking Bahamians want Shanta Knowles to be the one to set the force straight. Her success would be to our collective benefit.
• Brent Dean is a communications consultant. He is a former editor and general manager of The Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at brentdean1980@gmail.com.
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Publish date : 2024-12-13 00:11:00
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