The Cabinet Office today announced the appointment of a new Senior Command of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The appointments are in keeping with the recommendations of a Strategic Review of the Police Force.
Mr. Ellison Greenslade, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police has been appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police (acting).
Mr. Marvin Dames, Assistant Commissioner of Police, has been appointed Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The following officers have been appointed Assistant Commissioners of Police: Mr. Quinn McCartney, Mr. Raymond Gibson, Mr. Shannondor Evans, and Mr. Hulan Hanna.
Mr. Dames assumes responsibility for Grand Bahama. Mr. McCartney assumes responsibility for Management and Support Services while Mr. Gibson will head the Crime and Intelligence Division. Mr. Evans assumes responsibility for the New Providence District and Mr. Hanna assumes responsibility for the Family Islands.
In agreeing a new Senior Command, the Government is acting in accordance with the recommendations of the Strategic Review Report which called attention to the urgent need for “… a leaner and fitter command chain which should ensure an appropriate development of responsibilities and provide senior and middle managers with more clearly defined roles and responsibilities”.
The Government notes that the Strategic Review recommended that the Senior Command of the Police Force should comprise the following posts:
One Commissioner
One Deputy Commissioner
Four Assistant Commissioners
One Director of Human Resources (Police Civilian)
20 Superintendents
It further recommended that the posts of Senior Assistant Commissioner and Chief Superintendent be abolished.
Notwithstanding the recommendations, by May 2007 the previous administration had increased the number of posts in the Senior Command of the Police Force to include the following:
One Commissioner
Four Senior Assistant Commissioners
Six Assistant Commissioners
20 Chief Superintendents
41 Superintendents
The posts of Assistant Commissioner had been bloated from the recommended four to a total of 10.
As part of the reorganization of the Senior Command of the Force, the streamlined Senior Command will include the following:
One Commissioner
One Deputy Commissioner (acting)
One Senior Assistant Commissioner
Four Assistant Commissioners
Seven Chief Superintendents
28 Superintendents
The Cabinet Office advised that there are no further plans to reduce the number in the Senior Command except by way of normal attrition. However, there will be no new appointments to the ranks of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police or Chief Superintendent.
Also as a part of the present reorganization, a number of police officers, having attained the age of 55 years, have been permitted to exercise their right to retire from the Force. They are:
Mr. Christopher McCoy – Assistant Commissioner of Police
Ms. Juanita Colebrook – Assistant Commissioner of Police
Mr. Kirkland Hutchison — Assistant Commissioner of Police
Mr. Eugene Cartwright — Assistant Commissioner of Police
Mr. James Carey – Assistant Commissioner of Police
Mr. Burkie Wright – Chief Superintendent
Mr. Robert Pinder — Chief Superintendent
Mr. Basil Rahming – Chief Superintendent
Mr. George Mortimer – Superintendent
Mr. Frank St. Remy — Superintendent
Mr. Alexander Blatch — Superintendent
Mr. Christopher Rahming — Superintendent
Mr. Philip Gibson — Superintendent
Mr. Matthew Davis — Superintendent
Mr. Sidney McPhee — Superintendent
Mr. Drexel Cartwright – Superintendent
Mr. Charles Walkine – Superintendent
Prime Minister Ingraham recognizes that crime and the fear of crime remain priority concerns of Bahamians everywhere. He stated that the cause of crime was multifaceted and required intervention on many fronts, hence ongoing initiatives in the Education, Social Welfare and Cultural Development sectors of Government.
However, he said that all would agree that primary to effective crime fighting was a properly staffed and equipped police force. He said that the Government is committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Tommy Turnquest and Hubert Ingraham in a file photo congratulate Elliston Greenslade. Standing far right is Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson.
Thomas this is the problem with our country everything is political.
The truth is that the RBPF need to be reform and the corruption at the force be cleaned up unfortunate for us we have a Tyrant as a PM and he has proven to be out of touch of a morden world and he continue to use old style practices that are outdated …….so we will have to live with this type of system until real change comes to the country.
The FNM claims that the PLP “bloated” the senior command of the force by increasing the number of Assistant Commissioners to 10. What they “forgot” to mention is that when they came to power, they appointed four more increasing the number to 14!
Mr. Site Administrator,
I read in the “wutless” Tribune that now Assistant Commissioner Raymond Gibson is actually a graduate of the FBI Academy. What I do not understand is with that jewel under his belt, why no one is mentioning him as a future Police Commissioner. That is like having a West Point graduate at the Royal Bahamas defense Force on your team. What can you tell us about Assistant Commissioner Raymond Gibson?
News Statement
Fred Mitchell MP Fox Hill
Opposition Spokesman on the Public Service
12th January, 2009
For Immediate Release
The announced intention of the FNM administration to place legislation before Parliament to cause the Commissioner of Police to serve upon contractual terms rather than have security of tenure will receive the most rigorous scrutiny by the PLP.
The first question that is raised is whether there is the constitutional space to allow the government to shorten the Commissioner’s term in the manner they propose and without a referendum. It certainly seems obvious that the attempt to amend the law will mean the erosion of the security of the tenure of the Commissioner of Police. It will lead to full political control of the Commissioner of Police and all the subsequent abuse that this could mean.
On the face of it, the comparison made by the Minister of National Security between the tenure of the Commodore of the Defence Force and the Commissioner of Police is ill conceived. First, the office of the Commissioner of Police is a constitutionally created and protected office, whereas the Commodore of the Defence Force is a statutory office. Changing the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of the Parliament and a referendum. Changing the office of the Defence Commodore does not require such a process.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is the agency that initiates the criminal process and is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of crime. The Commodore of the Defence Force does not share this responsibility. All citizens will be concerned about the extent to which removing the Commissioner’s security of tenure, compromises the integrity of the criminal justice system.
We must see the government’s specific proposals on this matter. It is not good enough for the minister to simply confirm in the press that this is what they intend to do without the necessary details.
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