Royal Bahamas Police Force

History

From the early eighteenth century to the latter part of the nineteenth century, the development of policing generally followed the pattern of policing in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. During the first half of this period, men were appointed as constables to assist in the enforcement of government rules and regulations, and the apprehension of offenders. A Night Guard was also assigned to protect the town of Nassau, capital of the British Crown Colony of the Bahamas, during the night. As early as 1729, there was a constable in New Providence. However, his duties seem not to have been as broad and well defined as the police constable of today. This constable was attached to the local Magistrate, Justices of the Peace and several other Government officials.

In 1799, an Act of the General Assembly (now called Parliament) declared that all constables would have the same powers as their counterparts in Great Britain. They were then allowed to arrest on suspicion of crime as opposed to only after the crime had been committed. In 1827, the Assembly stipulated their mode of appointment. It is evident that during this period, only one constable was appointed to serve at a time in each district. These appointments were made by the serving Magistrate with the assistance of two Justices of the Peace.

As time passed and crime increased, a small number of constables were appointed to serve at the same time. However, they were never organised as a formal police force. Each was responsible to the Magistrate in a particular district. It is interesting to note that this system of constables has evolved into the District and Local Constables of today.

During the early years of British colonial rule, slaves made up the majority of the population in the Bahamas. The little policing needed was done by the free population with the help of Constables, Magistrates, and Justices of the Peace. Any slave rebellion or potential slave rebellion was kept in check by the local detachment of British soldiers and the slave owners.

Prior to the abolition of slavery by Act of the British Parliament in 1834, there was a system of night patrols in New Providence called the Night Guard. The men forming this guard were not constables, but were also supervised by the local Magistrate. Their duties were primarily to protect the homes and businesses of the free population at night. In addition, the West India Regiment was stationed in Nassau to take care of any serious breach of peace throughout The Bahamas. These men were trained soldiers recruited from different ethnic groups in Africa and the Caribbean. They lived in barracks in isolation from the populations to ensure their loyalty in the event of local slave rebellions. In addition, their duties also included the protection of the Islands from foreign invaders. At that time, the barracks was situated on the site where the Hilton British Colonial Hotel currently stands.

The majority of the Family Islands which make up The Bahamas were largely neglected as far as law enforcement was concerned, as crime in these areas was almost non-existent. Please visit http://www.royalbahamaspolice.org to learn more about the Police Force and its development.

Structure

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is headed by Ellison E. Greenslade, Dr.h.c.,MBA,QPM, the Commissioner of Police (2010 – present) who is supported in his role by a Deputy Commissioner and seven Assistant Commissioners. The headquarters of the police service is located in Nassau, New Providence. The rank structure follows the United Kingdom's Scotland Yard usage: constable; corporal; sergeant; inspector; assistant superintendent; superintendent; chief superintendent; assistant commissioner; senior assistant commissioner; deputy commissioner and commissioner. There are just over 3,000 members of the RBPF.

Commissioner

The Commissioner of the RBPF is the highest-ranking officer within the police force superseded only by the Minister of National Security. His responsibilities include ensuring accountability and order within the RBPF and the guidance and control of all officers and volunteers associated with the force. The Current Commissioner of Police is Ellison E. Greenslade, QPM, MBA.

Organisation

The force is divided into three sections: The New Providence District, Grand Bahama District and the Family Islands District. Each district is headed by an Assistant Commissioner. The police service is divided into several different branches, including:

Senior Executive Management Team

The Senior Executive Management Team (SELT) is a group of officers who guide and control the activities of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. It is led by the commissioner, supported by an acting deputy commissioner, a senior assistant commissioner and an assistant commissioner:

Programs

Operation Rapid Strike

Operation Rapid Strike is a project launched on 19 January 2011 at 5:00 pm by Commissioner Ellison Greenslade of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The mandate of this operation is to "restore peace and civility to our communities". The stated aims of the project is to hunt persons involved in an array of crimes including murder, armed robberies, stabbings, break-ins, firearms related charges, etc. The operation is led by Senior ranking officers such as Superintendents. Other ranks inside the operation include inspectors, supervisory officers and junior officers. Some equipment used by the members of the operation include two thirty two seats buses provided by the Government of the Bahamas.