First published in The Tribune on Friday, July 25, 2008 under the byline, Young Man's View.
THESE days, a number of bullheaded police officers abuse their authority and adopt the misguided perception that because they wear a uniform and carry a badge, they are above the law.
I, like many other Bahamians, can attest to the disrepute brought to the force by belligerent, ill-mannered officers, even though many more are well-meaning officers intent on cultivating an atmosphere of service and respect while maintaining their first-rate, commendable high detection record.
Even more, throughout the social spectrum, there are stories about corrupt cops who accept bribes, purposely fail to show up for complaints or crime scenes, or file reports on cases involving friends, family or someone willing to pay for their silence, intentionally choosing to prevent justice rather than adhering to their sworn oath.
I have been told of fiendish officers who engage in racketeering and are paid off by persons such as illegal number house operators to thwart raids or alert them of potential police activity.
A former police sergeant, who is of Haitian descent, recently told me of policemen who pick up illegal Haitians, “tax” them and then release them knowing that because of their illegal status, they would not report the crime. He told me of a Haitian youngster who was robbed of his earnings—$1500—after he had worked for days/nights on a construction site. Apparently, the young man was arrested, searched and put in a jail cell and given the option of either being held, reported to immigration authorities and deported or being released and losing his $1500 pay. He chose the latter and in doing so, was unable to pay his rent, buy food or even catch a bus to work.
Furthermore, this retired policeman also spoke of officers who raid Haitian villages and rip-off residents or even rob Haitians of funds won during their Sunday afternoon cockfights.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force has become too politicized. The promotion exercises have seemingly been usurped by politicians and, in some cases, hardly appear to be on the basis of meritorious performances, but rather on tribalist beliefs and propping up second-rate officers who are politically connected or outright nepotists.
Lately, I spoke to a few disillusioned officers who are overlooked for promotions no matter “how hard they work” or even after training some officers who eventually outrank them because, as they claimed, some supervisor “had them in (dislike)” or they did not “lie down on their bellies (referring speculation that several high-ranking officers are homosexuals).” These officers also asserted that there’s an atmosphere of low morale in certain departments and spoke of a distrustful public who have been mistreated, in some instances, by some dishonorable officers, so much so that they are hardly able to distinguish the bad apples from the good.
As former Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson suggested, officers accused of misconduct should be marched before the courts and not sheltered by the in-house activities of the police tribunal.
Frankly, it appears that only a handful of officers are indicted and even more, that over the years some case files have deliberately been lost or selectively prosecuted, depending on a person’s social stature.
For some time, members of the public and some officers have called for independent—even civilian—oversight and review boards, that didn’t consist mainly of police officers as is the current setup, to assist with nonpartisan promotional exercises, follow-up complaints of police misconduct and carry out internal investigations. These oversight boards should repot to Parliament.
The recruitment and hiring of police officers has also been called into question, particularly since some potential recruits allegedly fail to pass the entrance exams but yet are employed—many times through their MP’s persistence. Recently, a respectable, high-ranking officer went a step further and told me that the entrance exams are being “dumbed down” to accommodate failing high school graduates—particularly males—who have an interest in joining the force. Furthermore, the vetting process is allegedly flawed, with several alleged criminal record recipients and gang bangers being licensed to carry a firearm and wear a uniform after slipping through the purported fractures in the selection process. A former policeman recently claimed in an interview that I would be surprised “how many young officers actually smoke dope and steal more money, just like street thugs.”
Is there any wonder why the criminal element feels emboldened?
Five months ago, social activist Rodney Moncur addressed corruption in law enforcement, declaring his belief that “corruption is rife in the police force.”
Mr Moncur said: “It had been alleged—by trustworthy sources in the know—that certain police officers have guarded the beach side estates of certain drug dealers. Several of these suspected officers should be pulled before a Commission of Inquiry, whereby their bank accounts and land holdings could be examined. If the salary doesn’t match the lifestyle, then is there any question as to what may be going on?
“Just look at the disappearance of some 50 kilos of cocaine that was on the Lorequin and the poor investigation that followed. The 1984 Commission of Inquiry revealed much about corruption. If established politicians could easily fall for drug money, unless a young police or defense force officer is strong and from a solid family, he wont be able to resist the drug culture. And we all know that the family structure today is broken!” asserted Mr Moncur.
Last August, the Bahama Journal reported that an investigation into a “slew of allegations made against a senior officer accused of involvement in systematic and widespread corruption and the most egregious breaches of ethics” had been completed.
The high-ranking officer was accused of shaking down persons, overseeing a protection racket and losing important files for a fee. The investigation commenced following a letter sent to the then police commissioner and the press supposedly from the “loyal officers of the North Eastern Division of the police force” who suggested that the officer’s alleged misconduct had damaged the standing of the police force.
At a press conference last year, although now Acting Assistant Commissioner Hulan Hanna reported that the investigation into the allegations against Mr Mortimer had concluded, I don’t believe there has been a follow-up report.
As Mr Hanna claimed that the file was sent to both the Police Services Commission (PSC) and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), what recommendations were made as to what should have happened? What directives were given by the PSC and the OAG to the Commissioner concerning this officer? Did investigations recommend that charges be brought against the Superintendent and if so, have those charges been filed? And, what is the accused officer’s current employment status with the police force?
There are other investigations into the conduct of certain officers that the public would like to know about.
Indeed, while there are rogue officers in all arms of local law enforcement who employ shady, bully tactics, these thorns must be weeded out before they ruin and totally discredit these agencies in the eyes of a more informed, discerning public.
The National Insurance Board!
Recently, Pioneer shipping closed its operations and terminated several employees, who were later shocked to discover that their national insurance payments were not up-to-date although it was being deducted from their wages. The case has been the same for several other employees working at various businesses throughout the Bahamas. For such outrageous episodes to recur, even after the much publicized Royal Oasis debacle, the blatant ineptness of the National Insurance department and their failure to verify payments, coupled with the company’s alleged noncompliance, is inexcusable.
Now that the National Insurance Board has once again failed to ensure that contributions are paid on time, I’m curious as to why NIB officers haven’t been dispatched to companies that default on payments and why these businesses haven’t been dealt with by NIB?
Who will protect workers, many of whom barely earn above the minimum wage, when NIB is failing to perform its duties?
