By DANA SMITH
Tribune Staff Reporter
dsmith@tribunemedia.net
AFTER Lyford Cay billionaire Louis Bacon referred to a police search on his home as a “terrorist raid,” Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said his officers cannot, while discharging their duties, be referred to as terrorists.
Calling Mr Bacon’s comments rude and disrespectful, Mr Greenslade suggested such language has “national security implications” and said: “Police officers cannot be referred to as terrorists – those are dangerous words.”
Last Friday, in an open letter giving his version of a 2010 police search on his home, Mr Bacon wrote: “The police’s terrorist raid of my home was a seriously low ebb in my wife’s and my commitment to the Bahamas.”
The commissioner said yesterday: “It is a sad day when in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, decent Bahamian citizens like myself, my executive team, and all members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force can be referred to as terrorists in the discharge of our duties.
“Whoever said that is wrong. It is totally unacceptable; it is rude; it is disrespectful; and it demonstrates no regard for us as a people - certainly for us as an organisation.”
Noting that he is “very bothered by those comments”, the commissioner said the statement has “national security implications” and revealed that he will speak to National Security Minister Bernard Nottage - and “as necessary”, Prime Minister Perry Christie – over the matter.
“It is wrong, it should never have happened, it should never have been said. Police officers cannot, in the discharge of their duties, be referred to as terrorists. Totally, totally wrong,” MrGreenslade declared.
“It’s in the newspaper – it’s in quotations... It’s shocking. I wish I could find a stronger word to demonstrate to you just how much that bothers me.
“As a legitimate police officer, as a legitimate servant of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, as a person with a reputation that can sit at the executive level in the world, with law enforcement colleagues – officers are very angry about that, the commissioner is bothered. It is a problem.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we have to be careful with our pronouncements. This callousness must stop. We do it locally and then people who are foreign seem to just get on the bandwagon. I’m talking about us as a people and us as a nation. It is wrong and it must stop.”
The commissioner also took issue with another media report that spoke of the him meeting with “persons of ill-repute”.
He dubbed that report “total lies” and criticised it for “intending to destroy the credibility of the commissioner’s office”.
He said: “Comments regarding the commissioner having meetings with some persons of ill-repute are far from the truth, intended to cause disaffection, intended to destroy the credibility of the commissioner’s office and my organisation – this force.
“I stand against it because it has also certainly the ability to negatively impact upon the morale of the organisation – total lies.
“While I’m not prepared to respond to every little thing that I see in the press, I am saying that those reports are erroneous and I am going to be moving to have some further discussions more intimately with the people concerned.
“It is wrong and they must cease and desist. I understand that it is intended to cause ill-will and disaffection and I am not going to allow that to happen while I serve. I stand against it and I say, cease and desist. They are lies – all lies.”
Mr Greenslade warned that the public “should be very careful” when reading or listening to “general callous comments in the public domain that have no basis in fact”.
“If you would wish as a press core and as a public to have the facts, please ask the commissioner or one of the legitimate members of my executive team,” he said.
“You cannot and you should not be mislead by erroneous reports just circulating in the community – be that social media or in some other arena.”
Comments
John 11 years ago
It would be interesting to see the outcome of this, since a local Bahamian is already up on charges for posting 'grossly indecent' pictures on the internet. And while the commissioner may take offense to his force being refferred to as terrorists, some who have had experience with some police officers can attest that they are keen in the art of putting terror in the hearts of citizens. My own experience was when I was stopped by police officers, who accused someone in my vehicle of discharging a firearm in the Western area. They had us all facing up against the wall near PMH hill they held machine guns on us. The accused person tried to tell the officer that he was never in the Cable Beach and we had just got off from work. The officer told him to shut up and if he said another word he would jump in his mouth and bite out all his teeth, curse words deleted. Whatever happen to the 'you have the right to remain silent.."? ANd this officer had a machine gun on us. We were released hour later becuse it was a case of mistaken identity. Then how many of us have witnessed traffic stops when officers take everything out of a suspects vehicle except the steering wheel. Front seats, back seats.rip off door panels, loosen the dash board..spare tire and everything out the back trunk. Then when they are done they drive off and leave the mororist to rebuild his car, sometimes even at nite. And when some officers raid a home, it is an experience most can not easily forget. doors kicked in, furniture turned over, clothes strewn about and everyone held at gunpoint. Sometimes the person the police are looking for is not even associated with the home that was raided, but yet the homeowner must bare the cost of repairing any damage done.
banker 11 years ago
I had to laugh at the commish referring to himself as a "legitimate officer" and a servant. This keystone cop should be out closing web shops and not prosecuting facebook pictures. Once again, he makes Bahamas look like a third-rate banana republic. He should be summarily relieved of his duties and someone with a more progressive view and higher standard be put in.
islander242 11 years ago
"Noting that he is “very bothered by those comments”, the commissioner said the statement has “national security implications” and revealed that he will speak to National Security Minister Bernard Nottage - and “as necessary”, Prime Minister Perry Christie – over the matter."
Are you kidding me? He is just trying to put more TERROR in the heart of that man as all police officers do. Every time I have been pulled over in my car loaded guns have been shoved in my face without any respect for an innocent mans life. I respect very few of these police officers here. They seem to think they run the place now - what law did this man break by calling the police terrorists?
audleymitchell 11 years ago
I am with the Commissioner on this one. As much as the police must be careful in the discharge of their duties, so must the public be in their reference to authorities and each other.
John 11 years ago
If you read the pathologist's report on the person who died in custody at the grove police station that causes you to raise at least one eyebrow and question as to how and why he came into his injuries. Why do police like to beat or injure men in their groin area?
242gsmith 11 years ago
Are you serious? All I can do is laugh. The term "terrorist raid" was used to describe the way the home was searched, like if they were looking for terrorists. I do not see this as calling any person involved a terrorist.
PKMShack 11 years ago
He does more policing on freedom of speech than enforcing the laws of the land. He can refer this situation to his bosses but they don't discuss closing the web shops. Who believes this stuff. Dummies talking to bigger dummies if one takes him serious
SP 11 years ago
The commissioner is over reacting and has his head stuck in the sand again.. I certainly have no love for Mr. Bacon.
However as a difinition of terrorist is "a person who terrorizes or frightens others". The Bahamas police history of brutality actually fits this description to the "T".
Nuff said!
steplight 11 years ago
Peace officers are police officers, not all police officers are peace officers. This statement says alot. The mental health care of the RBPF is in need of an overhaul. Anti-social personality disorder trait remains common place, which reflects clearly in the intimidation response to be okay from the top to the bottom. When you as a person who is charged with duties to enforce laws don't know how to enter anyone's home with respect or conduct one's self with honour in or out of uniform, then you do a great dis-service not only to the country, organization, your family, you dishonour the very oath you are sworn in with. While the world looks on the Bahamas is a place where comedy & tragedy has alot of scripts that makes it a hell of a place, instead of the paradise it once was before 1992 the place where IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE unfolded.
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