By DANA SMITH
Tribune Staff Reporter
dsmith@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade has warned the public not to post “lewd” or “obscene” pictures on social media and has vowed to pursue such cases and bring charges.
He said yesterday that technology should be used for “positive reasons, not to malign persons’ characters,” and called on the public to report any published photos of such a nature.
“I send a clear message to all and sundry: have your fun on social media, send your messages to your friends; but this issue of posting lewd pictures of people, obscene pictures of people – whether they are alive or dead or injured – is an area that’s going to get you into grave problems.”
Calls to The Tribune following the commissioner’s announcement noted that earlier this week, a 17-year-old girl attempted to commit suicide by drinking bleach after an ex-boyfriend posted a nude video of her on Facebook, yet there have been no reports of charges in connection with this.
And, they asked, if Mr Greenslade intends to focus on social media – which in most cases a member of the public has to agree to view – what will he do about more public websites?
When asked if any charges have been made in connection with recent instances of nude photos or recordings being posted on-line, the commissioner said: “If we haven’t, then I intend to. I am going to pursue every single one of them.
“We have looked at charges already for any number of cases but I am saying particularly to persons who are grieved – the commissioner has said it – I am available to speak to them. If you don’t feel that we are moving quickly enough in the CDU or any other department, bring it to my attention. Bring it to my attention and we are going to move to deal with it.”
Mr Greenslade added: “There’s one thing to have the pictures – if it’s an adult, you are doing some things in the privacy of your own home as a consenting adult with some other adult – that has absolutely nothing to do with me, you, or the police department.
“However, where you are manipulated as a citizen to take those images and to post them – in any form – to the extent that they are now infringing upon the rights of a person and causing them undue harm and damage to their reputation, you are now on a very, very slippery slope.”
The commissioner called upon the public to report any instances to police and affirmed the police are in a position today where they can “hold the line” – or uphold the law – as it relates to the Internet.
“I don’t want to be overly aggressive with my comments other than to say, I’d like to see some improvements,” he said. “I believe we need to afford the best protection to our people.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be able to use technology but we need to use it for positive reasons, not to malign persons’ characters, not to steal monies from their bank accounts, not to cause them undue harm – or any harm for that matter. I am so pleased that I have an opportunity to say to the public, we stand with you and I’m not going to stand by. But you must let us know so if you’re surfing the net and you come across it. Trust me and send it to me and let me as commissioner give a directive.”
Despite democracy, there are some things that “you cannot do,” Mr Greenslade said, if those things contravene the law.
Many callers mentioned tabloid websites that regularly publish false and damaging content of a political nature, but have never been prosecuted.
Mr Greenslade added: “I sound that clarion call this morning and I demonstrate by action, how serious I am about that. I am prepared to speak to it again and again, until that message is clear. If you post on Facebook or any other social media anything that is contrary to law, that is obscene or indecent, and it infringes upon the rights of any other citizen, this commissioner and all members of the RBPF – I daresay all of us in public safety – are going to take action because we have a problem with that. We are not going to ignore it.”
Comments
maddyd 11 years ago
BUNCH OF LIES Commissioner!!!! you are hiding the RBDF DIRT...you want to impress someone by upholding the law; go get those sorry officers that are ILLEGALLY brutalizing civilians!!!!! come out and PUBLICLY discipline YOUR OFFICERS who BEAT and KILL detainees!! or even the ones who PUBLICLY display active case files with brutally gruesome images; (Nellie Brown!!!).oh you silent on that one! ..SLICK you wont be bold about that cuz you are probably just as corrupt as them!! you half-stepping job well done leader.......you Bahamian morons who call yourselves men who protect and serve , yet take advantage of your positions are sad!!!!! ... come here to America and get real training in effective interrogation! ..and Bahamians wonder why the crime rate keeps sky-rocketing and so many criminals walking the streets!
ScaredinNassau 11 years ago
There are so many terrifying implications to this story. If I am reading it correctly, people may now be arrested simply for giving an online opinion. If someone gives a deserving bad review that hurts a business, will that owner now be able to press charges? Will a journalist fear publishing now? The Bahamas is fast becoming a police state. Citizens and visitors alike should truly fear this policy.
tonymontana 11 years ago
when will the police who posted pictures of Nellie be bought to justice.this COP is such a phony
Rontom 11 years ago
Sad, sad pathetic man...might will NEVER make right
Rontom 11 years ago
DEFINITION: Gross indecency is actual, physical, sexual activity in a public place or while visible from either a public place or occupied premises. A person, who wilfully (on purpose) does a grossly indecent act, whether alone or with another person, is guilty of an offence. (Australia)
Malicious Communications Act. says that someone who sends another person material which is grossly offensive or indecent and is sent in order to cause the recipient distress or anxiety is guilty of an offence. The offence can apply to letters, email and other forms of communication.
ScaredinNassau 11 years ago
I doubt anyone disagrees with police preventing gross indecency as you define it. Online bullying has become so prevalent in this society that it's nearly impossible to fight. But the commissioner also stated, "If you post on Facebook or any other social media anything that is contrary to law, that is obscene or indecent, and it infringes upon the rights of any other citizen...”
That certainly seems vague enough to allow for loose interpretations to fit any negative comments. Bloggers, reviewers, and journalists beware!
Rontom 11 years ago
I agree. We are living in a police state. Big Brother is watching our every move.
banker 11 years ago
This is a sad state of affairs for the Banana Republic -- er Bahamaland when the police can arrest someone for free speech.
Rontom 11 years ago
In law, public decency trumps free speech
jackflash 11 years ago
SLOW DOWN,
It is plain to see that the comish was told 'go get Moncur and lock him up for a few hours'. Then when Moncur was relieased with no charges the same (probably PLP MP) said 'go lock him up and press charges'.
That is probably what went down.
TalRussell 11 years ago
Tread softly Commish, if you're talk'in about using prosecutorial remedies against those adults who publish photos and statements, that do not aid in the sexual exploitation of minors. Do we really want our policeman's running around as some morality squad? Some matters are best left to civil remedies.
Commish I know you try hard, but first you need to be dispatching your policeman's to crackdown on the over a dozen numbers rackets joints, before we start peeping into the social networks bedroom windows of we citizens. Do you remember the results of that Vote on them trying to legalize the numbers rackets? Good!
nowonder 11 years ago
But it is ok for the numbers houses to continue . Shame Shame
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
they are not even going to risk having us vote on oil / they are already plaining to drill...
proudloudandfnm 11 years ago
We better see the guy from Bahamas Press arrested SOON commish! Posting a sex video with a 14 year old girl is a crime in every country on earth, including the Bahamas. Don't let them get away with that just becuse they are PLP pundits.
bloody67 11 years ago
Wait wait , so it is an offence to use the WWW , internet to post things that are clearly questionable subjectively or objectively , but the law seems definitive in the ability to arrest and prosecute for this alleged offence over the INTERNET yet using the INTERNET to BUY NUMBERS ONLINE IN THE BAHAMAS , for some unknown reason the police cant arrest and close down what is clearly ILEGAL because its being done over the INTERNET and they have said for YEARS THAT MAKES IT A GREY AREA.
Man let me go laugh and lay down , THE BAHAMAS IS THE NEW HAITI
John 11 years ago
the next time you walk on Bay Street remember to button your shirt all the way to the top and no sagging pants else you will be arrested for comitting a grossly indecent act...
banker 11 years ago
This story was re-posted on other sites and has gone viral, giving the Bahamas a huge black eye. The police have obviously arrested him to squelch rumors of the police causing deaths in custody.
Toolegit242 11 years ago
If I can remember quite vividly, when the pictures of the late Nellie Brown was exposed on the internet by a police officer, Greenslade said with his own mouth, that he will find out which of his officer did that and he would work swiftly to have them prosecuted, he have yet to do it...everything just went under the mat. It's so sad that this is what our bahamalands has come too....the people who are suppose to protect us, we now fear because if you are arrested...you're in fear for your life. and its all because the officers are too dumb to really fight crime and find the real culprits so the 1st person they can find in close proximity to an incident, they just beat and make them admit to stuff they didn't do. Also it seems as if Mr. Greenslade has no control of his out of order officers, are you Mr. C.o.p afraid to deal with them to the fullest extent because you're just like them or they have something on you that you don't want them to talk. When you first took ova the force, I was impress of you and all that you were doing but now things just aint looking rite..too many persons are dying by the hands of officers while in custody and nothing coming out of it.
steplight 11 years ago
Chapter.5:18-31 Daniel reads Belshazzar's doom. He had not taken warning by the judgments upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he had insulted God. Daniel 5 v 25- "This is the message that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.Daniel 5v 26 - Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Daniel 5 v 27 - Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
proudloudandfnm 11 years ago
Commandant Greenslade needs to be fired immediately! He has failed to protect us and now in the tradition of the KGB wants to turn us citizens against each other. Communism is being born in the Bahamas and Greenslade is the midwife!
Bahamians never elt your freedoms be taken away, PLP, FNM doesn't matter we are all Bahamians, we were all born FREE!! Do not let this man take our freedoms! DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF ELLISON GREENSLADE!!!
Rontom 11 years ago
If Commissioner insists on censoring our behavior on the Internet, then HE should be censured. We are FREE people.
Rontom 11 years ago
Rodney Moncur might offend many of our sensibilities and his Statements might be clouded by his messaging, but he darn well represents a lot of our sentiments on society, corruption, crime and politics. This is how you start a movement. The most unlikely among us becomes the symbol of injustice. FREEDOM!
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