Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade says that he reserves the right to enact the 12-hour shift system at his discretion while stating that compensation for officers is a “moot point”.
Speaking with The Tribune, Mr Greenslade insisted that he was slow to respond to calls from Police Staff Association (PSA) President Dwight Smith over restitution for officers working long hours because it was a non-issue.
Since last September when the 12-hour system was adopted to arrest the surge in crime, concerns were raised that officers would run a higher risk of injury or burn out.
But yesterday, the Commissioner said the Association was not in a position to discuss compensation. He said the law was very clear concerning the PSA’s role in RBPF matters.
“While I respond to you now,” Mr Greenslade said, “respectfully it’s a moot point. All of the officers who are members of the Association are first and foremost police officers. The law is very clear in terms of what they should be saying and what they should represent. I have been very lenient in allowing them quite a bit of latitude because again I subscribe to a spirit of openness with a willingness to collaborate and to be respectful.
“I reserve the right as Commissioner to deploy officers in accordance with the law as I determine appropriate and to keep our communities safe.
“So (compensation) it’s a non issue. What I simply would wish to say is that where officers are working extended hours anywhere in the Bahamas, I expect supervisors and leaders in positions to ensure that their welfare is taken into account. (And that) they are given the appropriate breaks and that they are given words of encouragement so that they may understand why they are being expected to do a bit more.”
Mr Greenslade explained that he was satisfied that the RBDF treats its people with the utmost care, respect and trust. He added that he was certain that the vast majority of police officers were very happy to serve the people of the Bahamas.
“They have (defended the people of the Bahamas) in an admirable fashion. I am commending officers everyday (and) at every turn I am very pleased with the work they are doing.”
The Commissioner declined to reveal whether the shift system was now in operation because he did not want to compromise several criminal matters now being investigated.
Comments
Bahamianpride 10 years ago
Commish u wrong, u Cannot work people extended hours taking time from there family its illegal as well as immoral.. You & your command staff sit in your air conditioned office & dont have to work the street & take risk.. Pay them the OT. U sound like a bully not a leader, a tyrant. U should be fighting for there pay.. i'm no fan of RBPF but this is wrong.. RBPF is a para military civilian organisation governed under the labour laws that apply to civilian employees, this is not the military..
carlh57 10 years ago
"moot point". Nothing should be a "moot point" when dealing with peoples livelihoods and well being. But then again, this is typical of Bahamian politics, government and police force. Other "moot points" are land fill fires? theft? murder? economic recovery?.....
thomas 10 years ago
"words of encouragement" are you kidding? Work extended hours for "words of encouragement"
Guy 10 years ago
This has got to be a joke. Extend work hours and instead of pay you give words of encouragement???
realfreethinker 10 years ago
A case of perryitis A case of foot in throat disease
BahamianAway 10 years ago
It's unfourtunate that Bahamians always claim to want forward progression but when the opportunity is given all they do is complain. To me it's seems like a classic case of "we want to get paid to do nothing". I am very aware of how immigration officers work and to believe that they are on their feet inspecting containers and patrolling the dock for their entire shift is ludacris.
Why must Bahamians always fight change...there is nothing wrong with working a 12 hour shift if you are compensated. The only issue I can see is if they require the officers to work 12 hour shifts and continue to pay them for 8 hours.
The Bahamas needs to regulate certain uniformed departments. Customs and Immigration, Police Officers, Defense Force and whoever else falls under what could be considered homeland security. Maybe taking a page out of the American uniformed services book wouldn't be such a bad idea. They need to implement a pay system based on rank, rate, and time in...so no matter whether you work a 12hr shift or 8hr shift or if needed a 16hr shift you get paid.
And I speak from experience as I was a part of the American military when I say it works just fine...it's also incentive for people to do their job with pride and care.
hurricane 10 years ago
Where is the "coomrade" guy?
sheeprunner12 10 years ago
Who has the constitutional right to fire the COP????????? Please dont tell me Perry. SMFT
DEDDIE 10 years ago
The employment act allows for 12 hours shift. In this case you don't have to pay overtime unless the hours exceed 40 hours over the course of a week.
Notwithstanding subsection (1), in any industrial, construction,’ manufacturing or transshipment enterprise or in any essential service within the meaning of section 75 (2) of the Industrial Relations Act or law enforcement service the hours of employment of an employee for the purposes of such employment may exceed the standard hours of work in a day up to a maximum of twelve hours and the Minister may by Order include other enterprises or services within this subsection as he deems fit.
thomas 10 years ago
Then they must work a lot of overtime. By the 4th day of the week they are working overtime.
sheeprunner12 10 years ago
Thank you Thomas. This is an asinine idea, especially when you consider the PRODUCTIVITY of 75% of the police officers to start with. They suffer from BECitis.... lots of fellas on da job and one or two working. So are we gonna make the police officers work 3 days per week???????????????
BahamianAway 10 years ago
If we have enough officers where working 3 days per week doesn't put the force in a position where they find themselves short handed, then why not. We have police officers just walking around downtown directing traffic in places where the street light works perfectly fine. And this is because they have so many officers and not enough work.
Schedules can be worked where officers work 12 hr shifts with enough time off to allow for a 40hr week. And honestly who wouldn't benefit from a bit of overtime. So maybe a 48hr week might be a good thing...four days on four days off or two days on two days off. Again if other countries can do it and productive then what the hell is wrong with Bahamians.
sheeprunner12 10 years ago
QUESTION:
Will working 12 hours per shift, make Bahamian police officers more productive and efficient????????????? What am I not getting?????????????? After all, we have 2000 police officers to patrol a 21x7 island. Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BahamianAway 10 years ago
Keep in mind police officers are sent to family islands as well. Not all of them are on New Providence.
I do understand what you are getting at though...12hr shifts will not change the productivity or efficiency of police officers. That can only be done by holding them accountable from the moment they enter the training academy. But alas The Bahamas Police Force like so many other government agencies is caught in a cycle of laziness.
sheeprunner12 10 years ago
Bahamian Away............. I believe you are not in The Bahamas....... There are almost 4000 police officers in The Bahamas. Thats far more boots on the ground to patrol this country ....... if the resources were properly deployed.
But like everything else, Nassau has too many and some islands have one or two. You can figure out what happens next. Listen to the Family Island MPs cry about their constituencies
BahamianAway 10 years ago
I don't disagree...the resources need to be properly distributed. But the majority of the policemen don't want to work on the family island. They can't get to profile and walk around with their chest out showing off.
They need to send these officers to family islands and call it a day.
sheeprunner12 10 years ago
BAHAMIANAWAY
Thats the biggest problem in our country................. Nassau people who think it is below them to work on the Family Islands.......... that shows the stupidity and ineffectiveness of the civil service of the country ............. besides its antiquated reliance on British policies
Politicians love it this way.............. despite their empty talk about Out Island development I trust that you will one day come back home to your real island roots
BahamianAway 10 years ago
Which is why they need to adopt a military approach to our police force and customs dept. Give these people their assignments and if you chose to not accept it or to assign yourself elsewhere then do what all other military forces do. Lock them up or discharge them from duty...because now you have disobeyed an official order.
mybahamas 9 years, 11 months ago
I hear all these talks about the War on Crime which has given reasoning to why Police Officers are often disregarded as humans and called to work the 12hr shifts without any consideration for compensation. And where I agree that it is a war on crime I disagree with the concept that only the Police Officers should be fighting it. Why is it that when the government decides to implement these 12hr shifts that it is not extended to the other law enforcement agencies in the Bahamas like RBDF, Customs and Immigration. These agencies in my opinion are the reason why the war is so prevalent. Too much drugs, guns and illegals have been allowed to cross our boards.
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