EDITOR, The Tribune.
I refer to the headline in Tuesday’s January 5, 2016 publication of The Nassau Guardian, entitled; “Change Leaders – in Crime Fight” and the comments of Mr Quinn McCartney, former Deputy Commissioner of Police. It appears, that the former DCP is blaming the Commissioner of Police, his executive team and members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force for the increase in murders in our country.
I have great respect for Mr McCartney and admired him for his performance in the scientific field in our police laboratory. The lack of exposure to international policing may have contributed to the fact that he considers murder to be a preventable crime. Many of the major police forces around the world will confirm that murder is not a preventable crime. J Edgar Hoover in his writings stated clearly that if murder was a preventable crime so many presidents and heads of state around the world would not have been assassinated. The murderer knows his target, he knows, why, how, when and where – please do not blame our policemen for the murders in our country.
Mr McCartney is aware of that major policing weapon we were to acquire from Motorola, which would have been a major asset to the force. The contract was signed, but the work was stopped when a new government took over. The requirement would have enhanced the force’s response time to calls from the public, the Police Control would have full control of the police patrol vehicles, which would be in view on a screen on a map of New Providence on the wall, patrol officer could not leave their patrol areas without the knowledge of the police control room. It is hoped, that in the Prime Minister’s new crime fighting initiative, Motorola will be asked to continue installing that equipment. It could cut police response time by 50 per cent.
I had recommended the equipment to Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad & Tobago a few years ago. I read, that the Trinidad Police Service will be acquiring the equipment. They already have two drones, which we could consider using to watch our borders.
Any person residing in The Bahamas must be observing the magnificent performance of our Police Force in the area of serious and violent crimes. The success is reported in the media daily and is the envy of police commissioners in other parts of this region.
The jail is overcrowded, the number of arrests is overwhelming our courts.
How can anyone say that our police force needs a leadership change. It is our good fortune to have the youthful leaders we presently have who can work both inside and outside in their efforts to curb crime.
PAUL THOMPSON Sr
Nassau,
January 6, 2016.
Comments
TigerB 8 years, 3 months ago
I understand what the former D/COP is saying, its not a personal attack , that goes for any commissioner who is not effective It is logic. If you are not effective in doing a job you should be remove, the numbers suggest that maybe its time to change the football coach. Just a few days ago the Brooklyn Nets Basketball organization fired coach Lionel Hollins, it wasn't personal, it was all business... he was hired to turn the organization around, he didn't. It meant he as a coach wasn't getting the job done. We will always miss the point if we take into personalities. Do we stick with a coach because we love him, respect him ? Or do we do what is necessary for the sake of the team. Our crime figures have been in triple figure for a number of years, how long will it take to realize that... "Do things the same way, you will get the same results." Nuff said!!
birdiestrachan 8 years, 3 months ago
McCartney seems to have a serious problem with Mr: Greenslade. let me explain he is mad as hell because he feels Mr: Greenslade has his job. His Papa or Brother or whom ever must have promised him the position. But it was not in God's plans. Now he will do well to get over it. Even if he was in the position the murder rate would be the same.
;
Godson 8 years, 3 months ago
In addition of being falsely accused and incorrectly used as a scapegoat for incompetency by the political and other social authorities, it has always been my position that the Commissioner of Police, himself, has been and was unwise to have assumed, in the first place, responsibility for something that has nothing to do with him or his portfolio as Commissioner of Police.
Poor thing has allowed his 'Office' and 'Officers' to have been carrying the bag for the blame for as long as I can remember. The operative words to focus on in the name title 'The Royal Bahamas Police Force' is 'POLICE' and then 'FORCE'. The law Institution is meant to be a social tool that is called into play to REGULATE (that what it means to police), and then, where there is a breach in the regulations/rules/laws/orders etc, the Institution is called upon to help to arrest the offenders and to the en-FORCE-ment of the law. He, nor his officers, are the leaders of the citizens/the people of this Country. This is not 'A POLICE STATE'
The people are only following their elected leaders to the extent that the leaders are able to inspire them. If then these persons hold themselves out as our leader, then turn around and notice that no one is actually following them, they then ought to conclude that they are by themselves, and, are only out for an exercise, a walk. Leadership is 95% inspiration.
In a significant amount of cases, persons are doing criminal acts because that is what they are inspired to do or what they feel led to believe is the alternative to survive and resolve their issues. They resort to means outside the law to remedy some injustice done to them. Otherwise, there is absolutely no light in and Judicial or Criminal Justice systems.
Moses and Jesus taught the people... this was essential. However, one can hardly teach anyone if they are not able to inspire the audience to whom the teachings are needed. Nor are the leaders able to reconcile with the present generation.
But too many of Commissioner Greenslades' ranking officers were enjoying the false but nostalgic feeling of being important and projecting themselves as being indispensable to law and order. I have always argued that Our Police Force has been operating out of protocol for years.
I hope now that they realized how their egos have cause them to act out inappropriately and disproportionately to their own embarrassment and the decline of us all inclusive of other institutions and governing bodies.
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