Stills from the video featuring the two officers.
TWO officers caught on video riding in a police squad car, one holding a bottle of Kalik while they appeared to ignore a call from the Police Control Room, have been suspended, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said yesterday.
In the video which went viral Saturday, the officers appeared to drive without seatbelts on and they ignored a call from the control room because as one said, they were “f getting drunk”.
“Police wish to notify members of the public that disciplinary action has commenced against two police officers of the RBPF shown in a controversial video that recently went viral on social media,” Senior ACP Dean said.
“At 11am this morning (Sunday) Commissioner Greenslade suspended both officers from duty and restricted their privileges. Both officers were given 14 days to show cause letters. This allows due process and natural justice. Police Commissioner Greenslade will make a final decision on both officers once he receivers their written responses in hand.”
Over the weekend the video, which was viewed and shared thousands of times on Facebook, prompted widespread condemnation and calls for the men to be fired.
Key details, such as when the video was recorded, were not known up to press time. However, the video appeared to be recorded by the driver on his cellphone who said in the expletive laden recording: “Don’t send this video out you know.”
For many observers, the video and what it captures was the latest incident to cast some law enforcement officers in a negative light.
In recent weeks, several prison and defence force officers have been arrested and have faced drugs and weapons related charges before the courts.
On Saturday, Commissioner Greenslade, who is said to be on vacation, responded to a posting of the video on Twitter, saying: “This is being investigated as I text.”
Meanwhile, a man on Facebook claimed the video was part of an “incomplete movie” he is creating. However when asked about this claim, police did not comment and referred The Tribune to the RBPF’s earlier press release on the matter.
Commissioner Greenslade has, in the past, spoken about dismissing officers from the force.
Earlier this year he said during a press conference that he fired 13 police officers in 2016 for misconduct and betrayal of the public’s trust.
“Again this year I had to send home what I call a significant number of rogue police officers, and I make no apologies for that,” he said at the time. “Thirteen officers who were frauds in my view wore our uniform under false pretenses with criminal ideas, behaved in an unethical fashion, ceased to become efficient police officers and betrayed my trust and the public’s trust.”
Comments
Romrok 6 years, 9 months ago
Reminds me of living in Coral Harbour. I had a stupid sense of peace after lunch out there cause about lunch time the patrol car would pull into the Sand Bar on the beach and not leave til 5 or 6 usually. Happened very often, so most likely if you needed police around those times, at least they were in the area.
We_doomed_242 6 years, 9 months ago
Same thing out here in tropical gardens lol cable beach and airport police come for they weekly extortions collections from the locals drug boys and catch a cold one while doing so
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
There are corrupt and ineffective policeman .......... But this exists in politics, education, healthcare, sports, etc. .......... Good leadership and management at all levels can deter it
Alex_Charles 6 years, 9 months ago
for every 1 you find, there are 5 more like it.
We_doomed_242 6 years, 9 months ago
They should consider revamping the entire police force and appointing a new commissioner. All of them aren't corrupt but most are we have this phrase in the.bahamas where the innocent suffer for the guilty
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
The PLP has corrupted the reform plan of organization and succession planning of the Police Force as put in place by Ingraham ......... Dames has his hands full in terms of getting the the RBPF, RBDF, and Prison right-sized and properly functioning again (post-PLP mess)
DDK 6 years, 9 months ago
Another one of those things that have been going on for so long in The Bahamas that no-one bats an eye. Again, it starts at the top and trickles on down. It is small wonder that so many have little faith in the RBPD.
John 6 years, 9 months ago
Cameras on everything. We must realize that all our actions and even conversations are being monitored And recorded. In fact one of the officers did ask the person recording if he was going to delete the video and not put it on Facebook. Apparently they didn't keep their promise. So the policemen must now pay the consequences for their bad behavior. In the US many police not only have a dash cam in their vehicle but also a body cam. Be professional (and sober) at all times.
TalRussell 6 years, 9 months ago
Comrades! The Bullet Proof Vest is obviously noticeable. The Commish must step forward to assure the general public that there were no police issued firearms physical on the policeman's or anywhere in that vehicle? Have the two policeman's - ever been issued firearms to perform their duties? Has there been any previous disciplinary actions taken against the two policeman's - and if so - what and when was it?
We_doomed_242 6 years, 9 months ago
Cops patrolling in those big body fords cars always carry issued weapons tals trust me they the ones who usually suppose to respond to calls in the heat of the moment but like they said we ain't answering any calls still is funny lol they deserve to be fired it's not a profile befitting a police officer? They're suppose to set and example and carry out the law point blank period
DEDDIE 6 years, 9 months ago
The police force is only a reflection of our society. This is what a 'd' average looks like.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Yep ........ most police officers only have BJCs anyway ...... and 6 months training ......... That does not compare well with most civil service professionals .......... and the Po-Po get paid more than 85% of civil servants
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 9 months ago
Since they weren't caught doing anything "illegal", I hope they receive a punishment just short of termination. But that's my "hope", it's possible the police code of conduct has something like this as a termination offense.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
How do you define "illegal" ......... use of cellphone to record while driving and drinking and cussing and refusing to take HQ instructions to protect the citizens????? ................... can the civilian do that legally??????
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 9 months ago
True...ok you have a point there. My take on it is armed forces have military prisons or something of the sort for a reason. Every infraction isn't a firing offence or shouldn't be. If they'd done something like trafficking drugs or taking a bribe that's immediate termination, this just seems more like stupidity. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that being caught and the associated fear of losing their job will ensure they won't do something this stupid again. But I'm not the commissioner, he's fired people for sex videos sooo....
Btw I haven't watched the video, just going off of accounts, my tolerance for stupidity is very low
BMW 6 years, 9 months ago
As should the commissioners! They should be fired immediately.
We_doomed_242 6 years, 9 months ago
That's correct the exams now and the exams some 20-30 years ago are remarkably different even a idiot suppose to have gotten an A in those exams most senior staff aren't even computer literate this day and age have you place a bgcse paper 2017 mathematics in front of them im pretty sure they'll fail with flying colors different side of the same coin u have some senior staff that are highly educated it's cake walk
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Too many of these "old officers" have put in their 25 years ....... retired ...... and collecting pensions ........ and still taking up space on contracts ........ some even in senior executive posts!!!!!!! .................... Time to clean house!!!!!!!!! .......... Many junior officers look forward to these "soft years".
We_doomed_242 6 years, 9 months ago
This is ours don't forget that police officer what was his name ... EJ the officers who was having sexual relation with women that gave him consent the videos were posted and went viral he basically did nothing wrong besides posting them cause they gave him consent for the sexual acts misconduct caused him his job what about the police lady who did the same with a lover and sent the pics and video to the lovers wife fired another case of misconduct those two officers cannot justify their actions their intentions were pretty clear don't you agree?
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 9 months ago
Yeah that's what I mean, they were both fired for "unseemly" videos, this is a notch above the sex videos since it happened on the job. so I wouldn't be surprised if Pinkie and the Brain got fired too, (even though I believe a severe punishment would be sufficient to send a strong signal)
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Police Force rules are more stringent than civilian rules ...... They FIRED But many O/C cover up or political interference keep bad cops on the job in most cases ............ and that thing called the Police Staff Association
DDK 6 years, 9 months ago
This should be grounds for immediate dismissal. If it's not, there's no hope for policing in The Bahamas.
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 9 months ago
Most of these corrupt police officers go to work for private security firms when they get sacked by the police department, and you can just imagine what eventual happens to the neighborhoods they patrol as private security officers.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Is there not background checks and former employer references needed for hiring security officers ....... just like any other employee?????? How can a "bad cop" end up working in the private sector for a reputable security firm .......... That is not acceptable in such a sensitive area
banker 6 years, 9 months ago
Sad. A reflection of Bahamian societal ills. It will take generations to fix.
When they see the upper echelons like Cabinet Ministers ripping off the public, they figure that they are immune as well. The rot goes right to the core. And it is the bloody PLP's fault. It all started with Swindling, a drug-running criminal prime minister at independence.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID