The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Defending our borders - why can’t the different agencies carry out their prescribed mandate? What is this smart talk of Task Force? Too American for me!

Over the years, we constantly hear, what I call an excuse from the Defence Force, that we have to cover an enormous amount of square miles.

Does the Defence Force really have to cover - the police also protect such a large amount of square miles?

Reality, you know real-life - no pretence the RBDF has to protect the border between north Bahamas and the US, a small geographical area of our sovereign territory facing south Florida.

Then to the south again a limited area, a little larger than the northern sector but the waters facing Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba.

If you are honest, that sector is really only what faces Haiti, Dominican Republic and area very easily policed.

Police this efficiently and you can forget about the area in the middle Exuma, etc.

The patrol between The Bahamas - US/Florida is relatively easy.

If there was one port of entry, no numerous visiting yachts, would very easily be policed as any other vessel sailing out of the ordinary would be arrested.

To the south for years, it has been proposed forward bases - finally with Sandy Bottom we will have two forward bases, able to police that rather small segment of wear, south of Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic.

RBDF do your mandate, we invested $240+m in equipment - No excuses!

W. THOMPSON

Nassau,

August 15, 2018.