By MORGAN ADDERLEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
madderley@tribunemedia.net
CABINET will spend $5.9m to purchase new vehicles for the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), according to Minister of National Security Marvin Dames.
Additional funds will also be poured into law enforcement agencies to improve their physical environments and provide the RBPF with cutting-edge technology.
Mr Dames made this announcement on Sunday at the RBPF's annual church service.
"Our government is…serious about improving infrastructure and providing you with equipment necessary to perform all your duties optimally and professionally," he said.
"I am pleased to announce that the Cabinet has approved the purchase of a new $5.9m vehicle fleet of which $2.3m will be acquired in this fiscal period. These vehicles will comprise police cruisers, SUVs, T-3 Segways and ATVs."
Mr Dames also promised that a renovation of law enforcement buildings is on the agenda. Although he did not provide a figure for how much this would cost, Mr Dames promised "we are going to put our money where our mouth is."
"As minister of national security, I am also acutely aware of the substandard working conditions that many of you have had to contend with for far too long.
"We cannot expect you to give of your best when we fail to acknowledge and fix the substandard environment in which you work.
"This also holds true for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and the (Department of) Correctional Services. Let me assure each of you that we are going to put our money where our mouth is. We are taking corrective steps to have the dilapidated stations and other buildings that law enforcement officers occupy, completely renovated."
Mr Dames also reiterated the importance of the RBPF having access to the newest technologies.
"Last year we rolled out the test phase of body cameras. We are working with global industry leaders in such areas as improved CCTV technology, analytics, facial recognition capability, licence plate recognition, artificial intelligence, gunshot detection, cyber, drones and radar technology to name a few.
"Bahamians can expect to see many of these tools introduced this year. One of our government's (aims) is to bring excitement to law enforcement again."
Mr Dames did not provide an estimate for the cost of these new technologies either. The body cam test programme was unveiled last year, and as of November 2017 the Ministry of National Security was still unaware of how much it would cost to outfit RBPF officers with these cameras.
Despite this, Mr Dames told The Tribune then that he believes the use of body cams, once expanded throughout the force, will reduce the number of complaints of police brutality and improve professionalism in the force.
Comments
sheeprunner12 6 years, 3 months ago
How many millions of Public Treasury money are presently sitting as crashed or disabled Police vehicles on East Street or wherever?????
What Dames needs to do is invest in some HONEST, COMMITTED street officers ...... Go and watch the movie "A Few Good Men"
bogart 6 years, 3 months ago
Agree! Start with human capital. Lets have officiers who appear to truly want to be police than just simply govt workers. Lets have police who will show up ptomptly when the neighbour is playing what sounds like music vibrating your walls past 10 at night, police who can show up at the accident scene within 15 minutes from the nearest police station, police who answer the phone after two rings, police who dont keep you holding while you on your cell phone, police who dont seem to only patrol the main well lit roads instead of all the lil juk juk corners, police who only do public walk about with all da people taking pictires an expect you gan be fool to be seen talking to them about any bad boys, police who needs to be walking through all dem track road the bsd boys use cause dey aint want to be seen walking on the main road, police who driving police cars wid de windows screw down, police who checking out all dem abandoned buildings like the old abandoned Citi lodge motel on Okra Hill, police who are in plane site patrolling Bay St from fFish Fry to Montagu, police who stopping all the tinted window cars, police who don make you feel like you the crimjnal rather than the victim, .......actually many police do a wonderful job and deserve commendation medals to wear showing their pride and awards year round for fine work and professionalism rather than to wait 2 weeks before election expecting promotion an pay increase. Having awards, commendation badges, etc on their chest should uplift that uniform, morale etc Lets have some award winning police have dey picture monthly in the papers an what they done fer it.
Socrates 6 years, 3 months ago
if this keeps the money out of the hands of any potentially corrupt civil servants, their friends or even politicians, i say buy the cars..
TalRussell 6 years, 3 months ago
Ma Comrade Bradda Marvin, you should've brought with you to church's pulpit the crucial transparency disclosure documents details on who all is in line partake in $5.9 million from the public purse's purchase new vehicles for the Royal Bahamaland Policeman's Force?
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