By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DEPUTY Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle has warned police officers that photographing innocent people during routine traffic stops could result in disciplinary action.
He made the warning in an email to RBPF commanders and department heads which was leaked to the press yesterday.
He reminded senior officers that photos of people against whom criminal proceedings are not instituted must, by law, be destroyed.
He wrote in his email: “With immediate effect, you are to ensure that the practice of photographing persons during routine traffic stops and stop and search is to cease. Officers wishing to take photographs of stop and search should avoid taking persons faces, who have not been arrested. In the recent past, the commissioner of police has received an unacceptable level of complaints from members of the public regarding the conduct of police officers during traffic stops. Kindly speak to your officers regarding this practice as we will all have no other recourse than to take disciplinary action should the practice persist.”
A woman whose identity has been withheld spoke to The Tribune yesterday about her recent experience with officers who took a photo of her after she was stopped for a broken headlight. She said the experience felt disturbing and invasive.
She said: “The practice of photographing people at traffic stops absolutely needs to be stopped. It is extremely invasive, disturbing, and unnecessary - especially when the officers refuse to explain the context for the photo or where your image will be going. My photo was taken when I was recently stopped by police. The officers took the photo after looking me up and down. It exacerbated what was already a completely unprofessional experience with a group of officers who were extremely aggressive and rude. What should have been a simple traffic stop ended up feeling like a sick power play.”
In recent times, the RBPF has also drawn criticism when photos of arrested people are circulated on social media before they are charged with a crime. In some cases, no charges have been made against the people. Some legal observers say the habit of releasing photos before a person is charged is defamatory.
Comments
thephoenix562 4 years, 8 months ago
They RBPF need to stop posting photos of people before they are charged with an offence and posting photos and videos of evidence.Its quite clear sometimes that it has to be the Police posting these photos.Pray tell me of what value is my photo during a traffic stop.It certainly would not be used in any traffic matter i heard about.i support The Deputy Commisioner 100%While you are at it Mr Rolle,When did Dickies become issued Police uniform?There are Force orders in relation to code of dress for all sections of the RBPF.Where is there any mention of Dickies,Sgt stripes and crown on Dickies.Horrible.
Giordano 4 years, 8 months ago
There is no doubt that the RBPF usually extra-limits its functions or scope of actions also in detriment of human rights not only on traffic cases but also in common cases at levels of neighborhoods ' Police Stations where overwhelming wrongdoing activities take place on DAILY basis. From faking complainants ' arrests and establishing illegal profile by forcing people into a wall just to take pictures of their faces,fingers prints and so on in flagrant violation of their human rights and in some cases gangging and gangstering people also nearing history of Police officers murdering people in the same police stations. Humiliations and violations of human rights take place very often in some police stations in New Providence,The Bahamas,and any search will shed overwhelming evidences with obvious lacking of human dignity & respect. This is disturbing,humiliating,disruptive of normal society,unacceptable and must stop immediately.
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