The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

Tribune Staff Reporter

rmajor@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday announced the appointment of officials to the Police Complaints Inspectorate.

The civilian organisation is legally mandated to investigate complaints against police officers. A US human rights report released earlier this year said the PCI had not met since September 2017.

Mr Dames said: “The Police Complaints Inspectorate, the members are mandated to review the investigations and determination of any complaint by the Complaints and Corruptions Branch of the Royal Bahamas Police Force to ensure that the investigations are conducted without bias.

“The inspectorate will be chaired by attorney, Ms Tanya McCartney, and other members include Mr John Ferguson, Mr Matthew Albury, Mr Allen Emmanuel, Mr Franklyn Bethel, and Mr Hilbert Collie. This is a very important board.”

He added: “...Now that it’s constituted, they have already gotten to work as a matter of fact they would have paid a courtesy on the deputy commissioner of police who is the person responsible for complaints to the commissioner and so there up and running already. They are already began their work.”

Speaking to reporters at police headquarters, Mr Dames said he often gets questions about some of the boards under his ministry and what they’re currently doing.

Mr Dames said: “There are a total of eight boards, one newly instituted, two are reconstituted and five previously existing.”

Speaking of the newly constituted Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee, he said: “For years having served their sentences, ex-convicts have continued to be discriminated against in our wider society.

“This committee is mandated to review records, and or empowered to make recommendations for expungement of those records of convicts meeting their criteria set out by law.”

He added: “The committee will be chaired by former commissioner of police, Mr Paul Farquharson, and the members include Mr Kahlil Parker, Mr Darron Rolle...Father Kendrick Forbes, vicar general, and a representative from the Department of Social Services.”

Mr Dames said his ministry reconstituted the Aid to Discharge Prisoners Committee.

He said: “Aid to Discharge Prisoners is the only non-statutory board; oftentimes when inmates leave prison, they require housing, counselling and myriad of other assistance as well as support.

“This committee works closely with Prison Fellowship Bahamas to provide the support and the necessities in an effort to ensure seamless reintegration into society and positively affect recidivism numbers. Members of that board are Archdeacon Keith Cartwright and Revered Patrick Paul.”