NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames says he’s disturbed by social media reports naming police officers as responsible for the murders of six men last week and cautioned the public against spreading unsubstantiated claims.
While Police Commissioner Paul Rolle has repeatedly said there is no evidence to suggest officers were involved in any way in the murders, photographs of five men believed to be officers along with voice notes blaming them for the incident have been making the rounds on social media.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Dames appealed to the public to be responsible as they use social media.
He said the officers and their families should be taken into account.
“I had an opportunity to meet with him (the Commissioner) yesterday (Monday) and I am encouraged by the signs that I’m seeing with respect to their investigations and how they’re proceeding with the matter,” Mr Dames said outside Cabinet yesterday.
“… Persons are just trying to investigate this matter by social media. I just want to warn members of the public that we must be careful as we go about the business of using social media and what we put on it and ensure that whatever is being put on social media is being put there responsibly.
“There has been some information circulated with respect to who may or may not have been responsible for the incident and names are being called with absolutely no factual information related to the matter.
“I just want to warn members of the public to be responsible. Now I know that there are certain individuals out there who are acting on behalf of others and it could cause problems.”
He continued: “You don’t want to call persons’ names when they are not connected with the matter because it is very difficult to bring that back and I am very concerned about that. Sometimes it is persons who deem themselves upstanding citizens of this country.
“…When you are making reckless statements and allegations regarding individuals and police officers especially.”
Last Thursday afternoon, Renardo Bastian, also known as “Crack Teeth”, Travis Cooper, Maurice Pinder, Kendal Lord, Delano Smith, and Dequant Brown were killed after the car they were in was riddled with bullets at the Jerome Avenue and Chesapeake Road intersection.
They were approached by four gunmen who were said to be dressed all in black and armed with high powered weapons and handguns.
The killing came shortly after the men had been released from police custody for firearm possession.
A woman and two-year-old girl were also critically injured in the gun attack, but are said, although critical, to be in stable condition. Police suspect it was a gang related attack.
“…Let’s leave the investigations up to police and let the police determine the outcome,” Mr Dames also said. “If there are persons out there with information then they should forward that information to the police.
“Last week the Commissioner would have announced the opening up of an office at the Central Detective Unit for taking information from members of the public, but there are some individuals out there who seem to revel in chaos and there are others out there who use surrogates to put out false and erroneous information against others and this case involving where people are calling police officers names, it’s particularly disturbing to me especially when there are no facts to suggest.
“We need to take into account those officers and their families. I am proud of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the work that they continue to do to keep us all safe.
“At the end of the day I am cognizant that from time to time there are some officers who go astray, but the vast majority of these officers in these agencies are upstanding citizens and we need to respect that and not be careless and reckless just in the name of advancing a cause or out there to cause problems.
“It bothers me.”
In a statement to The Tribune on Sunday, Commissioner Rolle said police were concerned about the “level of misinformation being perpetrated by persons making unsubstantiated assertions” regarding the case.
Comments
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 12 months ago
So now another dictator trying to tell the masses what they are free to think and post on social media. Then says let the police investigate the police. Yeah ill let the mouse guard the cheese as well.
BahamasForBahamians 2 years, 12 months ago
Has marvin Dames ever thought the general public is disturbed with his dismal performance?
tribanon 2 years, 12 months ago
Nope! He's now nothing but a corrupt politician who spends most of his time singing to Minnis for his supper and jumping whenever Minnis tells him to jump. His transformation for the worse after May 2017 was unusually quick.
Proguing 2 years, 12 months ago
Unfortunately for some people we don't have a crime problem in the Bahamas but a Police problem...
tribanon 2 years, 12 months ago
We certainly have a Dames problem!
JokeyJack 2 years, 12 months ago
Time to bring out the fish bags?
hrysippus 2 years, 12 months ago
Expecting that Her Majesty's State Security Service is capable and willing to fully investigate wrong doing perpetuated by members of it's own force is like expecting a Minnesota police officer to intervene when one his colleagues is forcibly subduing and possibly killing a suspect during an arrest.
TalRussell 2 years, 12 months ago
The closer the general election draws the nearer the harder is the mouths of those foolishly lead by Thee Mr. Minnis, not to be believing the opposition politicians propaganda that the fast-approaching general election is gearing up to be the unusual and unique brother by a different mother to the USA's presidential election of 1800...., It too was an October 31st Election Day..., And, so, it shall also be written down on the pages of we own realm's elections history in the makings, book**
sheeprunner12 2 years, 12 months ago
Bahamians do not trust the Police to police themselves ......... the Government refuses to change that closed system .......... That is why the Derek Chauvin type trial and outcome cannot happen in The Bahamas ............ and will Bahamians videotape the Police like that and will that evidence be entered into an open court and will the COP/Supreme Court prosecute bad cops who may be brassy like Chauvin .......... Are there Bahamian police officers like Derek Chauvin???? ........
Bahamians got a similar answer last week when the COP sent home an abusive Supt. with his full pension - even though the public SAW the cellphone evidence all over social media.
Will the Bahamian public ever be satisfied with the MONS answer on this issue???????
John 2 years, 12 months ago
Hey Dame Marvin, the streets do talk and when there is a crime of this magnitude (the brutal slaughter of six young men and shootings of a young woman and a girl) all the fingers are pointing only at the police. The police under your command. The ones you have trained and given authority to kill. Authority to kill Bahamians. And fortunately, thank God, no one acted in haste an attempted to exact retaliation on persons they suspect carried out this brutal slaughter. Maybe that is because all evidence is pointing at the police. The killing squad you enacted. And since the police has come up with no suspects or report of any additional leads in this brutal slaughter, it makes the police more suspect, Marvin Dames. Now don’t go in desperation and lock up people young children and charge them with this brutal, multiple massacre and they somehow end up dead before the matter goes to trial. The day is coming when those who executed this massacre and those who authorized it willl have to account. Take your knee off the necks of the Bahamian people and their chirren.
DDK 2 years, 12 months ago
Is it actually being suggested that this was a police execution???
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 12 months ago
Did he use the word "disturbed" when that recording came out with ASP Ferguson or when the police officer beat up a 17 year old girl? Where is Marvin Pratt btw? Those citizens have families too.
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