The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The police force is an institution comprised of dedicated men and women of integrity, but like in most such institutions, there will be one or two who do not meet those criteria.

The police are, by duty, bound to uphold the law, but they need the public’s help if they are to be successful. The men and women of this profession and their families sacrifice far too much. They are the guardians of our families, homes, communities and our way of life. Simply put, they deserve a lot better than they’ve received from many in our country lately.

Two such outstanding retired police officers who have dedicated their entire lives to making The Bahamas a better place to live are Assistant Superintendent Edmund Lewis and Chief Superintendent Irvin Taylor.

Officer Taylor, 84, is at the “it was an excellent year” stage of his life and is no longer active on the force. He has left a legacy that others can only attempt to emulate and will go down in history as one of the officers that raised the Bahamian flag on independence morning.

Officer Lewis, whose dedication extends far beyond the call of duty, is at the “I’m having the time of my life” stage. He is a reservist and at the age of 85, is the oldest serving policeman on the force.

These gentlemen served when, at the height of their career, The Bahamas was being characterised as a corrupt country and labeled “a nation for sale”.

For all of my adult life, I have had the good fortune of being friends with and mentored by both of them and can say without a shadow of doubt that throughout their tenure, they were impeccable men of distinction who have always been above reproach and served their country with dignity and pride.

Not only were they role models on the police force, they were great sportsmen who excelled in the sport of cricket and represented the country all over the world. They are recognised today as some of the best that have ever graced the cricket fields, both in The Bahamas and internationally.

These two heroes should have been honoured years ago, but because they are not politicians, we will have to wait for their demise to read in the obituaries of their sacrificial contributions and how valuable they were to the nation.

But until then, I appeal to the patriotic people of The Bahamas to join me in saluting these two great men of our Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Officer Edmund Lewis and officer Irvin Taylor, we are confident that history will be as kind to you as you were to us. Thank you for your unselfish contribution in building our nation. Well done my dear friends.

God bless you.

God Bless The Bahamas

ANTHONY PRATT

Nassau,

July 16, 2022.