The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said he has been advised officers wore body cameras during a controversial drug raid at a Carmichael home on Wednesday, but authorities have not disclosed what the footage shows or offered a counter account to allegations that narcotics were planted.

“I have made inquiries of the Royal Bahamas Police Force who indicates that officers on the scene had activated body cameras,” Mr Munroe told The Tribune, adding that he expects to be briefed further on the matter when he returns to the country. Acting Commissioner of Police Kirkwood Andrews declined to comment yesterday.

Mr Munroe’s comment follows claims by a relative of a family arrested during the midnight operation that officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit planted drugs in the yard of a home occupied by a mother, her two sons and one son’s girlfriend. The relative, who does not live at the property and asked not to be named, said the two sons were arrested first, followed later by the mother and girlfriend.

The Tribune viewed video clips provided by the relative. The footage shows several officers in a yard at night using flashlights to search the area. At one point, an officer appears to drop a bag on the ground. However, the clips do not show what happened immediately beforehand. The full unedited recording was not provided to this newspaper.

The allegations have fuelled debate online, including concern about linking private security cameras to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The integration programme, powered by the FUSUS platform launched in 2023, connects CCTV systems, ShotSpotter technology, body-worn cameras, drones and monitoring devices to a central command centre to improve response times. Yesterday, some Bahamians said the incident shows why the public should not participate in such programmes.

Alesha Hart, a council member of the National Neighbourhood Watch Council, said she still supports connecting private CCTV systems to police but acknowledged risks. She said neighbours could have come outside when officers arrived with lights flashing, adding that independent witnesses can provide an immediate public record of what occurred.

“You realise that just the point of neighbours coming out to see what's going on with another neighbour, that could deter so much, because you have eyes that are everywhere,” she said.

She also questioned whether body cameras captured the encounter and said the footage should clarify events. The Royal Bahamas Police Force does not typically release body camera footage publicly.