The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said he is prepared to provide independent oversight of the police force, pressing the government to act on what he described as deeper problems in the administration of justice.

His comments come as police face heightened scrutiny following two fatal shootings involving off-duty officers within hours of each other and the circulation of videos showing officers in controversial situations.

Mr Pintard said the national discussion should move beyond immediate reactions and address structural weaknesses.

“There are bigger issues relative to making sure there’s a proper administration of justice, and so we want the prime minister to get back on the big issues,” he said. “The big issues are — are you prepared to provide independent oversight of the police force? We are. Are you prepared to make sure that the conditions under which they work, including insurance and gratuities that are owed to them, that you are dealing with them?”

He argued that accountability must extend across the public sector, questioning whether the government is willing to confront misconduct more broadly.

“I don’t believe he’s up to that task, nor is he committed to it,” Mr Pintard said.

When The Tribune contacted Mr Pintard for further details on how he would ensure independent oversight of the police force if the FNM is elected to power, he said he would address the matter in a statement later this week.

In 2024, Mr Pintard told reporters: “The police cannot investigate itself.”

Questions about oversight are not new. The Police Complaints Inspectorate, a civilian body established in 2009 to review the work of the Complaints and Corruption Branch, has long faced concerns about its effectiveness. United States human rights reports have repeatedly pointed to limited public information about the body, while a former chairperson, Tanya McCartney, said it lacks the operational capacity to carry out its mandate and called for a dedicated secretariat.

The issue has also been tied to broader reform efforts. The Independent Commission of Investigations Bill, passed after a US federal indictment alleged corruption among Bahamian law enforcement, was intended to place investigations of serious misconduct by security forces and public officials under a single independent authority. The status of the body is unknown.