Chief Superintendent Hulan Hanna, in a radio interview on Tuesday, said allegations of corruption have to be taken “seriously” because if they are not, they can thwart the public’s confidence in the force.
“When you talk about allegations of corruption in the premier law enforcement agency in your country, such as the Royal Bahamas Police force, we have to take these things seriously. If not, the public’s confidence in the Force as an organisation will be totally eroded and we will lose the moral authority to police this country,” he said.
Nevertheless, though there are instances of public mistrust towards the “premier law enforcement agency” in The Bahamas, most citizens say they still feel safe in the country.
“I think its wrong and the officers of the police force should do what they should do-to protect and serve,” said Luke, a Nassau resident. “I still feel safe in my country regardless of the corruption. However, I do feel mistrust.”
Dendra, a resident of Carmichael Road West, had a similar response.
“On some level I feel mistrust and then I feel a little fear because you don’t really know what to expect next. But it should come as no surprise because that’s life in itself and it has the good, the bad and the ugly,” she said.
There are also others who believe that corruption in the force is responsible for the crime rate the country is experiencing.
“I feel that is one of the reasons why crime is at a high in this country,” said William Ford, a teacher. “They have taken an oath to uphold the law and we hear about them being involved in this. I know the entire force is not corrupt, but the ones that are doing the corruption make them look bad.”
He said officers who are allegedly performing contrary to their oath “make those who are really committed to the zero tolerance for crime in the country” looked down on by others, and much more needs to be done to remedy the situation.
“There needs to be some level of accountability and when these officers are caught breaking the law they should be tried more severely than the regular man. They know the Law, but not every ‘Average Joe’ knows the Law.”
“They are worse than civilians when it comes to upholding the law especially the traffic law-everything they do there is corruption. They abuse their power especially when they are out of uniform. With the corruption I don’t feel safe, I feel threatened. Because when you’re in a position, and they are higher than you, who are you going to complain to,” said Marva Rodriguez.
“Something needs to be done about it right now, quickly and in a hurry,” she added.
By: Laura Matthews, The Nassau Guardian
