Under pressure for the inability to control crime, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade launched a “major police operation” that could be little more than a public relations stunt.
The Police Commissioner announced the formation of a new thrust to combat The Bahamas’ growing crime problem.
Operation Rapid Strike will allegedly focus on a number of individuals who the police think are responsible for many crimes. The first, obvious question is, if the police knew the identities of these indivduals before, why have they not acted on that information previously?
To make it all look good, immediately after the Commissioner’s announcement, two 30-seat buses, filled with police officers armed with automatic weapons, pulled out of police headquarters. The busses were followed by two SUVs, several patrol cars and a police K9 unit.
To dispel concerns about the force’s reputation for police brutality, the Commisioner said, “I have asked our officers to be respectful of the rights of all citizens and residents of the Bahamas.”
While the operation makes for great public relations, it is not clear how this action will reduce crime. The police have already said they are adept at catching most of the criminals. It has been suggested that corruption on the police force, dysfunctional courts, extremely low conviction rates and judges granting bail to violent criminals are the biggest reasons crime has not been abated.
