20 police-involved shootings last year, 11 fatal
Complaints against police officers increased 46 percent
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Deputy Commissioner Clayton Fernander will chair a team within the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RPBF) charged with reviewing all police-involved shootings, including video captured from body-worn cameras and dash-cameras, according to Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle.
The team also includes Assistant Commissioner Leamond Deleveaux; Assistant Commissioner Zhivago Dames, Father Stephen Davis; and Rodger Thompson, the RBPF’s legal counsel, Rolle said during his annual ‘Meet the Press’ at Police Headquarters.
Deleveaux has also been assigned the lead investigator for all police-involved shootings.
According to statistics released yesterday, there were 20 police-involved shootings last year, the same number of police-involved shootings the year prior.
Of the shootings last year, 11 people were killed, while nine incidents were non-fatal.
Ten of those fatalities have been forwarded to Her Majesty’s Coroner for an inquest.
But Rolle said one matter was before the Disciplinary Tribunal and another went before the Magistrate’s Court.
On Wednesday, four former police officers — Archibold Miller, 29; Thomas Thurston Jr, 30; Leo Dormeus, 29; and Kevin Greenslade, 29 — were charged with unlawfully harming and causing the death of Danrico Alexander Carey on November 13 while on Matthew Street, Nassau Village.
The matter, which will proceed via a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI), will continue on April 25.
Rolle added that in four of the non-fatal shootings, the suspects were charged before the courts.
He assured that the organization takes its role and relationship with the public “very seriously”.
Complaints
“We take these cases very seriously and we will strive to maintain public trust and confidence in the way these cases are dealt with” — PAUL ROLLE
The commissioner noted that the more police use force, the more officers can expect less cooperation from the public.
There were 228 complaints against police officers in 2020, compared to the 334 last year, an increase of 46 percent.
Rolle said the organization remains committed to transparency and building the police force’s relationship with the public.
“We remain committed in our efforts to be more transparent in the way we handle complaints against police officers,” Rolle said.
“We are also exploring other avenues to encourage the public to report police misconduct.
“We take these cases very seriously and we will strive to maintain public trust and confidence in the way these cases are dealt with.”
He continued: “We police by consent and policing by consent means that we have to always try to maintain a good working relationship with the members of the public.
“That being said, where we find breaches, you have seen the level to which I have taken to address the concerns and I am hoping that will be a step in the right direction and at the end that we have these cases really reduced to a minimum, while we build on our relationship with members of the public.”
He said there are efforts to change officers’ mindset from “this warrior mentality”.
“As long as we have this warrior mentality as though we are in war, that’s a confrontation,” the commissioner said.
“We need to move the police force towards a partnership where people could feel comfortable talking with police officers, comfortable giving their police officers information.
“That is where we are trying to head.
“More and more, that’s going to be one of the things that I want to do and… assure the public that we are going to do our part to make sure that we are all accountable for our actions.”
