The Bahamas government will introduce a state of the art forensic lab within the next four years that will be independent of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), according to National Security Minister Marvin Dames.
The minister told Eyewitness News Online Tuesday that the lab’s establishment is expected to greatly enhance police efforts to solve crimes more efficiently.
“We are in the process of establishing a committee within the ministry, [which] will begin the process of looking at this from an holistic standpoint,” said Dames.
“The government has started the groundwork and once we are done with that, we will present our findings to Cabinet to outline how we will proceed with making this project a reality. It is certainly the intention of our government to ensure that this is done before the end of our term in office.”
The independent lab, he said, will be equipped with its own leadership structure.
“We have Bahamians who are well trained and skilled in forensics, and so it’s just a matter of now building the framework that will allow us to move along the right path in establishing this state of the art facility,” he said.
“Forensics nowadays are extremely critical for any case that is taken before the courts. So, this will greatly help us in the area of solving crimes and executing justice efficiently.”
Asked about spending, Dames said he was unable to provide any information regarding current government expenditure to send samples abroad for scientific testing.
With the introduction of the said lab however, Dames said he expects that monies, which are currently pumped into sending samples abroad for testing, will then be directed toward other crime fighting initiatives.
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