Paul A. Rolle Esq, QPM, MS, BS Commissioner of Police

Thank you for joining me this morning, I have called this press briefing to give you an update on crime for the period January 1 to September 30, 2021 as well as to give you a snapshot of how my 2021 Policing Plan has been working thus far.

I assumed Command of the Force over a year and a half ago, and I have been privileged to serve in this capacity having to navigate law enforcement during Hurricane Dorian and the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic. The Bahamas remains in a state of emergency and we must keep the faith that the Lord will bring us through these difficult times. As I indicated on my appointment, I am only here for a season and my allegiance is to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Again, I acknowledge the Almighty God in all matters and I continue to seek his guidance for my life as I serve as head of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

I would like to commend the courageous men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, who without fail, continue to show up and work for the Bahamian people regardless of how they may have been affected by either of the two major incidents. These men and women are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Bahamians, residents, and visitors during the most challenging policing period in modern history.

COVID continues to have an effect of the Force. For the period under review, 138 officers tested positive for the Novel Corona Virus. Currently, there are 6 police officers infected with COVID-19. To date, a total of 1,650 police officers and 284 police reserves have been vaccinated against the corona virus. Regrettably, the corona virus has taken the lives of 7 police officers and 2 police reserves. We commiserate with their families, and I would again

like to proffer my heartfelt condolences in their time of bereavement and my gratitude for their outstanding service to the Force and by extension the Bahamian public. They are Sergeant 1544 Vaughn Woods, Sergeant 1916 Marcus Morley, Sergeant 2125 Krystal Blatch, Sergeant 815 Nathaniel Bailey, Sergeant 2619 Keiran Dorsette, Constable 2342 Everette Buchannan, Constable 3523 Tequilla Lewis, Reserve Superintendent Real Storr and Reserve Assistant Superintendent Kipling Rolle. May their souls rest in peace!!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have realigned our strategies and resources to contend with 21st Century Law Enforcement practices. We continue to invest in our human capital and other key resources to assist with the overall management of crime. We have trained 2,546 police officers in local specialized training as well as 24 police officers in crime scene investigations. These investments are important in our quest to transition into a learning organization where employee development and productivity are key.

Additionally, we have made it our mission to recruit the best and brightest prospects from all Bahamian communities with 100 new recruits comprising 5 squads currently in training. With these squads, we ensured that our family islands were well represented having selected recruits from Eleuthera, Long Island, Cat Island, San Salvador, Inagua, Exuma, Andros and the Berry Islands. The remaining recruits were selected from New Providence and included some 15 cadets, persons with specialized skills that could benefit the organization, persons with relevant academic degrees and others who either possessed their BGCSEs or passed the entrance exams. All recruits met the requirements for enlistment and were based on merit, qualification and suitability.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force remains at the apex of law enforcement throughout the region. We continue to pace ahead of our Caribbean counterparts through our willingness to advance and integrate emerging technologies in our policing duties.

We have modernized COMPSTAT Technology in a way to present detailed crime analysis for meaningful and strategic decision making among commanders during our weekly COMPSTAT meetings; Our Real Time Crime Center engages multiple technologies

simultaneously in an effort to intercept ongoing emergency 911 calls and assist with active investigations; Our expanded use of body worn and dashboard cameras make us more accountable to the general public by determining police interactions with the public during serious incidents; Our upgrade of the ShotSpotter technology allows us to track down and seize more illegal firearms throughout New Providence; Our use of the Marco’s Alert Digital Billboards allow us to quickly disseminate and track down leads on missing children; And we have expanded our use of closed circuit television (CCTV) to assist in criminal investigations and/or intercept crimes as they occur.

We are currently in the process of exploring additional technologies such as facial recognition, license plate scanners and artificial intelligence to enhance our current technology infrastructure.

Members of the press, as part of our humanitarian efforts and strategies to assist in the fight against crime, the Force continues to partner with communities throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas using our outreach portfolios on the ground. These include, but are not limited to 144 National Neighborhood Watch Council Groups (NNWC), 10 Urban Renewal Centers, and the National Crime Prevention Office. The Force was recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police for our Road Safety Priority in my 2021 Policing Plan which included a highlight of the Safe Driver’s Award Program that originated from the Western Division. The July 2021 issue of the Police Chiefs Magazine has recommended that police departments all over the world adopt our priority as a best practice in road safety to improve their relationship between the police and the community.

Ladies and gentlemen, Section 4 of the Police Force Act 2009 outlines the mandate of the Force. Our current crime fighting strategies and policing initiatives seek to build safer communities through the public’s support, participation and assistance. Thus far, we have made steady inroads in fulfilling the objectives outlined in my 2021 Commissioner’s Policing Plan as we embark on the 4th and final quarter of 2021.

Our most notable highlight for 2021 thus far is a slight overall reduction in crime. The men and women of the Force performed at an outstanding level to keep communities safe and provide police visibility throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as a major deterrent to crime. This was coupled with daily operations that targeted hotspots and prolific offenders in an effort to offset and interrupt criminal activity.

As a result of these efforts we arrested 13,856 persons for various major and minor criminal offences and charged 5,713 persons before the court. Eleven thousand and nineteen persons were arrested in New Providence, 2,018 in Grand Bahama and 819 in the family Islands.

We executed 558 search warrants and detained numerous persons on outstanding warrants of arrest. We conducted 658 road checks and engaged in 1,011 aggressive stop and search tactics to remove illegal firearms and dangerous drugs from the streets of The Bahamas. Notably, we seized 201 illegal firearms and 2,536 rounds of ammunition. We also seized 4,291 pounds of marijuana, 8,727 marijuana plants and 855 pounds of cocaine. These drug seizures led to the arrest of 1,000 suspects while 788 persons were charged and placed before the courts for drug related cases.

Due to our significant investment in training we continue to see improvements in our case file preparation process resulting in higher conviction rates. Our court returns thus far for 2021 stands at a 73% conviction rate on all returns. Seventeen percent of the court returns were discharged by the court, 1% acquitted by the court and 9% were withdrawn by the virtual complainant.

We have intensified our efforts to target problematic thoroughfares for speeders. We participated in radio and television shows aimed at educating motorists. We gave out fliers with safe driving tips. We did regular patrols of our highways and employed speed guns to monitor and crack down on reckless drivers. We issued 25,415 fixed penalty notices. Based on our road safety measures and strategies we saw a 20% decline in traffic fatalities. I am

in the process of acquiring the radar speed guns and Jaws of Life apparatus for deployment to all our major family islands.

We amplified our community policing message using our website and social media platform, talk shows, documentaries, public service announcements, literature and seminars. We established the COPs Talk Program to provide the public with the internal workings of the Force as well as to add context to narratives of certain topics in social media about the Force.

Ladies and gentlemen, as a safety and security measure, we have discontinued the process of parading prisoners to court. This is a work in progress and we look forward to seeing how best we can facilitate the flow of public information on arraignments while taking into account the security and welfare issues of prisoners and police officers alike.

I now turn my attention to crime: Crime Analysis

Preliminary figures indicate that overall crime thus far for 2021 decreased by 2% when compared to the same period in 2020. Crimes against the person increased by 26% when compared to the same period in 2020.

Homicides

We investigated 87 incidents of homicides thus far in 2021, compared to 54 in 2020. There were 79 murders in New Providence, 6 in Grand Bahama and 2 in the Family Islands. Victims between the age of 18 and 35 represent 66% of all homicides. Retaliation and conflict were the most common motives for murders representing 55% of the total. Fatal gunshot wounds remain the leading cause of death accounting for 75 murder incidents. We were able to solve 59% of all murder cases from January to September 2021.

Armed Robberies

For the period in review, we investigated 317 incidents of armed robbery, compared to 218 in 2020. Armed robberies occurred mostly between the hours of 7pm and 10pm. Most armed robberies occurred on the streets with business establishments and residences close behind. Firearms continue to be the weapon of choice for the commission of armed robberies.

Sexual Offences
During the period under review, the Sexual Offences Unit investigated a total of 131 cases. This figure represents a 13% decrease over the same period in 2020 when there were 151 sexual offences reported. These offences include rape, unlawful sexual intercourse and attempted rape. We reinforced the message to young persons on “good touch, bad touch” and talked to them about sexual offences. In addition, we remained vigilant knowing that children were at home on the zoom platform while their parents were at work, therefore we put resources in the communities and conducted frequent patrols in residential areas to ensure the safety of our children.

Missing Persons

The Missing and Exploited Persons Investigations Team continues to work with the National Trafficking in Persons Task Force. Thus far for 2021, there were 109 reports of missing persons throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Sixty nine in New Providence, 26 in Grand Bahama and 14 in the family island. Sixty nine reports required no further action where persons were found safe and 40 cases remain open under investigation.

Domestic Matters

For the period in review, we recorded 2,562 cases where domestic violence was a factor, compared to 2020 when 1,885 incidents were recorded. Domestic related incidents include a relation to a family member, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, and/or friend in general.

Police Involved Shootings

For the period in review, there were 11 incidents of police involved shootings resulting in 6 deaths and 5 non-fatal injuries. Five cases are currently before the Coroner’s Court and a 6th case is being processed today.

Crimes Against the Property

Crimes against the property decreased by 7% when compared to 2020. Stolen vehicles increased by 22% with 209 incidents, compared to 172 over the same period in 2020. Nissans were the most targeted vehicles of choice representing 38% of all vehicles stolen. Residences continue to be the most targeted location. Cases of stolen vehicle were more prevalent in the Southwestern Division which accounted for 25% of the overall total. Thirty-three percent of all stolen vehicles were recovered thus far in 2021. Stealing from vehicles decreased by 30% when compared to the same period in 2020.

Housebreakings decreased by 4% when compared to the same period in 2020. New Providence District accounted for 64% of all housebreakings, most of which occurred in the Eastern Division. Grand Bahama including Abaco and Bimini accounted for 21% of housebreakings and the Family Islands accounted for the remaining 15%, most of which occurred in Eleuthera. Burglary decreased by 45% with 61 incidents, compared to 111 reports in 2020.

Cyber Crime

The Cyber Crime Section processed 95 cybercrime cases which included libel, hacking, extortion, computer misuse and threats. This figure represents a decrease of 29% over the same period in 2020 when 134 cases were investigated. We believe that our messaging of cybercrime awareness as well as prosecution, have contributed to this decline.

Complaints against Police

For the period under review, we saw a 4% decrease in complaints against police officers by civilians with 157 complaints compared to 164 in 2020. Of this number 40 cases are

currently under investigation, 40 cases involved a warning or civil action referral, 33 cases were unfounded, 22 cases are sub judice, 10 cases were withdrawn, 10 cases resulted in convictions, and 2 cases resulted in recompense.
I will continue to review and implement policies to ensure the Force is fulfilling its mandate.

I am presently in the process of restructuring the Force with the return of Assistant Commissioner Clayton Fernander who is charged with the Intelligence Management Portfolio; Assistant Commissioner Leamond Deleveaux who is charged with the Criminal Proceedings and Prosecutorial Control Portfolio; and Assistant Commissioner Kendal Strachan who is charged with the Operations Management and Tactical Support Portfolio.

I am extremely pleased to have these Assistant Commissioners rejoin the Senior Executive Leadership Team as we continue to address the scourge of crime, drugs and the proliferation of firearms on our streets. These men are well respected and hold a wealth of knowledge and experience which will definitely be an asset to the team.

Notably, Clayton Fernander has extensive experience in criminal investigations and operations; Leamond Deleveaux has vast experience in policing throughout the Force; and Kendal Strachan has extensive experience in criminal investigations both locally and internationally where he is well respected. I enthusiastically welcome these honorable men to make a positive and impactful difference in our country as we rebuild and move forward.

We remain committed to maximizing our human resources in addressing public concerns and preventing crimes at the neighborhood level in New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands. Our germane function of protecting the Nation is one very important to us. Equally important is the wellbeing of our officers. We will continue to prioritize the public and incentivize our officers to ensure that we are effectively executing the core values of the Royal Bahamas Police Force as they hold the front line.

While we are working towards a better Bahamas, we are fully aware that there is still much work to be done on our part. We are prepared to roll up our sleeves and navigate our quest to create safer communities throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.