| Agencyname: | Royal Bahamas Police Force |
| Logocaption: | Crest of the Royal Bahamas Police Force |
| Formedyear: | 1840 |
| Formedmonthday: | March 1 |
| Country: | Bahamas |
| Police: | Yes |
| Sworntype: | Police Officer |
| Chief1name: | Clayton Fernander |
| Chief1position: | Commissioner of Police |
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is the national law enforcement agency of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. It operates within the portfolio of the Ministry of National Security. The police force was established on 1 March 1840 and is headquartered on East Street Hill in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Bahamas was originally settled by the Lucayan people before they were depopulated by Spanish slave raids in the 16th century; the islands were subsequently colonised by English settlers over the course of the 17th century. In 1718, the Bahamas became a crown colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain after the British clamped down on piracy in the Caribbean.[1] During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the development of policing in the Bahamas followed patterns in Britain. Law enforcement personnel consisted of constables, who assisted in enforcing government rules and regulations and apprehended offenders, and night watchmen, who patrolled the streets of Bahamian settlements at nighttime. The town of Nassau had a night watch, and as early as 1729 a constable existed in New Providence, where he worked in concert with the settlement's magistrate, justices of the peace and several other government officials.
In 1799, the Bahamas General Assembly passed an act which declared that all constables would have the same powers as their counterparts in Great Britain, which included the right to arrest an individual on the basis of reasonable suspicion. In 1827, the General Assembly passed another act which clarified the mode of appointment for constables. During this period, only one constable was appointed to serve in each district. These appointments were made by the incumbent magistrate in each district with the assistance of two justices of the peace. As time passed and crime increased, the constables appointed to serve at the same time increased; however, they were never organised into a formal police force. Each constable reported to the magistrate of a particular district. This system eventually evolved into the currently used positions of district and local constables. In 1833, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire; this eventually led to the dissolution of the night watch in New Providence.
On 1 March 1840, the Bahamas Police Force (BPF) was formed by sixteen men under the command of inspector general John Pinder. Many of these men were former members of the night watch, and with the exception of Pinder they were all formerly enslaved. The BPF, like the Metropolitan Police which preceded it, was intended to provide a non-military alternative to suppressing disorder, and operated an around-the-clock service in New Providence. Several years later, a number of BPF officers were transferred to other islands in the Bahamas. By December 1840, the BPF's strength consisted of one inspector general and a total of thirty sergeants, corporals and privates (the latter rank holding the same position as constables). The BPF was eventually granted the prefix "Royal" by the Crown. In the 21st century, the RBPF has over 4,000 officers and civilian employees and provides policing services to all residents and visitors in the Bahamas.[2]
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is headed by the Commissioner of Police, Clayton Fernander, who is supported in his role by one deputy commissioner, and eight assistant commissioners. The Commissioner of Police has command, direction and control of the Force and is the ex-officio Provost Marshal. The headquarters of the police force is located in Nassau, New Providence.
The rank structure is similar to that of the United Kingdom's Scotland Yard usage: constable; corporal; sergeant; inspector; assistant superintendent; superintendent; chief superintendent; assistant commissioner; deputy commissioner; and commissioner. There are just over 3,000 members on the force.[3] The Royal Bahamas Police Force is headed by what is known as the 'Senior Executive Leadership Team' or 'SELT'. These officers (ranging from the rank of assistant commissioner to commissioner) are responsible for setting strategic objectives and policies, policing plans, development, and mobilization of the force.[4] The Senior Executive Leadership Team consists of one (1) Commissioner (COP), one (1) Deputy Commissioner (DCP), one (1) Senior Assistant Commissioner (Sr. ACP) and twelve (12) Assistant Commissioners (ACPs). They are:
Operation Rapid Strike is a project launched on 19 January 2011 at 5:00 pm by Commissioner Ellison Greenslade of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The mandate of this operation is to "restore peace and civility to our communities". The stated aims of the project is to hunt persons involved in an array of crimes including murder, armed robberies, stabbings, break-ins, firearms related charges, etc. The operation is led by senior ranking officers such as superintendents. Other ranks inside the operation include inspectors, supervisory officers and junior officers. Some equipment used by the members of the operation include two thirty-two seat buses provided by the Government of the Bahamas.[20]