The Retirement of the Police Commissioner

by Craig Butler

It was officially announced last week that Commissioner Paul Farquharson would soon be leaving the Royal Bahamas Police Force after many years of outstanding service.

Rumors abound surrounding his sudden and unexpected departure. They ran the gauntlet from illness to political interference. Whatever the reason, which is not significant in any event, I would like to wish him well in his future endeavors.

I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Farquharson on a few occasions and whilst I did not always agree with his decisions and was not always happy about the amount of time it took him to deliberate, I can honestly say that he was true to himself and always arrived at a reasonable decision.

His tenure was not always an easy one, with the crime epidemic continuing to escalate, the inability to adequately address the same, the wayward nature of some members of the force and the interference of the political directorate to remove seemingly successful programmes.

Despite all this his time should be considered a success. The most persistent complaint emanating from the rank and file that I have spoken to surrounds the area of promotions on the force. This can be chalked up to sour grapes on the part of some, but does bear some merit on the part of others. In any event we should all be thankful for his many years of dedicated service. I only hope that when he is given the customary retirement gifts there is no uproar over them.

Deputy Commissioner Reginald Ferguson has been announced as the replacement. This is an officer who appeared to have reached the apex of his career earlier this year when he was transferred to a position that seemingly doomed him to the wilderness. It’s amazing how quickly the fate of some can change.

The problem with this is that this appointment does not engender much police support if the rumblings are to be believed. This is problematic and is a question that has to be addressed. Of course, the persistent rumors in respect of this individual seem to indicate that he does not enjoy the requisite support. This can be the product of a disgruntled few seeking to cause mischief or there may be some merit to it.

There is a faction that believes that Mr. Ferguson has only obtained this position based on politics and it is no secret that he is the brother of Senate vice president and Free National Movement Chairman Jonley Ferguson.
There are many who feel that based on Mr. Ferguson’s purported penchant for interfering in investigations that involve friends and family he is not a suitable person to be commissioner.

Whatever the case may be, Mr. Ferguson assumes office in January in a country that has already experienced 64 murders as of Friday last, including the senseless murder of a professor from the College of the Bahamas. Citizens are afraid to make plans for the future because we are unsure of when the misguided will erase those plans at an instant.

We have to address the root of the crime problem - namely the lack of embedded personal morals and values; the unwillingness to take responsibility for ones actions; the inability to respect others and their property or to deal with anger and disappointment without resorting to violence. Couple this with almost 20 years of marginalized males who don’t possess the skills to make an honest living and we have the epidemic that we are currently faced with.

How long Mr Ferguson will occupy the office is subject to speculation as he is already long in the tooth in respect to years on the force. Of course, there are those who feel that either Ellison Greenslade or Marvin Dames should have been elevated as they are younger men more attuned to the dilemmas facing the nation, but we will have to wait on that for now.

Congratulations Mr. Ferguson but please be reminded that the nation is watching and waiting.