(Eleuthera, The Bahamas) On the heels of a major armed robbery and shooting incident on island in January 2018, along with a spate of house break-ins, members of the business community in Central Eleuthera were invited to take part in a town meeting organized by the Eleuthera Division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force on Thursday evening, February 15th, 2018, at 6pm, which was held at Worker’s House in Governor’s Harbour.
Eleuthera Officer In Charge (OIC), Chief Superintendent Stephen Adderley, shared that the main purpose of the meeting was to openly communicate with businesses and community members about the recent incidents, to answer questions they may have had, and to equip them with tips and advice to make themselves harder targets for criminal elements.
“What really gave us the drive to host this meeting are the recent incidents we’ve had, and understanding that the fear of crime is very great… Even though we were reaching out to the people actually impacted – we have to also reach out to those in the wider community who were also impacted by the mere fact that something of this nature happened. So this meeting was to allay their fears, and to ensure that the fear of crime does not escalate and cause them to do something that is unnecessary. It was a one off matter, and so if all of us pay attention and be vigilant of our surroundings, then we won’t have these kinds of incidents in the future,” said C/Supt. Adderley.
The meeting began with OIC Ch/Supt. Adderley bringing the audience up to date with details of recent robbery and break-in incidents, as well as arrests made in those cases. The OIC also emphasized the role of the public in helping to enable the arrests made in each of the recent cases presented. Inspector Newbold, based at Police Headquarters in Governor’s Harbour, then gave a brief presentation on ways to counteract and lessen the chance of businesses and homes being targeted.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ismella Davis-Delancy, with responsibility for the Family Islands, and former OIC of the Eleuthera RBPF was on island for the meeting, and stated, “I wanted to come and encourage the officers, and to continue the strategies that we’ve put in place to keep Eleuthera safe. We wanted to keep people updated on incidences happening, to make sure they are aware of what is going on in their environment, sharing the information with business people and community members.”
ACP Davis-Delancy opened the floor to questions and concerns, and the entire panel of Police fielded questions from the audience. Many present expressed their thanks to the Police for holding such a forum before sharing their questions or concerns – which ranged from gun licenses and the kinds of firearms allowed to follow-up procedures with victims. Ch/Supt. Adderley promised that this would be the first of many meetings, reaching out to the public with information and getting feedback on current concerns and needs.
ACP Davis-Delancy, after the town meeting, went on to present at the regular weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Eleuthera, speaking on ‘peace and conflict resolution’ within the community and the way forward.
For further information contact Police Headquarters in Eleuthera at 332-3500.
