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HISTORY OF THE ROYAL BAHAMAS
POLICE FORCE
Historical Overview
From the early 18th Century
to the latter part of the 19th Century, the development of
policing generally followed the pattern of policing in England. During
the first half of this period, men were appointed as constables to
assist in the enforcement of government rules and regulations, and the
apprehension of offenders. Night Watchmen were also assigned to protect
the town of Nassau (Capital of the Bahamas) during the night, as early
as 1729, there was a constable in New Providence. However, his duties
seem not to have been as broad and well defined as the police of today.
This constable was attached to the local Magistrate, Justices of the
Peace and every other Government official. Indeed, he did very little
on his own initiative and was
In 1799, an Act of the General
Assembly (now called Parliament) declared that all constables would have
the same powers as their counterparts in England. They were then
allowed to arrest on suspicion of crime as opposed to only after the
crime had been committed. In 1827, the assembly stipulated their mode
of appointment. It is evident that during this period, only one
constable was appointed to serve at a time in each district. These
appointments were made by the serving Magistrate with the assistance of
two Justices of the Peace. Influential plantation owners nominated the
prospective constables.
As time passed and crime increased, a
small number of constables were appointed to serve at the same time.
However, they were never organized as a formal police force. Each was
responsible to the Magistrate in a particular district. It is
interesting to note that this system of constables has evolved into the
District and Local Constables of today.
During the early years of British
Colonial Rule, slaves made up the majority of the population in the
Bahamas. The little policing needed was done by the
free population with the help of Constables, Magistrates, and Justices
of the Peace. Any rebellion or potential rebellion
by the slaves was kept in check by the local detachment of soldiers and
the slave owners.
Prior to the abolition of slavery in
1834, there was a system of night patrols in New Providence called the
Night Guard. The men forming this guard were not constables, but were
also supervised by the local Magistrate. Their duties were primarily to
protect the homes and businesses of the free population at night.
In addition, the West India Regiment was stationed
in Nassau to take care of any serious breach of peace throughout The
Bahamas. These men were trained soldiers recruited from different
ethnic groups in Africa and The Caribbean. They lived in Barracks in
isolation from the populations to ensure their loyalty in the vent of
local slave uprising. In addition, their duties also included the
protection of the Islands from Foreign Invaders. At that time, the
barracks was situated on the site where the Hilton British Colonial
Hotel now stands.
The majority of the Family Islands
which make up The Bahamas were largely neglected as far as Law
Enforcement was concerned, for the simple reason that crime in these
areas was almost non-existent. (See History of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Hand Book 1840 - 1990 at the Police Training College Library Thompson Boulevard, Oaks Field, Nassau Bahamas) |
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at the bottom of the government ladder. 