CROWN HAVEN CELEBRATES NEW POLICE STATION
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Security Hon. Cynthia Pratt made good on a promise she had made back in January when she officially opened the new Crown Haven Police Station on 7th March.
“There is virtually no crime in Little Abaco now,” Mrs Pratt said, “but that is how things were in Nassau just a few years ago.” With greater numbers of travellers between Abaco and Grand Bahama using the inter-island ferry from Crown Haven to McLeans Town greater vigilance was called for. “Persons who have been on criminal activities in Abaco may find it convenient to evade law enforcement here by crossing over to Grand Bahama, or vice versa. This has happened before and it is likely to happen again.”
Mrs Pratt noted that Crown Haven was nearer to Freeport than it was to Marsh Harbour and because of this Grand Bahama and Abaco police would work together closely. The station would have three officers and serve all the settlements of Little Abaco: Crown Haven, Fox Town, Mount Hope and Wood Cay. DPM Pratt urged the residents of Little Abaco to cooperate with the officers and report any illegal activities they may see or know about.
While introducing Mrs Pratt, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade spoke about “love” and performed a kind of marriage ceremony. So much cooperation had been shown to the police leading to the establishment of the new station and residences that the police in turn were deeply appreciative. It was a kind of love, Greenslade said, and that day was the time for deeper commitment - something like a marriage between the police and the community.
If this sounds unlike you regular senior police officer pronouncements, you should have seen the funky bandleader. The Royal Bahamas Police Force band performed their precision routines to great applause from the crowd. At one point the band leader handed his baton over to a primary school boy for safekeeping, struck up the band and then began to dance. Seeing a fully regaled police officer moonwalking was an experience not to be missed.
There was humour from the master of ceremonies Clarence Russell, officer in charge of the Abaco Division, and several other officers. This was clearly a police force with a human face, but not all was kindness and gentleness. A demonstration by the K-9 Division from Freeport showed what would happen to criminals if they resisted arrest while the pooches were on patrol.
The new police station is located at the southern end of the Little Abaco Pre-School. The youngsters will be seeing a great deal of their new protectors so it was a lovely beginning to the programme when they sang the national anthem, accompanied by the Royal Bahamas Police Force band.