Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: Dames: Reliance on Technology and Multilateral Partnerships Will Grow in Protecting the Country
#Mathew Town, Inagua, April 24, 2019 – Bahamas – During the The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and United States Northern Command (Northcom) Radar Commissioning Ceremony in Mathew Town, Inagua, on April 17, 2019, Minister of National Security the Hon. Marvin Dames pointed out that, for The Bahamas, increasing regional and international threats meant decentralization of the RBDF for the sustainment of security operations and humanitarian assistance.
“Decentralization of both the operational and administrative components of the Defence Force commenced in three phases in the northern, central and southern Bahamas for effective interdiction at strategic locations,” Minister Dames said. “All three phases are operating concurrently.”
He added: “The first phase included the acquisition of patrol crafts and dredging of harbours. The second phase focused on the expansion of existing and the construction of new bases. Specifically, focus will be given to the expansion of the Inagua base and the construction of a Ragged Island base, where most of the security threats originate. The third phase is the acquisition of detection and tracking technologies.”
Among those present for the Commissioning Ceremony were: Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest; Minister of Education the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd; Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Darren Henfield; Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of National Security Mr. Eugene Poitier; Heads of National Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA), including Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson, Commander of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel, Commissioner of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services Charles Muphy, and Comptroller of Customs Dr. Geannine Moss; Senator the Hon. Renard Henfield; MICAL Member of Parliament Miriam Emmanuel; U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Stephanie Bowers; North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Northcom Commander General Terrence O’Shaughnessy; RBDF Principal Officer Administration Captain Clyde Sawyer; RBDF Chaplain Rev. Prince Bodie; senior uniformed officers and Government officials; and various stakeholders.
Minister Dames said that the Government was appreciative to the Government of the United States, particularly the Department of Defense (DOD), for the donation of a $2.1 million Long-Range Coastal Radar, as an added dimension to the augmentation of The Bahamas’ multi-layered programme.
“To ensure that the entire base at Inagua is brought up to standard and to complement this new technology, contracts were signed totaling $573,000 with three construction companies on the island for the rebuilding of new units,” he noted. “The new structures will include a sick bay, detention centre and a mechanical building. The total proposed projected capitalization and development including the decentralization programme over the next three budget cycles is expected to cost approximately $133 million.”
Minister Dames pointed out that, as it relates to the installation of the Kelvin Coastal Radar, it fell into the framework for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, commonly referred to as the C 4 I S R.
“This coastal radar will serve to enhance the Defence Force’s efficiencies and effectiveness of its interdiction efforts,” Minister Dames said. “Note that the agency will not operate in silos but, as necessary, in conjunction with Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos known as OPBAT.
“This longstanding, multilateral counter-drug operation between the United States, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands focuses on narcotics interdiction and other forms of trans-organized crimes.”
Minister Dames stated that past experiences had proven that no single asset or equipment could adequately combat the threats and challenges of the day.
“Hence, today’s installation is part of a broader multi-layered security programme asset, equipment acquisition, and collaboration,” he said. “At this time, let me take this opportunity to thank the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for the donation of the Over-The-Horizon Tracking System at the Coral Harbour Base and aboard patrol and aircraft which preceded this donation.”
Minister Dames pointed out that the technologies, as part of the multi-layered approach, would also incorporate the use of a multi-agency drone technology programme.
“The Government of The Bahamas is in the process of finalizing a $17 million contract with a vendor for the acquisitions of short and medium range drones to assist with interdiction and surveillance efforts under a multi-agency drone programme,” he stated. “Under the Heads of National Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA), this programme symbolizes the continued need for local law enforcement institutions to eliminate silos and make concerted efforts to improve communication and collaboration. The drone programme will be led by Royal Bahamas Defence Force.”
Minister Dames said that keeping one’s country safe is challenging for any nation, regardless of its size; and that the task is mammoth, and it is only expected to become more complex and multi-faceted.
“Therefore, law enforcement agencies are expected to become more team oriented, flexible and resilient in their defences, while being capable to respond to any call for assistance with speed and agility. In addition, the reliance on technology will only continue to grow and so will multilateral partnerships,” he said.
Minister Dames noted that the day was a testament to both, and persons could be rest assured that the Government of The Bahamas was committed to advancing the security of the country, through regional partnerships and technological investments as they were paramount for enhancing security.
“Again, I would like to thank our regional partner the United States of America, in particular the Department of Defense, the Department of State, U.S. Northern Command and NORAD led by General O’Shaughnessy, and the U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas led by Chargé d’Affaires Ms. Stephanie Bowers, all of whom play a key role in the security of our region.”
“The world is watching and today the commissioning of this long-range coastal radar system on the island of Great Inagua reflects a pivotal milestone in the history of the country,” Minister Dames added. “I am extremely pleased that we all can be a part of this momentous historical event.”
By Eric Rose
Release: BIS
Photo Caption: Minister of National Security the Hon. Marvin Dames addresses the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and United States Northern Command (Northcom) Radar Commissioning Ceremony in Matthew Town, Inagua, on April 17, 2019.
(BIS Photo / Eric Rose)
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
A hardline strategy that reduced murders, gunfire, and collateral deaths
The Bahamas, February 8, 2026 – What happens when police stop routinely granting bail to high-risk suspects and aggressively execute outstanding warrants? In The Bahamas, the answer in 2025 was fewer murders, fewer gunshots, and safer communities.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force arrested 4,337 individuals on outstanding warrants last year, ensuring suspects were brought directly before the courts instead of being released back onto the streets. At the same time, police significantly curtailed the use of police bail for high-risk and repeat offenders, particularly those already entangled in violent disputes.
Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles said the shift was informed by hard lessons from previous years. Intelligence reviews showed that
many homicide victims were not random targets, but men already wanted by law enforcement and — critically — by other criminals. When released on bail, those individuals often became targets themselves, triggering retaliatory shootings that spilled into neighbourhoods, roadways and public spaces.
By keeping high-risk suspects in custody pending court appearances, police say they disrupted that cycle — removing both potential offenders and potential victims from the streets.
The impact was stark. Murders declined by 31 percent in 2025, falling from 120 in 2024 to 83, the largest percentage decrease in homicides since national tracking began in 1963 and the lowest murder count in nearly two decades.
Police leaders say the strategy also reduced the collateral damage that had increasingly alarmed communities. Innocent residents had been caught in “sprays of gunfire” as targeted attacks unfolded in residential areas, at traffic stops, and in public settings.
Gun-violence indicators reflected the change. Gunshot reports fell by 35 percent, while incidents detected by ShotSpotter technology declined by 29 percent, confirming that fewer shots were being fired across the country.
“Gunshots ringing out and cutting through our peaceful paradise were down remarkably,” Commissioner Knowles said, attributing the improvement to decisive enforcement, tighter bail practices, and sustained pressure on offenders.
Police also intensified enforcement against breach of bail conditions, charging and detaining more suspects than in any previous reporting period. Officers say the approach removed the opportunity for repeat offending while matters were before the courts.
Police leadership said the results go beyond statistics. By limiting bail for high-risk suspects and executing warrants at scale, the strategy saved lives, protected bystanders, and restored confidence in public safety.
In 2025, fewer people were hunted, fewer bullets were fired, and fewer families were left grieving — a shift police say was no accident, but the result of deliberate, hardline choices.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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