By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE constable was taken into custody yesterday afternoon in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor female, The Tribune understands.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean said the officer is being questioned at the Central Detective Unit, but no other information on the arrest was released.

The Tribune understands the alleged sexual assault took place in Andros.

Investigations into this matter continue.

The allegation comes after several police officers were arrested or interdicted from the force for unsatisfactory behaviour.

Last Friday, a former policeman appeared in Magistrate’s Court facing kidnapping and rape charges. The officer was dismissed from the force shortly before he appeared in court.

In December, a woman officer was interdicted for her alleged involvement in a brawl with a fellow cop at the funeral of a constable.

Earlier that month, a former police officer was charged with armed robbery. That officer was fired from the force shortly before he made his initial court appearance.

Last September, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade vowed to eradicate “bad apples” from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).

“I’m going to continue to encourage police officers to be professional, to be respectful and to walk the straight and narrow,” the commissioner said last year.

“The thing that I’m a little confused about sometimes is that we continue to hear this story about what we should do and shouldn’t do and all of the ills of the police department.

“I’m not going to hide behind any excuses, but you need to show me one other organisation in this country where the leaders are willing to stand up and put their money where their mouth is. It’s as real as that,” Mr Greenslade had previously said.