By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Police Force is “functioning quite well,” according to Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson who yesterday downplayed pre-retirement leave of eight senior officers in recent weeks and speculation about his own future.

“Just judge from what you see here this afternoon, and you as a citizen of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, you be the judge,” Commissioner Ferguson said on the sidelines of a ceremony held yesterday to acknowledge members of the force’s civil staff for their many years of service.

When pressed on his own tenure with the force, specifically his years of service and the potential for him to be asked to take similar leave in the coming months, Commissioner Ferguson implored members of the press to not be swayed by “fake news.”

Well-placed sources had suggested Commissioner Ferguson and Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel were also among those persons slated for pre-retirement leave in the near future.

“Do not be influenced by what you see in social media. If we had a meeting that required the press, we are decent enough to pick up the phone and call the press as we have already, (and) always do,” was the police chief’s response when asked about it.

“So do not, just ignore (it),” Commissioner Ferguson, who joined the force in 1980, added.

In a surprise move last Thursday, Assistant Commissioners of Police Clayton Fernander, Ashton Greenslade, Ken Strachan, Theophilus Cunningham and Leamond Deleveaux all received notices to take accrued vacation leave effective immediately – joining Deputy Commissioner Emrick Seymour, Senior Assistant Commissioner Stephen Dean and Assistant Commissioner Clarence Reckley who were given letters indicating the same earlier this month.

Commissioner Ferguson at several points during yesterday’s interview deferred to commentary already put out by National Security Minister Marvin Dames, telling reporters at one point that it would be “unfair” for him to publicly address anything already addressed by Mr Dames.

Mr Dames last week stressed that successive governments had allowed accrued vacation — which should be capped at 15 weeks — to “run amok.”

For his part yesterday, Commissioner Ferguson said: “The minister of national security was in the news and I think that is sufficient for the public to be able to understand. I am not going to comment on anything that is in the domain of the minister who has already spoken, and it is unfair for me to really have any comment or any opinion on something that my minister has (already spoken on). I have the utmost respect for my minister, I will not do that.”

Meanwhile, when asked if the force was capable of meeting all of its mandates in the wake of the surprising exodus of top officers, Commissioner Ferguson insisted the force had never failed to do its job, stressing that the manpower and resources available ensures that law and order will be maintained.

“We were working from 1940. We will be working every single day … The police force has a mandate by law — maintenance of law and order, and the prevention and detection of crime — and I am pretty sure that you see the number of vehicles that are out on the road in the evening; and that in and of itself speaks for itself.”

He continued: “Just judge from what you see here this afternoon, and you as a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, you be the judge. The police force is functioning quite well.”

Separate meetings with executive teams from the police and defence force were held on Wednesday, according to Mr Dames, who said discussions focused on the significant financial strain excessive accrued vacations pose for the government.

However, in response to the move, the Progressive Liberal Party claimed that a “political purge” was taking place in the police force, charging that it was an attempt to eliminate PLP supporters from the public service.

PLP chairman Fred Mitchell slammed the move as “evil and wicked” actions that the party condemns.