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A balancing act: How the Royal Bahamas Police Force protects visitors and citizens with Axon
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The Bahamas is a world-renowned tourist destination. For the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), this popularity presented a unique challenge: how could the agency safeguard both tourists and local residents while maintaining community trust?
The challenge
The RBPF needed to ensure the safety of tourists while also attending to the needs of their citizens.
“We have a lot of tourists that come in every day,” said Chavis Sherman, a police constable with the RBPF. While safeguarding visitors to the Commonwealth is crucial, the police force also wants to ensure that its full-time population doesn’t feel overlooked. “It’s a balance in making sure that you keep both sides happy...you don’t want to play favorites.”
To help maintain this balance, the RBPF partnered with Axon to bring trusted public safety technology to the Commonwealth.
The solution
In 2021, the RBPF began equipping members of its force with Axon body-worn cameras to promote transparency and enhance digital evidence collection. The police force also implemented Axon Evidence, Axon’s digital evidence management system, and Axon Fusus, Axon’s real-time crime center (RTCC) platform.
Modern Policing in Action: The Royal Bahamas Police Force
Modern Policing in Action: The Royal Bahamas Police Force
The results
The Axon Ecosystem has helped the RBPF increase transparency and accountability, leading to greater public trust.
“No longer are the days where a suspect can say, ‘Oh, the officer did this, or an officer didn’t do this’...Now we have that body cam footage where you can say, ‘Hey, go back to my body cam—here’s the footage, you can see exactly what transpired,’” explained Sherman.
“It is a tool, an independent witness to any crime,” added Kevin Ellis, a police sergeant with the RBPF.
Axon Fusus has also given the agency real-time insight to respond to incidents faster, which has helped further improve public sentiment:
Axon Fusus in Action: The Royal Bahamas Police Force
Axon Fusus in Action: The Royal Bahamas Police Force
You want an agency that can act fast when crime happens. You need people in command center letting those mobile units know ‘hey, this is happening'...that also helps with the community trust
-Chavis Sherman, police constable (RBPF)
Conclusion
“Technology revolutionizes policing” shared Zhivago Dames, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police. And the force has no plans to stop modernizing its operations to better protect the community.
Recently, Commissioner Shanta Knowles assumed leadership of the RBPF. “The commissioner’s long-term vision is a modern, intelligence-driven, community-focused police force,” explained Dames. With the Axon Ecosystem, the RBPF is helping ensure that the Bahamas remains both a world-class tourist destination and a safe place to call home.
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