Police Escort

What a day we had, Pierre, myself, Brian and Jennifer! Sunday, looking for a Western Union we  walked to a section of town we have never gone to before and we noticed a appliance store, so today Jennifer wanted to go back to look for a stove top for their boat, now, while we have walked this way to a grocery store before, this time we went a lot further because Brian also needed to go to the auto parts store for some stuff. Where we were walking looked ok and safe to me, but when we cut thru a gas station this car pulled up to us and a man in a brown uniform ask us who we were and did we live here, at first I was skeptical, I thought he wanted something from us, but he introduced himself as a police chief and told us to cross over the street to the police station, he wanted to tell us something! Off we went and when we got over to the station he told us we were in the worst section of the city and he feared for our safety, so he would have one of his officers drive us where we needed to go and then take us home!!! Score!! we not only got to ride in a local police car, the officer Gregory Smith was a super nice guy and took us to the auto parts store, (by the way it was awesome! ) then he drove us over to the appliance store so we could get our new hot water heater, then took us back to the marina. He was born here in Nassau and has been a police officer for 22 years! He was very interested in our boat so we gave him the tour of the boat and he loved the wind generators and the solar panels and wanted to know about them for his house, electricity here is very expensive!

    During the early years of British Colonial Rule, slaves made up the majority of the population in the Bahamas.  The little policing needed was done by the free population with the help of Constables, Magistrates, and Justices of the Peace.  Any rebellion or potential rebellion by the slaves was kept in check by the local detachment of soldiers and the slave owners. 

Prior to the abolition of slavery in 1834, there was a system of night patrols in New Providence called the Night Guard.  The men forming this guard were not constables, but were also supervised by the local Magistrate.  Their duties were primarily to protect the homes and businesses of the free population at night.  In addition, the West India Regiment was stationed in Nassau to take care of any serious breach of peace throughout The Bahamas.  These men were trained soldiers recruited from different ethnic groups in Africa and The Caribbean.  They lived in Barracks in isolation from the 

populations to ensure their loyalty in the vent of local slave uprising.  In addition, their duties also included the protection of the Islands from Foreign Invaders.  At that time, the barracks was situated on the site where the Hilton British Colonial Hotel now stands.    

The majority of the Family Islands which make up The Bahamas were largely neglected as far as Law Enforcement was concerned, for the simple reason that crime in these areas was almost non-existent.

Oh by the way...this was the first time that I have ever ridden in the back of a police car....humm...a first in the Bahamas!

our ride!!

Jennifer, feeling apprehensive?

from the backseat of a police car

back to the marina

Gregory and Brian

they do not have takeout here only takeaway!