Several officers caught in strip club raid still on active duty

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Written by: 195 on Mar 12, 2010

SEVERAL Royal Bahamas Police Force officers caught in a strip club during a recent raid are still on active duty pending the findings of an internal investigation.

The investigation centres around whether or no the group - all police women - played a part in organising an illegal male strip show at the Ranch on Mackey Street in late February.

Deputy Commissioner Marvin Dames, who oversees the RBPF Complaints and Corruption Unit, said the investigation is in the "advanced" stage.

"It's not quite completed as yet, it's at an advanced stage so it would be premature to comment on that given the fact that it's not (done)," Mr Dames told The Tribune yesterday. "No decision (on the officer's fate) has been made either way at this point".

His comments came after a Tribune source claimed the investigation had been dropped, allegedly because one of the female officers in question is reportedly in a relationship with a senior police officer.

When this claim was put to the deputy commissioner, he brushed off the assertion, stressing that the investigation is ongoing.

"I can't comment on speculation, on allegations . . . The only thing I can comment on is the investigation.

At the end of the day we will look at the file and wherever it leads we will go. My concern is to investigate this matter fairly and transparently.

Disciplinary

"If at the end of the day there is evidence that will justify us taking disciplinary action against those involved, then we will do that," said Mr Dames.

The officers under investigation were among 107 female patrons arrested in a raid, which took place about three weeks ago. Some 29 men were also arrested at the Charms nightclub in Centreville at the same time. Three men from Atlanta, Georgia were charged with stripping at The Ranch nightclub, and three women - two Colombians and a Jamaican - are charged with stripping at Charms.

Days after the raid, the police said they were "intensively" investigating the possibility that the strip events were to some extent organised by a ring of police officers stationed in various departments of the force.

Police at the time would not confirm the names of the officers or the number of individuals involved, but the source claimed eight officers, including four women, were suspected of organising the illegal events

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