A new cohort of 36 freshly trained law enforcement personnel formally joined the ranks of the Royal Bahamas Police Force on Wednesday, marking the milestone at a formal passing-out and graduation ceremony hosted at the Police Training College in Grand Bahama. Addressing the graduating C-Squad 2026 cohort, Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles delivered a firm, values-centered address that set clear non-negotiable expectations for their upcoming tenure in public service.
Knowles emphasized from the outset that the official badge each new officer would carry grants them legal authority, but never places them above the very laws they are sworn to uphold. “Your badge confers statutory power, but it is your personal character that will define whether that power earns genuine public respect,” she told the assembled graduates. She outlined six core attributes – unwavering integrity, moral courage, institutional loyalty, strict personal discipline, mutual respect for all community members, and impartial fairness – as non-negotiable foundational requirements for every policing professional, not optional personal virtues.
She instructed the new officers to balance confidence and decisive action with measured judgment and restraint, ensuring every member of the public is treated with inherent dignity, even during high-stakes, tense interactions. “You will regularly encounter members of the public who are angry, dismissive, uncooperative, and even openly hostile. Never let someone else’s unregulated behavior erode your professional standards: you are the trained, accountable professional in that room, and the public expects you to act accordingly,” Knowles stated. She further laid out a clear code of conduct: be firm without resorting to oppression, show compassion without compromising legal obligations, act fairly without showing favoritism, and stand up for what is ethically right even when that choice is unpopular. She issued a stark warning against conflating the legal power to enforce laws with any perceived permission to mistreat the communities the force exists to protect.
Knowles explicitly stated there is zero tolerance within the Royal Bahamas Police Force for dishonesty, corruption, unnecessary excessive force, or any behavior that erodes the public’s hard-earned trust in the institution. “I will unreservedly back officers who act lawfully, professionally, and in good faith – but I will pursue full accountability for any personnel who deliberately disregard this force’s core standards,” she confirmed.
The commissioner also extended her guidance to cover off-duty conduct, specifically warning recruits to exercise extreme caution over their personal social media use and personal associations, noting that even a single careless choice, dishonest act, or lapse in judgment can destroy a personal reputation built over years, and damage broader public confidence in the entire force. She challenged the new officers, particularly those who will be deployed to serve remote Family Island communities, to prioritize becoming approachable, reliable, and trusted fixtures in the neighborhoods they patrol. She urged them never to let their official uniform overwrite the positive personal values they brought to the force, but to let their service turn them into better community members who help build a stronger, safer Bahamas for all.
The ceremony also recognized top-performing recruits for their exceptional dedication throughout the six-month training program: Recruit Constable 1117 Courtney Russell took home the Commandant’s Award for earning the highest grade point average across all coursework, while Recruit Constable 1087 Anwar Coakley was awarded the prestigious Baton of Honour, named the cohort’s overall top performer for consistent excellence in both academic study and every hands-on practical training discipline.
Knowles noted her full satisfaction with the high standard of training demonstrated by the graduating class, and expressed full confidence in their ability to serve Grand Bahama communities effectively. She also shared a key upcoming update for the force: two additional recruit squads will hold their graduation ceremony in New Providence that Friday, including a historic all-female cohort that reflects growing interest among Bahamian women in law enforcement careers. She clarified that every female recruit had met the exact same rigorous academic, physical fitness, and practical training standards as their male peers, with no special accommodations or preferential treatment offered at any stage of the recruitment or training process.
Senator Wayne Munroe, serving as Minister of Legal Affairs, delivered official remarks on behalf of National Security Minister Myles Laroda, who was unable to attend the event. Munroe reminded the graduates that public safety is entirely dependent on consistent professionalism, sound critical judgment, and the active trust of the communities they serve. He warned that careless errors in criminal investigations, evidence handling, or use of force protocols could have devastating, lifelong consequences for ordinary people, and permanently erode public faith in the national justice system. He emphasized that effective policing extends far beyond making arrests: the core mission of every officer is to carry out their duties with meticulous care to ensure true, impartial justice is delivered for all members of the public.