As the new academic year approaches in the Bahamas, law enforcement officials have rolled out a comprehensive set of new enforcement measures designed to improve campus order, boost student attendance, and protect young people from hidden drug threats, with a clear warning for disruptive parents and truant students.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Chaswell Hanna, the leader overseeing the nation’s School Based Policing and Training initiatives, outlined the full scope of the new policy in a recent briefing. The crackdown begins with zero tolerance for parents who engage in disruptive or aggressive behavior toward teachers and school administrators on campus. Hanna confirmed that multiple parents already faced court proceedings over such incidents during the 2023-2024 academic year, and the force will not hesitate to take similar action this term.
“We want to let parents know right off the bat we’re not going to tolerate that,” Hanna stated. He added a clear guidance for parents with unresolved grievances: any disagreements with school staff should be addressed through peaceful, respectful channels, not through confrontation that disrupts the learning environment.
Beyond addressing parental misconduct, the Royal Bahamas Police Force is targeting student truancy with a new monitoring measure focused on local barber shops. Officers will actively patrol these businesses between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. — standard core school hours — to check for students who have skipped classes to get haircuts or socialize. Barbershop owners and operators have already been notified of the new monitoring regime, though Hanna has not yet confirmed whether operators who knowingly host truant students will face legal penalties, nor has he outlined how police will assess whether a student’s absence has a legitimate justification. The core goal, Hanna emphasized, is to get students into classrooms on time where they belong.
These new enforcement rules come as all school resource officers (SROs) across the country complete targeted advanced training ahead of school reopenings next week. Under the expanded program, every public junior high and senior high school in both New Providence and the outlying Family Islands will have its own full-time SRO, matching the one-officer-per-school standard widely adopted by education safety systems around the world. These dedicated officers will work alongside existing school security staff and crossing guards to create layered safety coverage for every campus.
One of the most pressing public safety priorities outlined in the new push is raising awareness around dangerous marijuana edibles deliberately packaged to mimic popular candy and snack brands that children and teens frequently buy. The nation’s Drug Enforcement Unit recently seized multiple shipments of these deceptively packaged products, prompting the police force to partner with the Ministry of Education to develop new public service announcements (PSAs) to educate students on how to spot the dangerous fakes and avoid accidental consumption.
Hanna also highlighted the proven impact of the expanded SRO program: he reported that school violence incidents have dropped 48 percent since the program was reinstated, with full official statistics supporting the claim expected to be released shortly by Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles.