Amid growing public and political scrutiny over the promotion of hundreds of police officers – including some with ties to court judgments and a high-profile bribery scandal – Bahamas National Security Minister Myles Laroda has publicly defended both the vetting protocol for elevated officers and the composition of the promotions approval board.
Speaking to reporters this week, Laroda confirmed he received direct assurances from Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles that every officer advanced in the latest round of promotions went through mandatory background reviews by the police service’s internal complaints and anti-corruption units, and all were cleared to move up. The minister noted that the round of promotions included more than 830 regular officers and 550 reserve officers, totaling roughly 1,300 personnel advancing across ranks from corporal all the way to chief superintendent. The full promotions list has not been released to the general public, a lack of transparency that has fueled questions about appointments for officers with documented past legal issues.
The most high-profile controversy centers on the promotion of Jerone Thompson, who was elevated from inspector to assistant superintendent despite a Court of Appeal ruling that rebuked Thompson for excessive force – specifically kneeling on a suspect’s neck – that resulted in a $103,000 public damages award against the Bahamian government, paid by taxpayers. Opposition leaders have seized on this case to demand stricter oversight of promotion decisions, arguing that officers with a record of misconduct that costs public funds or harms civilians should not be eligible for advancement.
Additional scrutiny has fallen on the makeup of the promotions board itself, after local media reported that Superintendent Terico Sweeting – a key prosecution witness in a 2025 police bribery scandal – was a serving member of the panel. According to prior reporting from The Nassau Guardian, Sweeting admitted receiving $10,000 in connection with the bribery scheme in 2026 and was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony. Three other individuals – former Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson, attorney Bjorn Ferguson, and Sergeant Deangelo Rolle – currently face charges linked to the bribery case. Johnson additionally stands accused of involvement in the theft of $90,000, part of $1.475 million stolen during an airport bank security heist while the funds were held in police custody.
Responding to questions about the promotions board’s membership, Laroda pushed back against claims that any charged officers participated in the approval process. He pushed back on a reporter’s description of Sweeting as having confessed to involvement in a major crime, questioning the accuracy of that framing and cautioning against misleading wording. The minister reaffirmed that no officer facing pending criminal charges was part of the promotions tribunal. This is not Laroda’s first defense of the latest promotion round, having previously argued that long-serving officers are entitled to career advancement recognition for their contributions to public safety.