thebahamasweekly.com - U.S. Chargé Presents Four Sport Utility Vehicles to RBPF Valued at $158,000 as Part of CBSI Partnership

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U.S. Chargé Presents Four Sport Utility Vehicles to RBPF Valued at $158,000 as Part of CBSI Partnership
By Elizabeth A Moxey
Sep 5, 2013 - 5:40:42 PM

The custom-made sport utility vehicles that will be used in OPBAT’s anti-crime fighting efforts.

Nassau, Bahamas - On Wednesday, September 4, United States Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman accompanied by senior U.S. Embassy officials made a special visit to the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s (RBPF) headquarters to participate in the formal handover ceremony of four new custom-made sport utility vehicles to the RBPF’s Drug Enforcement Unit. On hand for the presentation, Minister of National Security, Dr. Bernard Nottage, Minister of State for National Security, Keith Bell, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and other senior RBPF officials.

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman and senior Embassy officials participate in the handover of four sport utility vehicles to the Minister of National Security, Dr. Bernard Nottage and the RBPF.

This latest donation marks the continuation of a longstanding partnership in law enforcement and public security between the United States and The Bahamas. The custom-made vehicles, valued at over $158,000, are part of ongoing, joint anti-crime fighting efforts. The funding was made possible through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) to combat the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.

United States Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman presents Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage with the keys for the vehicles.

The sport utility vehicles will be used at Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) locations throughout The Bahamas with the goal of improving the RBPF’s ability to gather law enforcement information, conduct investigations, and interdict illicit trafficking through The Bahamas. OPBAT is a multi-agency, international drug interdiction effort focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs from South America and the Caribbean to The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States.

Ms. Kristen Gilmore, the US Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Officer, shows Minister Nottage one of the vehicles outfitted for the police canine unit.