Spat Over Grand Bahama Police Evictions

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GRAND BAHAMA, BAHAMAS – Eviction notices served on police officers in government housing in Grand Bahama has created another war of words between the opposition and government.

The Free National Movement (FNM) leader fired off the accusations first, claiming the officers were not given enough time to vacate.

It wasn’t long before the government came back with a rebuke for the opposition, claiming they are misrepresenting the facts in the name of politics.

Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard, who is also the member of parliament for Grand Bahama’s Marco City area is alleging over 50 officers’ families are facing eviction.

He’s claiming officers received notices giving them between two and six months to vacate government-owned homes in areas like Tripp Circle, the back of town area and Marco City where they’ve lived for upwards of a decade.

A statement from National Security Minister Wayne Munroe hit back calling Pintard’s claims reckless and misleading, accusing him of politicizing a routine administrative matter.

It stays “No officer has been forced onto the streets,” claiming it’s a housing assessment applied to officers in government rentals for between five and 20 years, but Pintard calls it short notice and unfair.

Minister Munroe on the other hand says officers were given ample notice with three to six months to transition.

Further, he says the Commissioner of Police acted within the law.

However, the opposition leader believes the relocation timeline is unrealistic.

MP for Central Grand Bahama, Iram Lewis also weighing in Munroe’s statements claim the officers should have been covering their housing expenses long ago, calling this an act of fairness rather than hardship.

He accusing the FNM of disrespecting the independence of the police force, saying Pintard is deliberately ignoring the facts for political gain.