A police constable and a Royal Bahamas Defence Force marine were arrested Tuesday night in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a woman in western New Providence, police revealed last night. Police said the incident took place shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade declined to comment on the matter. The commissioner is expected to hold his annual meet the press later this month. He told The Nassau Guardian that he will address the matter then.

The arrests underscored concerns relating to sexual assault, which were already heightened after police reported the alleged rape of an American woman on Athol Island on Saturday. Kevin Romer, 29, was charged in relation to that matter on Tuesday. The reported victim in the incident on Tuesday night is a Bahamian woman, police said.

In 2014 there were 75 cases of rape reported to police, 12 cases of attempted rape and 111 cases of unlawful sexual intercourse.

The incident allegedly involving the police and marine comes after a series of matters that placed a negative spotlight on law enforcement officers. In December 2015, a policewoman and a man believed to be her husband were arrested after a violent altercation with police during the funeral of an officer. They reportedly fought with a senior officer outside New Bethlehem Baptist Church over a dispute about parking at the church. Footage and photos of the purported fight were widely circulated on social media. The woman was later dismissed from the force.

Greenslade, who spoke with The Guardian at the time, also revealed that another female reserve officer was discharged from the police force after spreading photos which "would have brought discredit to the reputation of the force".

In December, a former police officer was charged with three counts of armed robbery. Cordero Emmanuel, 23, allegedly robbed three women of their handbags while armed with a weapon. He was discharged from the force shortly before his arraignment.

Last September, Greenslade promised to rid the force of officers who bring it into disrepute.

"I had a young policeman who did the most egregious thing," he said at the time. He is a criminal of the first order... wearing our uniform, criminal of the first order, and I sent for him and told him the best thing I could do for him was to pack his little hip up, put him on a mail boat and send him back to the Family Island that he came from."

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