Yet another prisoner has escaped police custody. Lance McDonald, 53, of Westmoreland, Jamaica, managed to make his way out of Carmichael Road Police Station after being arrested last week Thursday.
According to Superintendent Paul Rolle, as officers attempted to place McDonald in a cell he resisted and was able to get away after a short struggle. It is unclear how many officers attempted to restrain McDonald before he made off.
Rolle said: "We are investigating the circumstances of how he escaped. I am not certain as to all that happened or why it happened like that."
A Nassau Guardian reporter contacted the Carmichael Road Police Station, but was unable to speak with the officer in charge.
McDonald was the latest in a series of suspects to have escaped police custody this year.
In April, Tamicko Williams, 22, of Podoleo Street, escaped from the Grove Police Station. He had been arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and burglary.
Another escape in Exuma the same month ended up with the suspect being shot and killed. Wesley Pierre, 33, fought his way out of Georgetown Police Station after stabbing a corporal in the face with a pen, but was tracked down and fired upon after he allegedly attempted to disarm an officer.
Between 2008 and 2010 there were at least three escapes from Central Police Station on East Street.
In 2008, there was the high-profile escape of convicted drug trafficker and illegal firearm offender Melvin Maycock Sr. from Elizabeth Estates Police Station. A police officer was found guilty of having aided in the escape.
There have also been a number of escapes from police custody outside stations, including the disappearance of a 17-year-old murder suspect from Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) while being guarded by two police officers. He was later captured.
In 2010, accused murderer Phillip McCartney was able to walk off the prison bus in Bank Lane and escape. He was also later taken into custody.
Policing is a tough job. On a constant basis, officers find themselves up against the most violent and uncontrollable individuals in this society. No matter how well-prepared police are, mistakes are bound to happen from time to time.
Still, the record of the last six years when it comes to suspects escaping from custody is not one the Royal Bahamas Police Force can be proud of.
At the end of the day, escaped prisoners are a danger to the citizens police officers swear to protect.
Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and his senior team should place more focus on this issue immediately, and seek to find new training methods or adopt international best practices in prisoner control to ensure that escapes become a rarity rather than a commonplace.

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