Minister of National Security Dr. Bernard Nottage would not confirm or deny yesterday if police officers have been taken off 12-hour shifts.
Although there are reports that the extended shifts have been brought to an end, Nottage would not answer directly when asked about this yesterday.
He said he does not "prescribe exactly how police are deployed" but added that the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) remains on heavy saturation patrols.
While he would not speak yesterday to whether the shifts have ended, it was Nottage who announced on September 6 that the extended shifts had been instituted.
He said yesterday, "The police [force is] providing the coverage that it has always been providing to secure our safety.
"As you know, one of the primary things we wanted was to have saturation patrols done, immersing the various communities with police officers and that is continuing."
Police officers were placed on the longer shifts in September after a spate of violent crime. The move elicited an outcry from the Police Staff Association (PSA) which questioned how long the process would go on and if officers would be compensated for the longer shifts.
Earlier this month, Wayne Munroe, the PSA's attorney, said the RBPF may be liable for creating a "dangerous system of work" for officers.
Munroe said he is worried that police officers' extended 12-hour shifts would leave armed officers fatigued, which could be dangerous for them and the public.
He also said if the association can prove officers are being put at risk because of the extended hours, there would be legal recourse, noting that it is a serious safety issue to have tired officers on the streets of New Providence.
The PSA wrote to Prime Minister Perry Christie in October about its concerns, noting that the law dictates when government employees should receive overtime pay.
Both Christie and Nottage have said the PSA did not follow due process over its grievances.

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