NASSAU, The Bahamas – Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle officially opened a COVID 19 HUBBCAT (Command) Center at the Cable Beach Police Station where the police will monitor all persons in quarantine through a geofencing service. 

Chief Supt. Zhivargo Dames, officer in charge of Cable Beach Police Station, informed that the COVID-19 Command Centre has responsibility for onboarding all persons entering airports including LPIA, Odyssey Aviation and Jet Aviation, onto the HUBBCAT platform. 

“Once you enter the airport you will be greeted by one of our ambassadors who will take your information and input the information into our HUBBCAT system. From there we will give you a period of time to get to your residence. Once you get to your residence we will make a call to you, make sure that you are there so we can put a geofence around your residence. That geofence enables us to ensure that you do not leave your residence,” said Supt. Dames.

“If you breach that geofence then you will be hearing from one of our ambassadors or one of our dispatchers at the COVID Command center. We are also responsible for monitoring those persons who are in quarantine.”

Some 500 plus persons are presently in quarantine.  Supt. Dames said if any of them breaches quarantine the monitors at the alarm center will receive an alert. 

“We first will call you to see what is going on with you. If you continue to breach or if it is necessary that we send one of our units to you, we will dispatch a unit from this Command Centre to that area where that breach is coming from.”

The Station also has responsibility to ensure that at all persons are adhering to the COVID-19 protocols, social distancing rules and wearing masks at public places. 

“We have responsibility for patrolling the hot spots like the beaches and social areas to make sure that persons are adhering to social distancing and wearing masks. This Command Centre has a vast responsibility.”

Commissioner Rolle said through the use of the COVID-19 ambassadors, the RBPF wants to get the message out to persons of the necessity for wearing masks and practicing social distancing. 

“We have divided the island into 8 zones. One [ambassador unit] in each of those zones. If that unit is busy we will use one of the other ones or we will dispatch a patrol car,” said the Commissioner.

“We have resources to do it and we have not had any issues with persons breaching. The form they are signing is a serious form. If you breach that means you are prepared to pay the consequences. 

“There are penalties for that. That’s why we ask them to sign,” he added.

There are presently 32 ambassadors, ten of whom are stationed at local airports. Civilians are in training and will join the fleet of ambassadors next week.

Geofencing is a location-based service which uses an app or other software to trigger a pre-programmed action when a mobile device enters or exits a virtual boundary set up around a geographical location.

Persons tested positive for COVID-19 are being monitored by the Department of Health.

The Police Commissioner and a team of officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RPBF), after the HUBBCAT Centre opening, conducted a walkabout in Windsor Lane, and handed out masks to residents to increase awareness and compliance with protocols to stem the spread of COVID-19.

 -30-

PHOTO CAPTION

BIS Photos/Ulric Woodside 

Reservist Sgt. Garland Rolle monitors the geofencing platform at the Cable Beach Police Station.

The Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle explains the COVID 19 HUBBCAT (Command) Center. 

Police Commissioner Paul Rolle and police officers conduct a walkabout in Windsor Lane to encourage residents to follow health guidelines and control the spread of COVID-19.