The

Royal Bahamas Police Force The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) is the national law enforcement agency of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It operates within the portfolio of the Ministry of National Security. The police force was established on 1 March 1840 and is ...

Band is the official police band of

(RBPF). Also referred to as the RBPF Band, it is the main musical support unit in the one of

Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...

. On special occasions, the RBPF Band can be seen at many state events and performances, such as the Changing of the Guard at the Government House and the

Beating Retreat Beating Retreat is a military ceremony dating to 17th-century England and was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle. History Originally it was known as watch setting and was initiated at sunset by the firing of a single ...

on Bay Street. It has also taken part in many historical events since the country's independence from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

in 1973. Events of this nature include leading the funeral procession in honor of former Prime Minister

Lynden Pindling Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG, Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC, Order of National Hero (Bahamas), NH, Justice of the peace, JP (22 March 193026 August 2000) was a The Bahamas, Bahamian politician who ...

in 2000, and the 75th anniversary of the RBPF in 2015. It has also been depicted on the reverse side of the $1 banknote of the Bahamian dollar. Their full uniform is composed of white tunics, navy trousers, and a white, spiked,

Pith helmet The pith helmet, also known as the safari helmet, salacot, sola topee, sun helmet, topee, and topi is a lightweight cloth-covered helmet made of sholapith. The pith helmet originates from the Spanish Empire, Spanish military adaptation of the nat ...

. The RBPF Band was founded in 1893 with at least 12 NCO's and by the early 1960s, had performed in every major country in the world. It is currently located at the Royal Bahamas Police Force Headquarters on East Street in the capital of Nassau. In March 2021, Corporal 3727 Ryan Cartwright became the newest appointed principal Drum Major of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band by Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle. Corporal Cartwright would take over from Inspector Tabori Dean who would have held the title of Drum Major for over a decade.

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Bahamian musical groups Law enforcement in the Bahamas