Page 359 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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Police and Public Security.

Police* At the end of 1350, the strength of the

Police was 44 Indian Police and 78 Arab Police, during
1351 the complete transition of the Police from ex-
Indian Army"Pubjabis to a force of locally enlisted
men was completed. The Indians rendered very good

service to the State and their services were much
appreciated especially during emergencies; they were

taken on at a time when conditions, particularly
public security, were very different to what they
are today* T/hen they were enlisted it was imperative

that Bahrain should be provided with a force of trained
men in as short a time as possible, In those days,
seven years ago, the raising of a local Police Force

was not considered practicable* Though the Indians
supplied a very urgent need as an armed force they were
not altogether a success as Police, Very few learned

to speak Arabic, they were not popular among the local
people, the climate did not suit them and they were
very expensive* In addition to this frequent incidents

ocurred which necessitated the dismissal of several
batches of men which revealed an unsatisfactory state
in the interior discipline of the Force*

The new Police foroe consists of about 40 men who
were serving at the end of 1350 and about 90 men who
were enlisted since then* T/ith the exception of one

Indian havildar, who belonged to-the original Levy Corps,
all the men were enlisted in Bahrain, but they are a
force of mixed nationalities including, besides Bahrain

Arabs and Shia Bahama, manumitted slaves, local Persians,
and