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A useful contribution to the Bermuda Police service or a politically correct PR opportunist?

Chief Cop but what's he in it for?  A fence sitter without imagination, enthusiasm or initiative?  Who knows, nothing appears to have changed under this leader and my first-hand dealings with him cause me to question whether he's a 'yes' man with little interest in anything other than getting to the top for reasons other than ensuring policing is undertaken and the community provided  a service.  See the remarks about the investigation and complaint (below).  Also watch the news (click here) - nothing appears to have changed in 10+ years.

John 'boy' Smith.  Appears to accept what this site has advised for years: "BERMUDA HAS A PROLIFIC DRUG TRADE" The island's youngest commissioner with a questionable  investigative ability? Does he have a clue what goes on within his own police farce or is he kept from it by his deputy and assistant (below)?  Read 'Morale'.

Jonathan Smith the island's Commissioner of Police see also 'the leaders' .

And how was 2002 for John-boy?  Why not read a Royal Gazette article to obtain a flavour of what is occurring ... click here.  Do remember; the island has one of the highest number f police officers per head of population and John-boy is a Bermudian.

As with every police Bermudian officer, one questions why, if they are competent individuals, they do not get a real job, a professional position and salary to match.  With regard to Jonathan, the youngest commissioner of police Bermuda has ever seen, to give him some credit, it appears he saw an opportunity; a lack of skill in the service and that it would take little to rise to the surface ...

Inspector Smith replaced Jean-Jacques LeMay as commissioner of police in April 2000,  Very strange when one considers that only 4 years earlier there were concerns expressed about the Bermudian officers lack of overseas training and very little training occurred subsequent to 1997.  A Bermuda Sun article in 1997 advised:

(The COP of the day) said the three officers would be getting extra offshore training. and that the service is "spending an enormous amount of time on training on all of our senior officers which had been neglected in the past."

In 1997, the Bermuda Sun wrote about Jonathan Smith, then a Chief  Inspector.

Chief Inspector Jonathan Smith, 37, was born in Bermuda. He joined the police in 1979 after serving as a cadet. Chief Inspector Smith was promoted to sergeant in 1986. He became an inspector in 1990 and a chief inspector in 1994. He has served in Central, Narcotics, CID, and Training. He currently is attached to various training units within the Metropolitan Police Service in London.

Chief Inspector Smith received a Commissioner's Commendation in 1985 for his role in a fraud inquiry involving $500,000 from one of the banks which resulted in a bank employee being convicted and sentenced to 12 months in prison. He also received a Commissioner's Commendation as a sergeant for his part in an investigation of three cases of armed robbery which resulted in a 10-year conviction for the culprit.

Chief Inspector Smith has taken two courses for fraud investigation at the Ontario Police College and a 10-week CID course in the U.K. in 1990.

Note: the article, written in 1997, is yet further evidence of Bermuda's lack of competent police officers ... four years for Jonathan Smith to rise to the position of Commissioner of Police!  He has shot ahead of every other senior officer ... dangerous given the petty jealousies that are harboured within the constabulary.   For example, George Jackson has 6 more years service than Jonathan (not including any service in his native St. Vincent) and is 7 years older than him.  Carlton 'Socky' Adams, more service, older and ...  not really worthy of mention.

Note: The Chief of Police in 1997 had undertaken two courses abroad ... a wealth of experience and expertise!

It is the lack of training and experience which was understood to have led to the failure to prosecute two suspects, the Smiths (no known relation to Jonathan Smith) in 1989, both parties being heavily involved in the importation of cocaine into the island of Bermuda. 

The case, a précis of which is detailed at Jonathan Smith was important for a number of reasons:

• Jonathan (then a sergeant) and Ronnie Green (of the narcotics department) failed to obtain a confession from the Smith that they interviewed.
• Brian Russell and I (both of the narcotics department) obtained a confession from the Smith that we interviewed; he admitted his part in the importation of cocaine and we had the telephone transcripts (kindly provided by the US authorities) to support his involvement

I suspect Jonathan was highly embarrassed that he was unable to interview his Smith successfully and that this led to some resentment of Brian and I who obtained a confession under difficult circumstances.  In turn, it is suspected that this is one reason Jonathan, who was heading the investigation, did not arrange for a prosecution of the Smith that Brian and I interviewed. 

Also, the complaint against Sergeant Paynter (a uniform police sergeant), passed via Jonathan Smith but was never investigated.

Jonathan Smith and I never worked together following the investigation.  I rarely saw Jonathan and we did not speak; it was apparent the investigation had caused him to be uncomfortable in my presence; possibly why he has not responded to my correspondence since leaving Bermuda.

Jonathan I believe to be a nice man, with his heart in the right place, albeit a little sulky.  No doubt the best of the bunch available to elect to the rank of Commissioner of police, but this is not much of a compliment given the poor quality of leadership and ability on the island.

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