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September 24. 2002

Royal Gazette (full story click - here)

Confusion for suspended Police officers

Dozens of Police officers are concerned about their future following the de facto suspension of three young Bermudian officers days before the end of their probation periods.  Police sources say that the three officers were told by their superintendent to stay home last week and not to report to duty until the Commissioner said otherwise.

But Kevin Christopher, the deputy president of the Police Association said that the whole episode probably boiled down to a miscommunication.

The Royal Gazette has been told that none of the officers had had a review hearing, received any warnings or notices and they were not the subject of any disciplinary proceedings.

Commissioner of Police “He has not told them they are fired nor has he told them they are suspended.

This is not something we have heard of in years...

“We are going to be in dire straits next year (when the Service expects to lose dozens of officers through retirement and contract completion) and the Commissioner makes this arbitrary move to tell these officers not to come back to work,” he added.

Mr. Christopher said: “It is our understanding that on reviewing the documentation the wrong message may have been sent to those officers. It does not appear that he (Commissioner Smith) gave the instructions that ultimately reached the officers.”

Comment:

I believe you have underestimated the problem, the service stands to lose over 100 officers next year to natural attrition retirements and 32 expatriates coming to the end of their contracts. Just what incentives are there to remain when officers are treated with contempt or incompetence.  No matter how you read the above, either the Bermuda police have sent the wrong message or acted in contravention of their own discipline code (again).  Nothing changes.

As for none of the officers having had a review hearing, received any warnings or notices and they were not the subject of any disciplinary proceedings, I doubt Force Standing Instructions have changed much:

"13. Reports of an adverse nature submitted against a member of the service must be brought to the attention of the member, who should initial as having seen, before such report is admitted to his personnel file."

the recent action appears to be another case of oppressive conduct:

• wilfully or negligently makes a false complaint or statement against any Police Officer; or

but do not expect the service to investigate; the victims will probably be expected to forget about the slur on their characters, receive a hollow apology and bear in mind that criticism of senior officers will only mark their cards and count against them in the future.

This may be something Bermuda has not have heard of in years, but possibly the police have succeeded in hiding the problems.  Is the publication of such abuse an indication that the oppressive regime is slowly losing its grip on officers; possibly the service is so weak now as to cause those working in the lower ranks to realise that they have greater strength than at first apparent.

How many years has it been since the police last 'heard of this?  click here for more: 1991 Complaint

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