Exit Form

 BERMUDA POLICE.COM POLICING & CRIME ON THE ISLANDS OF BERMUDA


Home
Up
Exit From

 

Exit Form

Following the comments, albeit brief, made in the most recent letter I have received from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (see progress), I feel it best to clarify what is a misrepresentation, possibly resulting from a non-disclosure on the part of the Bermuda Service.  The sentence I object to is

You commented in your exit form that you chose to resign because of
petty rules and regulations,
poor relationships with colleagues,
not enough responsibility,
nor prospects,
poor communications with higher ranks and
no opportunity to use your initiative.

I am pleased the FCO have taken the trouble to approach Bermuda and sought information about my departure.  Clearly someone at the FCO has requested details of my departure and in turn the Bermuda police service have located my Exit Form. 

I have retained a copy of my Exit Form and the above is an EXACT representation of page 1.  For such precise information to be presented, my Exit Form must have been located.  To demonstrate this, I have included pages 1 & 2 of my Exit Form on this site (link at the bottom of the page).

BUT the information is incomplete in a very important respect.  What is NOT said is that in leaving I did so due to unsubstantiated allegations in respect of which I had no opportunity to defend myself.   This behaviour (by the Bermuda Police service) amounted to Oppressive Conduct.

Form the F.C.O's sentence, you would think that my CURRENT complaint of oppressive conduct by the service; the manner in which they removed me from the service and the island, is something I have just thought about.   This is entirely incorrect.

My 'exit form' made reference to the aspects dealt with by the FCO (above).  I suspect the FCO have been shown pages 1 and 2 of the form.  The exit form is a brief document and does not permit much to be said.  I expanded upon my comments and submitted a further 3 pages (below) to the Bermuda police service.  I suspect the FCO were not shown these.

If the FCO were shown them, then it follows they are attempting to support the Bermuda Police regime's unlawful and unjustified dismissal of me.

If the FCO were not shown them, then it is evident the Bermuda Police service are intent on misrepresenting my departure.

Either way, something continues to be very, very wrong with the Police Service in Bermuda.  Possibly they have 'lost' the additional pages, who knows what they will claim?  Irrespective, as detailed throughout these pages, I had (well before my departure) complained about the conduct of the service.  The complaint was not investigated until I left the Island and then it was dismissed!

I consider this current behaviour by the police / FCO to be deplorable and distasteful.  

To set the record straight, here are the additional three pages I submitted accompanying my exit form. 

QUESTION # 3. EXPANSION ON FACTORS I FURTHER COMMENTS

a) Petty Rules and Regulations.

It is not the rules, nor regulations, that I object to, rather the manner in which I have seen them applied.

Investigating Officers act as ‘prosecutors’ and as such present a distorted view of what they perceive to be the facts of a case. An intention to produce ‘results’ in the form of convictions appears to be the motivation behind such investigators and, in turn, review Officers are either misled, or show bias accordingly.

Notes to file are all to common as a tool of oppression and promote the impression that Officers are attempting to distance themselves from the lower ranks.

b) Relations with Colleagues.

Here I speak with first hand knowledge of the Narcotics Office

There is a lack of trust between officers in this department. Any progression by a single officer is deemed to be regression by officers not directly involved, healthy competition does not exist. Petty jealousies are tolerated and malicious or slanderous remarks the norm.

Most of the adverse comments or actions are brought about by insecurity, officers’ inability to function in the environment that they now find themselves in. Rather than adapt or evolve they rely upon demeaning methods to justify their ignorance.

c) Not enough Responsibility

‘Detective’ is a label applied to any plain-clothes officer, it is not a job description. The use of initiative is not promoted and paranoia reigns. There is a responsibility toward ensuring that the annual arrest quota is met and that paper work is completed, often to the detriment of the Case. However, with many officers incapable of constructing statements it is not surprising that the responsibility given to individuals is minimum.

 d) No Prospects

With continued reference to my being a loose cannon, and a non-existent (by many standards) complaints record that was always thrown in my face, it was inevitable that any form of progression would elude me.

Superintendent Birmingham uses the term ‘loose cannon’ with respect to me but has never taken the time to define his interpretation of the logic with which he applies the phrase.

That I have been capable of freethinking and am prepared to pursue enquiries vigorously may well constitute the expression. The fear has always appeared to be what I may uncover as opposed to what I may do.

The reference to my complaints record is enigma that eludes me. My last complaint was pre my Narcotics posting. Yet another example of attempts to discourage me from working and providing others with an excuse not to work.

My current predicament has left me with no option but to leave Bermuda. My contract will not be renewed because, according to the Commission of Police

i) I buck authority

ii) I attempted to tape record a chief inspector.

Both unsubstantiated allegations which have left me without employment after almost 5 years of hard work and to which I have little recourse. I have been discarded at a whim and that should cause others concern.

According to F.S.I. any adverse report against a member is to be brought to that member’s attention and should be initialed by same.

I have never seen the adverse report(s) that suggest the allegations at (i) and (ii) above. At least one of these allegations would, I believe, fall within the scope of the offence described as insubordination, both are adverse reports.

Without a chance to present my perspective of the allegations I am transferred to uniform and my service terminated. Not a very democratic system and one which is archaic in civilised circles.

Not bringing a report to the attention of a member is covered by the discipline code as per Oppressive Conduct.

That the termination is as a result of unsubstantiated information provided by or on behalf of an Officer who is himself under investigation is galling.

Chief Inspector Ramsey’s allegation that I attempted to tape record him, after he saw me discussing his lack of office management with Superintendent Birmingham is hardly surprising.

I had asked to see Mr Birmingham with regard to an overtime claim that Mr Ramsey was disputing. It Was Mr Birmingham who brought up the subject of why the hours worked would be questioned by the O.I.C. Narcotics when, after all, he should know the hours that I worked. I informed Mr Birmingham that matters were kept from Mr Ramsey for a reason, namely security and commented on his habit of telephoning women to whom he would play soft music via the stereo adjacent to his desk. In short I presented a picture of incompetence covered by mock eccentricities.

It was my impression that this knowledge would remain with Mr Birmingham, however, I now find myself unemployed. (the overtime claim was approved and paid ! ).

e) Poor Communication with Higher Ranks.

This should be evident from (d) above.

That there exists within the force a rank structure that considers ‘Inspector’ a safety zone is evident. The discipline system is used (abused) such that it promotes a gap between the Officer ranks and the lower ranks.

Many officers are subservient to, and intimidated by, senior Officers and this permits the discipline code to be used as a tool of oppression and intimidation. Generally expatriate officers have their contract and reference held over their heads and local officers lack the experience or fortitude (this is a generalisation that does not take into account the close knit community etc.) to offer sufficient contradiction to charges leveled against them. The result is abuse.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

To e-mail click here:
 

 

to visit www.bermudapolice.com click here

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Bermuda.org.uk has taken reasonable care in sourcing and presenting the information contained on this site, but accepts no responsibility for any financial or other loss or damage that may result from its use. Bermuda.org.uk is not an official or authorised Bermuda police web site.