This Government has created some positive laws when faced with crisis – a good example (INMHO) is the Bladed article laws which ahs good penalties and has reduced the number of knife carriers.

The biggest challenge to me is the actual enforcement of the laws – lets be real - there are many Bermuda Police Officers who have the necessary integrity, drive and guts to get the job done – but there are others who may not have a real sense of interest in what happens in Bermuda, others without the necessary training and experience and again others who are simply ‘playing’ on the other team!!

Let’s be real – there are Officers in every Police Service (including the BPS) who are involved in criminality – that is a given – there are statics, reports etc. on this through out the policing communities that support this……

The challenge with hard enforcement in Bermuda is the size of the Island – Officers are (myself included) threatened on and off duty….from the beach to the supermarket…..throw in families, kids and other factors and things become even more complicated….

The majority of success the BPS has had with ‘special types of operations or enforcement’ is when the Officers are hand picked to do what is needed…..

In my view, the BPS has lost over the years many such Officers and it is increasingly harder to get such a team together again….

For such a crack down to work – a team of Officers should be recruited on a short term contract to deal specifically with the problems of drugs and gangs….such a team could effectively deal with the massive challenge that is now faced and leave a more manageable problem to be looked after…..the biggest problem is making the first in roads……

Such a plan could include past/retired Officers many who live overseas (who know the laws, the players, the Island etc) as well as specifically trained Officers on attachment from other Police forces….through the Caribbean to the UK etc…

If the right team is put together and is supported by a Gang or Drug Court to have these matters heard in quick time (yes maybe some night and weekend courts!) – Again if grounds exists all arrested suspects would need to be remanded in custody pending their EARLY court appearances…..

Much could be done and there is the expertise in the Service coupled with outside Officers that could really make some headway into this crisis and leave a more a manageable problem after an aggressive and sustained period of enforcement – maybe a six month plan….

Again the issue is not with the laws or new laws … but having the right group in place to work in partnership with all the stakeholders to ensure some much needed measurable result are delivered and that the communities concerns are addressed…..

Nothing in what I say should be seen as a criticism of any serving or past Officer – but there are some challenges to policing a small Island and I believe these challenges have become greater in the last years……making suggestion an idea...not so crazy!

Piglet

         

                                                                 

       Oh-Hum......another of Brown's pretty speeches for his supporters  to keep saying he's doing a great JAWB! ......

  Remember the oldies tune "I've Heard That Song Before?  - I know it well, that melody"    - well I've heard that speech before - I know them well, those idle words."

                                                   

Rummy,

What I am trying to say is that by the numbers there must be some level of corruption in the BPS ...I don't know who....but the law of averages tells us there has to be some!

However, the vast majorities of past and present Officers have and do serve with distinction - hence the end paragraph....

Piglet

Thank you Piggy.

I kinda thought the same thing D.  I'm not sure how much different this "SWAT" team could be.  If they roll around troubled areas A-Team style then I might see some benefit from it but I'm not holding my breath on this one.

I am not privy to the thinking behind a SWAT Team – so I reserve any immediate judgment.

What I do now is that the BPS has an ERT – which is the UK/Canada version of a SWAT Team –less some of the ‘made in America’ stuff...which is SWAT!

I don’t know if the idea is to have that ERT as a fulltime team on the streets?...not a bad short term idea....

I still think there needs to an enforcement team to make the cases, prosecute the cases and put the bad guys away….in my experiences I have yet to see a SWAT team do any investigative work…..charge in and charge out maybe!

Too early for me to call….there are some sharp cookies still around the BPS (look at me …hah …ha… ....) so we will have to see what the nuts and bolts of this announcement actually include……

Piglet

Piggy....yah so hun hinformed........SWAT............comes from Dunkleys Diary..........

Stoopid White Advancing Turds..................................