It takes a while to filter down to the little Piglets.....but we are hearing that there was a big meeting about crime and the police in which no one from the Police were invited?... .....

One of the results of the meeting was to 'get' a SWAT team.....the BPS has and does have an excellent Emergency Response Team (ERT) which meets and in many cases exceeds the requirements of the UK and relevant policy....

The unit is a part time unit made up of a number (a sizeable number) of Officers.....

Everyone is kinda 'surprised' (oops)...that Bermuda and the BPS will be ‘getting’ a team that as already been in place and existence for the last 25+ years?.... ......

Should the Team become full time instead of part time?...should more ARV's be on the road?...should there be more AFO's?...all of these would be sensible questions....

As I and others have said – an ERT does not make cases and put people behind bars – they facilitate entry, arrests and other special functions for Investigators …who are the ones who make the cases….

But to say you are 'creating' something that already exists and functions at a very high level...just shows me that another 'decision' has been made without bothering to consult any of the stakeholders...which is becoming a pattern of late..... .........

Piglet

ARV – Armed Response Vehicle

AFO – Authorized Firearms Officer

Thanks for clarifying the situation for us, Piglet. 

It sure sound like more political posturing by Brown and Co... have a press release, make outlandish promises, wait for the next shiny object to come along to distract the voters, repeat.

 

An interesting Editorial today - some points that Piglet and others have been trying to say for some time.....

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Editorial: Fighting crime
……………………
While any review of criminal law is welcome, and the Criminal Code needs a long overdue overhaul, the reality is that the Island's laws with regard to violent crime are already comprehensive and tough. It is not the law that is the problem.

It is the enforcement of the law, sentencing practices of the courts and, most importantly, naïve early release policies in the prisons that have made a mockery of the law as a deterrent. Even when a person receives a prison sentence, they won't be serving much more than a third of their time.

And while this enabled the PLP to say that it had reduced the prison population in the last General Election campaign, it did nothing to either deter crime or to reduce recidivism. The real deterrent is to arrest wrongdoers, successfully prosecute and then have them serve out their sentences.
……………………

@SG.... ........

Piglet

My favorite is the Taiwan National Police's "Thunder Squad"

Piggy I think I spotted two of your SWAT members a week ago Thursday at the Hamilton Market Place. I was getting my Coffee and Pastry for breakfast and in walks two Officers (male & female) carrying what I imagine Rummy's .9mm to look like. They made no effort to conceal these weapons, infact I got the impression they wanted people to take notice! What's this all about? I remember a few years back a Government House Police Officer was dismissed for carrying his side arm in public!