Up to 20 Police officers have been recruited from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox revealed yesterday.

And Bermuda Police Service recruiting teams will trawl England and Canada over the next two months in a bid to sign up another 25 recruits needed to bolster the Island's thin blue line.

Ms Cox told the House of Assembly: "A total of 57 candidates were interviewed in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St. Lucia.

"The team have identified 15 exceptional officers who they believe will meet Bermuda's needs.

"A further five officers have been earmarked for possible selection pending the results of forthcoming visits to the United Kingdom and Canada.

"It is anticipated that the successful candidates from the Caribbean will arrive in Bermuda as soon as reasonably practicable, which could be as soon as within the next few weeks.'' She said strict rules were being used to select the 45 candidates -- all must be constables of at least five years recent beat experience -- from overseas.

The candidates must be "free of any matters that may prove embarrassing to either the sending Police force or the Bermuda Police Service'', accept a three-year non-renewable contract and pass strict fitness and medical tests.

Ms Cox noted: "However, in some jurisdictions, since three-year secondments are not possible, there can be the facility of career breaks and this is the mechanism available in UK constabularies.'' And she disclosed: "The Bermuda Police Service is currently reviewing its own physical fitness requirements with a view to bringing it into line with what is happening in other jurisdictions. The aim is to assure consistency and continuity in the process.'' Ms Cox said Bermuda Police bosses had already said there were sufficient women applicants -- but that the Force could not advertise for male officers only.

Thin blue line gets a shot in the arm But she stressed: "However, the over-riding consideration is to assess candidates on the basis of whether they will be a good fit for Bermuda and Bermuda's requirements.'' Government approved the recruitment of overseas officers after the Police Core Functions review highlighted a severe shortage of experience on the streets.

Jamaican recruitment went ahead despite a warning from Government backbencher Wayne Perinchief -- a former Assistant Commissioner of Police -- that there was a danger officers from the armed Jamaican Police would be too hard line in their approach for Bermuda.

And he said low pay and social conditions in Jamaica meant corruption and "heavy handedness'' was rife in the Jamaican force.

Mr. Perinchief added that inter-island rivalries might also come into play if Bermuda went outside traditional recruiting grounds like Barbados.

Ms Cox said eight Caribbean jurisdictions -- including Barbados -- were having difficulty keeping their own numbers up and could not help Bermuda.

But she said: "I am pleased with the efforts to recruit overseas officers and I am optimistic that we will find a sufficient number of high quality, trained Police officers to cover our current shortfalls.''