community policing as a result of public concerns.

And Government is actively looking into building a new Hamilton Police Station and a replacement for the headquarters at Prospect.

But Government came under fire from the Opposition for not having these schemes completed already.

These were some of the main issues during the debate into the Police Tumim Committee on Police Community Relations in the House of Assembly.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Delegated and Legislative Affairs the Hon.

Irving Pearman (UBP) explained the committee had been given a tough job to report on the Police during a recession when resources were being cut.

But he stressed all 49 recommendations had been investigated by a joint body including his officers and the Commissioner of Police Mr. Lennett (Lennie) Edwards and his officers.

Mr. Pearman said: "It was a bold step and its terms of reference were fairly broad. Congratulations must go the committee for the depth of its research.

"There is no doubt that it did find that the public, in general, do have a high regard for the Police.

"There are areas that need to be looked at, but that bodes well for any changes in the Bermuda Police Service. As of yesterday there were some announcements for changes in policies already.

"Although we have seen a small increase in certain types of crime, overall it has not increased that dramatically.

"The clear-up rate is still running at around 50 percent. A figure that would make us the envy of many Police services around the world.'' Mr. Pearman said that 60 places had been identified which could be civilianised enabling more Police officers to be "freed.'' Around 25 years ago the Bermuda Police Force centralised its services like other forces in the world. Today forces are keen to get back to the parishes.

The Minister said: "The Commissioner is proposing a whole new division in the service dealing with public relations and community policing.'' He stressed moves get more women into the service and to Bermudianise were still relevant.

But he also stressed the importance of human relations and the way the Police deal with the public at large.

Mr. Pearman then listed all 49 recommendations and the views of the Government and Police on each issue.

The first issues were to change the name from "force'' to "service'' and to provide a mission statement and a motto.

The committee said more consideration should be given to major crime and less to minor traffic offences. Mr. Pearman pointed out a new system to caution motorists committing minor offences was being considered.

Promoting young officers and the use of video and taped interviews were both subjects which the Minister said were being considered by the Police.

Many of the recommendations concern the touchy subject of the relationship between the Police and young people, in particular, teenagers who feel they are often not treated fairly by officers.

The Deputy Premier said: "The Police recognise that some teenagers feel harshly treated and the Police have developed community programmes to improve matters.'' He said the "international media'' have provided images which teenagers tried to follow and that parents and Government must bear the responsibility to direct families in a more positive direction.

Admitting the numbers of Police officers "on the beat'' were down he said efforts were being made to increase the figure. He said officers were being taken away from "static duties'' and soon parish constables will be available at certain times of day, in every post office on the Island.

This will also mean that 16 officers, on static duty, at the Civil Air Terminal will be replaced when that security job is contracted out.

The Commissioner has agreed to look into ways of improving relationships between the media and Police in an attempt to improve information being given to the public.

Mr. Pearman admitted a new Police station in Hamilton is long overdue. He said: "We well know the condition of the present Police station and the conditions faced by people who work and are detained there. It is the same at Prospect. It is the kind of environment which does not enhance morale.'' Shadow Minister of Delegated and Legislative Affairs Mrs. Lois Browne-Evans (PLP) said her party welcomed the report.

She said: "All citizens are entitled to the same treatment and the respect from the Police in this country.'' Mrs. Browne-Evans gave a historical perspective of how Police officers had a colonial attitude to their job and how they did their jobs.

She said many people who had been brought into the Island, in the past, had experience of quelling disturbances abroad. This meant that their attitudes tended to exacerbate problems in Bermuda.

Mrs. Brown-Evans added the attitudes of English and Caribbean officers should be checked before they are employed in Bermuda because they could cause friction. She said: "Bermudians have respect for people but they believe in human beings first. They have a habit of standing up to authority not meaning to be disrespectful, but because they will not bow and scrape.'' Turning to the provision of a new Police station in Hamilton, she blasted Government for making decisions and leaving matters so long they become exorbitantly expensive.

She said: "I do not think that Police recruits and my descendants will see a new Police station.'' Mr. Pearman earlier said he did not think there was a perception on the Island of Police officers being promoted because of the number of tickets they gave out.

Mrs. Browne-Evans said this had been mentioned a number of times by the PLP.

She said: "We have talked about this excessive ticketing of people. They seem to have a quota of tickets to give out. If the Minister does not know about this he must have his head in the sand.'' She said there were recommendations which she knew would not be dealt with by the Government and the Police.

The report stated morale in the Police is low and that the Police Association was dismissed as being disruptive.

It stated "that to speak out individually or collectively can make them targets for retribution. This is an unhappy atmosphere.'' Mrs. Browne-Evans said this paragraph had "jumped out'' of the report when she read it. She said: "It seems there is a more than unhappy atmosphere. I find that frightening.'' Opposition Home Affairs Minister Mr. Alex Scott delivered a 90-minute speech -- much of which questioned the size of the Police Force.

Could Bermuda be better served with fewer officers, deployed in different areas? He also restated the Opposition's desire for more Bermudianisation, and a move away from the Force's colonial roots.

In addition, he noted the small number of black Policemen above the rank of constable.

Mr. Scott, however, began his speech by randomly touching on other areas.

He applauded the role of Police Commissioner Mr. Lennett (Lennie) Edwards in the Tumim report.

And he then called for the 1991 "Island Guard'' exercise involving the Police, Fire Service, and Regiment to be repeated.

"It should be an ongoing exercise.'' Next it was back to Commissioner, and applause for Mr. Edwards' public relations expertise.

And in another twist Mr. Scott expressed grave concern about the just-announced block on female recruits.

"We have grave reservations about this.'' Mr. Scott continued by calling for a review of a Police Force grounded in colonialism.

The British still had Constitutional control over the Police and Regiment, although recently there had been a relaxation of this.

Mr. Scott said this control could negate any innovation shown by Mr. Edwards.

And he called for a strict time-table for bringing in the Tumim report's recommendations.

Mr. Scott went on to read from a 1987 letter by a disenchanted Policeman, and asked whether the complaints were still valid.

The letter stated Bermudianisation was not occurring in the Force, particularly the Marine section.

Bermudians also were being overlooked for promotion, the letter said.

Mr. Scott said, if this was still the case, it reflected a need to be more innovative.

Now was the time as well to look at the size of the Force or Service.

"The Police Service is outstripping the growth of population and the problem of crime.'' Mr. Scott said the Service was one of the largest per capita in the world, with the exception, perhaps, of South Africa.

"Maybe we can deploy our officers better.'' One of the dangers of a large Police Force was that people came into contact with it frequently.

That made life difficult for the Police, as well as the public.

Mr. Scott went on to quote 1990 statistics which revealed 80 percent of black Bermudians were constables.

In contrast, just 20 percent of black Bermudians were above the rank of sergeant.

A majority of white Bermudian officers, however, were sergeants or above.

Of the women in the Force, 94 percent were constables.

There was no doubt the "winners'' who held the top posts in the Police were white Bermudians, said Mr. Scott.

Mr. Scott returned to his main theme -- the size of the Force.

In 1992, there were 485 Police officers and 177 Prison officers, he claimed.

It was highly unusual for a country the size of Bermuda to have such a large security Force.

Maybe more civilians could take on Police responsibilities.

"I suggest we have spent an awful lot of money for what is basically a peaceful community.'' Mr. Scott then took a swipe at the Bermuda Police Association -- the so-called union for Policemen.

Any organisation which called itself an association was something less than a union, he said.

The Police needed a real "ombudsman'' to deal with their problems, he added.

Mr. Scott then turned to the need for Policemen to be seen to be law-abiding, and setting a good example to youths.

Sometimes officers were seen racing on bikes when there was no indication they were attending an emergency.

And yet officers were only too keen to book motorists for speeding, said Mr.

Scott.

Were these Policemen keen on keeping up a quota of bookings? A community was not served well when Policemen set out deliberately to entrap people.

Mr. Scott switched to the Tumim report's section on public relations and the media.

He voiced concern at a suggestion the Community and Media Relations Department -- currently headed by Sgt. Roseanda Jones -- be supervised by an Inspector.

Did this mean Sgt. Jones would be replaced as head by an Inspector? Or did this mean Sgt. Jones would be promoted to the rank of Inspector? Mr. Scott hoped it meant the latter, heaping praise on Sgt. Jones for the way she represented the Force.

"She has become the face and voice of the Bermuda Police Force.'' Next, Mr. Scott touched on alleged irregularities in the Police.

He called for an independent group to "audit'' Police behaviour.

Mr. Scott continued by appealing for greater sensitivity by Policemen, saying perhaps women were better in this department.

There was also a problem with cultural differences in the Force. This exacerbated racial friction.

The British way was to police strangers with strangers.

But such methodology did not work in Bermuda, and caused tremendous problems in the community, said Mr. Scott.

He added that the contracts of expatriate officers should be reviewed closely when they expired.

It was time, perhaps, to thank many of them and let them return home.

That way slowly but surely the Force will become Bermudianised, said Mr.

Scott.

Mr. Scott ended by suggesting "role reversal'' would be a good exercise for the Police to engage in.

Under this a Policeman would take on the role of a citizen, and vice versa.

This would promote a better understanding among both.

In a speech appealing for the "new, emerging Bermuda'' to wake up, face realities, and come out of denial, Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan immediately commended Mr. Scott on his address, saying it contained many good points.

Sir John began by highlighting the importance of the Police Service.

But he stressed Bermudians had to acknowledge that their country was grounded in colonialism.

There had been a mentality of "what is foreign is good'' -- and that must be admitted.

"We must get out of a state of denial,'' Sir John appealed.

Sir John went on to tell of his concern at how many black people were in Prison and the Prison Farm.

He was also affected by the constant sight of handcuffed blacks being shepherded into court.

"If people think it does not get to me, they have another thought coming.'' Sir John, who hailed former Cultural Affairs Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons for his efforts in breaking down racial barriers, stressed he was not blaming the Police for the problems.

But the emphasis had to be on building a Police Service which was an "integral part'' of a dynamic society.

Sir John said Bermuda was a very rich society -- but there seemed to be a high propensity for crime.

There had been a tendency among Bermuda's residents to make materialism their god.

They wanted to "protect their own turf'', believing that as long as tourists were happy Bermuda would be healthy.

It was time now for Bermuda to invest in Bermudians, declared Sir John.

"We must buy into our own people. We must make investments in our own people.'' Sir John said it was essential to lift the spirit of people here.

He had been struck by the number of Bermudians who told him they were unhappy.

Sometimes he spoke to people in Parliament Street or Court Street, he said.

While these people may have been happy to have a job so they could look after their families, they were not happy in themselves.

Sir John said unless the spirits of Bermudians were lifted efforts to control crime would come to nought.

The Police Force could be expanded by 500 or 1,000 men -- that would not solve any problems.

People had to talk of the Police in the context of society.

Sir John spoke of the black market that had grown as the number of Bermudians became disenchanted with their country.

"Crime is like a rotten apple burning from within.'' It was for all of Bermuda to share the guilt, stressed Sir John.

Sir John went on to bemoan the lack of black businesses -- businesses which had proved such an inspiration to him as a young man.

Front Street was virtually the total preserve of white businessmen, for example.

Sir John told how he recently spoke to a black American tourist in Court Street.

The lack of integration in Bermuda -- and the racial divide -- was evident, he said.

"I was embarrassed.'' People had to ask themselves where black people socialised, and where black people's clubs were.

But improvements in integration could not be carried out totally by Government, said Sir John.

"We need to awaken ourselves to our own reality.'' Sir John said Bermuda must be a society which embraced every man, woman, and child, and the "haves and the have-nots''.

Now was the time, with the 21st Century looming, for the new emerging Bermuda to grab the "unique opportunity'' to do just that.

It was a time for the Police to be a "facility'' and not just an "impediment.'' The Premier said that like any child, our young people were just trying to get their parents' attention but unfortunately as the children have grown it seems the parents have stopped listening.

He said it was a shame that many black Bermudian families who have achieved materially and socially were finding their children rebellious.

"Government will not solve cultural problems,'' he said. "Government can build schools but it is the people that cause a child to learn.'' Sir John said during his time he had seen many reports on the Police but they all just ended up going around in a circle because they attempted to address the solutions without understanding the problem.

The Premier said Bermuda needed strong families whether they were composed of single or two parents and it was up to all Bermudians to take responsibility for the success of the family unit.

And that there needed to be a greater commitment and sensitivity between Bermudians.

"Governments can tax and redistribute wealth, but it cannot legislate feelings and sensitivity between people.'' "We need to make sure our society is one that is in balance with itself so that we do not have additional Police for the sake of Policing ... only when all of society embraces all of society, we will then be our brother's keeper.

The Police are a means by which a society can accommodate the conduct of its affairs.'' The Premier's speech came in for heavy criticism from PLP MP the Rev. Trevor Woolridge who said he "found it difficult to stomach.'' "It comes from the one person with whom the buck stops ... it took the UBP Government 30 years to recognise that institutionalised racism exists, but there is no real legislation before us. The Government is in disarray.

"We are here dealing with reports on recommendations. ... I'm not impressed. They have the power and the authority to make the difference. It's hypocrisy to stand here and make such a speech.'' Mr. Woolridge said the Premier should be ashamed that there is only one black business on Front Street in a country that was approaching 70 percent black.

And he chastised the UBP for taking care of the "haves while the have-nots have nought.'' "The UBP with all these reports, many of them gathering dust, have failed miserably. Thank goodness we have a Police Commissioner who has the guts, integrity and know-how to demonstrate the kind of leadership we need in spite of the Government we have.'' Mr. Woolridge said that not too long ago, PLP MP Mr. Alex Scott was severely criticised when he raised the issue of low morale in the Police Force.

However, he pointed out that now there was a report which said the same thing, Government seemed to be paying attention.

To be continued in Monday's edition