George Jackson?s meteoric rise from lowly P.c. to the pinnacle of the force was confirmed yesterday ? and his wife revealed how she thought he may never have gone for the top job without her support.

?At first I was not sure he was going to apply so I encouraged him,? said Sharon Jackson, proud wife of the Island?s new Police Commissioner. ?I thought he had worked very hard and, if considered capable, deserved the post.?

She added: ?Everyone is so proud and I know he will do his best. It may not suit everyone, but he will do what he feels is best for the Island.?

Along with the support of his wife and six children, Mr. Jackson also comes armed with nearly three decades of experience in the Bermuda Police Service ? as he embarks on one of the toughest jobs on the Island.

Born in St. Vincent, the new Police chief joined the force at the age of 20 in 1973. Starting as a Hamilton-based P.c. on uniform patrol, he moved on to various posts in CID, Narcotics, Serious Crime and Operations. He was also seconded to the London Metropolitan Police 1997 as part of six-month focus on drug investigations.

The 53 year old, from Pembroke, was promoted to second in command in 2000 after completing training courses in Canada and Britain. Successful cases he helped crack include the 1994 murders of Ervine Dunlop, Brian Sherlock and Reggie Wilson. The next year he led the probe into the murder of Maureen Parker.

Asked whether the job of Commissioner was firmly in his sights when he joined the Service, Mr. Jackson yesterday laid down a team-player philosophy that might prove valuable, especially in the wake of his predecessor?s stinging comments about a minority of officers ?stifling? the force.

?It?s all about me providing a level of service to the community,? said Mr. Jackson. ?It?s not about myself, it?s about the organisation as a whole.

?To be successful you have to work cohesively with all members of the team.?

Those skills, however, could be tested to the limit in future weeks.

Officers contacted yesterday were guarded about Mr. Jackson?s appointment. One middle-ranking officer said Mrs. Young would have been a more popular choice, and said many were adopting a ?wait and see? approach to the new man in charge.

Another, who also asked not to be identified, said the choice of new Commissioner was ?fairly limited? and Mr. Jackson was the ?best of a bad bunch?.