senior officers tried to go over the heads of force commanders over promotions to the top ranks.

The two went on the attack after an editorial in The Royal Gazette on Thursday said there had been "evidence of senior officers bucking authority and running off to Government House to protest their superiors' actions.. '' Mr. Lemay said the allegation was "malicious and totally without foundation.'' He added: "There is no evidence of senior officers `bucking authority'.'' Mr. Bissell said: "I would challenge the Editor of this publication to prove that statement or apologise to every senior officer of the Police Service for what is a misguided and mischievous statement.'' But The Royal Gazette reported in 1996 that four officers, including Assistant Commissioner Bissell, visited then-Governor Lord Waddington to complain about the hiring of an overseas Deputy Commissioner to then-Commissioner Colin Coxall.

The Assistant Commissioner, writing on behalf of the Senior Police Officers Association, said top cops had visited Government House "on a number of occasions to see the present and former Governor''.

He added: "All but one of these visits was at the invitation of His Excellency and the other was at our request.'' He added: "I can categorically state that at no time has anyone seen fit to `protest their superiors' actions. On the contrary, senior officers have always supported the Commissioner of the day.'' And Mr. Lemay denied there had been delays in promotion "from Superintendents to Sergeants.'' He added: "To say that the concept of community policing is virtually disappearing is an indication of your misunderstanding of what is community policing.'' And he pointed out that officers took part in a host of community and sporting events, as well as Outward Bound and the REACH schools programme.

The Royal Gazette reported in 1996 that the four senior officers complained about the hiring of an overseas officer to replace English officer Michael Mylod, who quit six months before his contract was due to expire.

And then-Shadow Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Alex Scott said they were prepared to resign if their request that a Bermudian be appointed to the number two post was ignored.

Mountie Jean-Jacques Lemay was appointed as Deputy Commissioner and took over the top job after Mr. Coxall quit the job early, in September 1997.

The Royal Gazette's Editor Bill Zuill said yesterday that senior officers met Governor Thorold Masefield in 1997 to call for a Bermudian replacement for Mr.

Coxall, who also quit early -- a meeting held at the request of the Senior Police Officers Association.

Mr. Zuill added: "In 1996, the same four officers met with Governor Lord Waddington to voice their concerns over the future management of the force and to protest the hiring of a non-Bermudian to replace outgoing Commissioner Colin Coxall.

"I find it difficult to believe that there was no request from the officers for this meeting, even if they were ultimately invited by Lord Waddington.'' Mr. Zuill added that senior officers were called to Government House last month to discuss their roles in the service following the retirement of Deputy Commissioner Harold Moniz.

And Mr. Zuill said: "I also understand that Mr. Moniz and then-Deputy Commissioner Alex Forbes met Lord Waddington in 1995 to discuss the appointments of Mr. Coxall and Mr. Moniz and to express their willingness to serve in these roles.'' He added: "It may be true that the main subject of the meetings was promotions for the senior officers.

"But I don't see how questioning promotion decisions can be separated from 'protesting their superiors' actions' when the Governor and the Commissioner are the two people most closely concerned with the promotions of senior ranks.''