The man chosen to be Bermuda's new Police chief told the country yesterday: "I don't intend to be a paper-shuffling commissioner.'' "I intend to get out into the community as much as I can,'' 55-year-old Englishman Mr. Colin Coxall said as he fielded questions from the local media at a news conference at Government House.

He also pledged to bring the most modern policing methods to still "safe'' Bermuda -- such as closed-circuit televisions to help police high-crime areas -- but only if they were appropriate and the public wanted them.

Mr. Coxall further said he planned to be accessible to the public.

"I think it is important that senior officers -- not just the commissioner -- are available to speak to the public,'' he said.

"That is certainly one of my strongly held beliefs.

Senior police officers should be answerable to the public.'' Mr. Coxall refuted the Opposition Leader's claims that he had "not spent one day in either crime or narcotics departments.'' He said he had commanded police operations for the Thames Valley Police. He spent three and a half years as a detective superintendent in the Organised Crimes Section at New Scotland Yard and was operational chief inspector of the Central Drugs Squad.

He also performed duty at the Brixton riots and was present for negotiations in the Libyan Embassy siege.

"Maybe that's not enough for that gentleman,'' he said referring to Progressive Labour Party Leader Mr. Frederick Wade.

Mr. Coxall further said he intended to make "the best use of the rich talent in the force across the board.'' Questioned about reported low morale, he said, "If there is a morale problem, and I have found that is usually a perception rather than a reality, it may result from managerial problems ... But we'll deal with that in a proper way.'' As the assistant commissioner of the City of London Police Force, fighting directly against terrorist bombers, serious fraud, organised crime, racial violence and international drug trafficking, Mr. Coxall said: "On the matter of crime, initially, from looking at the statistics and last year's annual report, I have found that this is a very safe society.

"Everything must be put in place from that aspect. Bermuda is a safe place for the people who live here and the visitors.'' There could be "particular pockets'' of crime in need of tackling, he acknowledged.

To that end, his expertise in technology and computers could help. The use of closed-circuit TVs in central London had reduced crime by 32 percent in the last two and a half years. They were used extensively in the London west end and in crime-ridden areas in other British cities.

"It sounds sinister at face value, but the public like it,'' he said.

He also had experience with computer softwear enabling huge amounts of data to be "crunched'' together.

However, he stressed, "Only if it's (the technology) appropriate will we bring it in. There's no point bringing things across purely as gimmicks.'' He added though, "Most modern police forces are moving heavily towards technology.'' Governor Lord Waddington intro duced Mr. Coxall to members of the media in an informal setting in the sun room of Government House at noon yesterday.

"As you well know it was with considerable reluctance the Public Services Commission and I decided it was necessary to look outside Bermuda in order to find someone to fill the post of Commissioner of Police following Mr. Lennett Edwards' retirement,'' he said.

But he believed Bermuda was "very fortunate'' to have found someone as well-suited for the job as Mr. Coxall. His assistant would be announced soon, he said.

Mr. Coxall said that in spite of the controversy he had received "a warm welcome from all senior officers'' whom he met the previous day.

"I've seen no evidence that any negativity exists at all,'' he said. " It was a most useful meeting.'' Mr. Coxall has an Honours Degree in Law from King's College. Born in Surrey, he began his career in 1959 with the Metropolitan Police.

NEW COMMISSIONER, Mr. Colin Coxall