Superintendent Mike DeSilva was yesterday sworn in as Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The 40-year-old officer took an oath of allegiance to the Crown at Government House before senior representatives of the Bermuda Police Service and dignitaries including Governor Sir Richard Gozney and Deputy Governor Mark Capes.

He pledged to advance the professionalism of the Force and to ensure all officers had access to continuous learning and development opportunities. "The Bermuda Police Service is filled with talent and I will assist the Commissioner to place those talents so that we have the right people in the rights jobs at the right time," said Supt. DeSilva.

He was appointed by Sir Richard after an intensive interview process by a selection panel chaired by Mr. Capes. Supt. DeSilva, of Southampton, succeeds Roseanda Young, who retired nine months ago.

In a speech yesterday, he said: "When I joined the Service as a Police cadet in 1985, I could not have imagined what it would feel like to stand here today – or what the journey on the way would actually look like.

"And when I received a phone call from the Governor on Tuesday while standing in the middle of Gatwick Airport, I would not imagine what I could say today to adequately capture everything that I am feeling."

However, he said he wanted "to share a few responsibilities that I consider to be important". The first of these was to Police Commissioner George Jackson.

"As Mr. Jackson's right-hand man, my job is to maintain discipline and professional standards within the Police Service and to ensure that corporate support is provided to the Assistant Commissioners so that they can deliver professional policing services to the public at the operational end," said Supt. DeSilva.

He said his second responsibility was to "the people of Bermuda".

"My job is to assist the Commissioner on the delivery of the Strategic Plan so that: we improve our service to the public; we make a meaningful impact on crime and anti-social behaviour; we bring offenders to justice; we help to deliver safe and strong communities; and we do all this in a way that provides the public with value for their money," he said.

"I have a vested interest in this responsibility, because Bermuda is my home. "I have two daughters, a niece, a nephew and a godson that deserve to grow up in a safe, secure and peaceful Bermuda — as do all our children."

He said his third responsibility was to the officers and staff of the Bermuda Police Service – in providing a safe working environment, free of discrimination or harassment, and one which promoted continuous development, "professionalism, integrity and respect".

"This working environment will foster teamwork, dedication and morale throughout our ranks — and it will make the Bermuda Police Service an employer of choice," said Supt. DeSilva.

A family man, he said he also had a responsibility to ensure his work life was balanced with his role as a father to daughters Holly, 14, and Kelsey, 13. And he thanked his parents Carol and Gene DeSilva for setting him an example of public service through their service to the community.

"At the end of the day, I am only one player on a team of many. And, as in sport, our future success relies on our ability to each play our position in harmony with all the positions on the field," said Supt. DeSilva.

"I will seek to carry forward our sense of teamwork into the community to enhance our relationships with the public and our partners in dealing with Bermuda's policing issues."

Speaking to The Royal Gazette afterwards, Supt. DeSilva said one of the challenges for the Force was to manage "a period of continual change", due to changes in operational systems and "rapid promotion over the last five years".

"I think the challenge is to slow things down and get some stability in terms of the command of the organisation and policies," he said.

Implementing the Strategic Plan to 2011 meant at times it was "difficult to juggle all the different priorities".

"It is time to harness those priorities so that we put our efforts into key operational areas and make sure those on the front line have the tools and skills to be effective in what they do," said Supt. DeSilva.

"More broadly than that, our whole HR system and processes, in terms of recruiting, retention and professional staff development, we need to turn things around so the Police becomes a more attractive place for Bermudians to stay in. And we need to do better in our local recruiting."

He added that this week's announcement of Government's Police pay award following three years of haggling would assist in this. "It is very good news as from an economic perspective, the officers are now positioned in their proper place in the community. I hope the trickle effect from that will entice more Bermudians to consider policing as a career."

He said: "My job now is to get the talent in the Police Service ready, as there are a lot more positions coming up. We've got to start developing our Constables and Sergeants as they will be our Inspectors and Chief Inspectors in the next three to five years' time."