The Police Commissioner had more than enough time to prepare a succession and training plan before his departure, a Government Minister charged last night.

Responding to questions about Colin Coxall's resignation five months before his three-year contract was scheduled to end, Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness admitted that the time which Mr. Coxall was granted to turn the Police Service around was "arbitrary''.

But he said: "What he could have achieved is something which he did not. He could have put forward a succession plan and a training plan which he agreed to do when he was hired.

"He had more than enough time for that to be done. I was disappointed that it was not done.'' While acknowledging that Mr. Coxall had achieved much in a short span of time, Mr. Edness said it was important to note that the Commissioner could not have done it without the support and assistance of senior officers.

"Many of the ideas were put forward by them and they have never been given credit,'' he claimed. "He (Mr. Coxall) could not have done it without them or the full support of the Government.'' Mr. Coxall in an interview earlier this week praised officers for their accomplishments.

"We've achieved a great deal,'' he said talking about his officers. "We've changed the whole face of the Police Service as far as its capability of providing Bermuda with an effective level of policing.'' But he admitted that his efforts were frequently hampered by political wrangling.

However, Mr. Edness flatly denied that Mr. Coxall resigned as a result of the Pearman incident. He speculated that it could have been a result of pressure from the Opposition.

"When the John Irving Pearman matter came about this was something that was mishandled,'' he said. "Mr. Coxall stated that Mr. Pearman was not being investigated. Yet he was named in a very deleterious way. That was very wrong.

"But despite the fact that I think that was wrong, that did not affect Mr.

Coxall's resignation.'' When asked why Mr. Coxall did resign, Mr. Edness said: "He did not resign to me. It (the resignation) was made to the Governor.

"I have my thoughts as to why he resign,'' he added. "It's true from time to time he felt pressure from hammering he was getting from the Progressive Labour Party, particularly Mr. Alex Scott. It was a factor. But I don't know the exact reason.'' However, Mr. Edness said Mr. Coxall was a part of a process to improve the Police Service and prepare it for the 21st Century.

"I would like for him to leave Bermuda with some grace and dignity,'' he added.

Although Deputy Commissioner Jean Jacques Lemay will be made Acting Commissioner for "the interim period'', Mr. Edness said an assessment of local senior officers will take place shortly to determine "whether or not they should be elevated'' to the posts of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.