to underline Government's commitment to the service and boost morale in the ranks.

And last night Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox did not rule out using the House of Assembly debate to announce new initiatives to improve policing on the Island and reverse gloom in the Service.

She said: "It's timely and, as we have a five-week accelerated recruiting drive and the finalising of the core function review, it's appropriate to air some of the issues.'' Ms Cox added: "I think there is no doubt the Government is behind the Bermuda Police Service.'' And she blamed negative press and claims of a slump in morale on "factionalism'' within the service.

Ms Cox said: "People have access to some information and there are a lot of half-truths and some distortions.'' She added: "I value and welcome the work done by the Police, but it doesn't mean they're above reproach.'' The move comes as Police pay and conditions talks between Police and Government ground to a halt and news that the force is facing a manpower crisis.

Ms Cox said the Mowbray Report into the Police and the core functions review would both provide tools to help Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay do the job of crafting a better service.

She added: "There is a Police side and there is also a community side -- the Police may feel there are not getting what they need and we have the community on the other side who may feel they're not getting what they want, either.'' Ms Cox declined to reveal any new initiatives which might be revealed when the debate takes place in the House of Assembly, scheduled for the Friday after next.

She said: "I don't want to be saying a lot which will pre-empt the motion.

"But it would be nice to have a good debate among Government and the Opposition to talk about what they see and to air the topics.'' Ms Cox added: "We have to look at how we can do a better job with some of the initiatives, not just in the Mowbray Report, but in the core functions review.

"I would like to think what I would talk about is ways to improve the service, but that would come only after first having the debate, discussing it with colleagues and talking to Mr. Lemay.

"Really, the aim is to get discussion going in the public forum of the House.'' Police launched a new recruitment drive to recruit Bermudians to boost the under-strength force -- currently 40 officers down, a figure likely to be half as much again by the end of the year.

And Police morale has suffered during a long-running pay dispute -- which left officers up to Chief Inspector rank with no contract from 1997, when the last pay deal expired.

MPs to debate Police The pay and conditions negotiations have now gone to arbitration after talks broke down last week.

The Royal Gazette has also reported that the secret Mowbray Report admitted that recruitment overseas was vital to bolster Bermuda's thin blue line.

But Shadow Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley claimed the political hot potato of hiring expatriate cops had caused a split in the PLP ranks -- and a recruitment stalemate.

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