taking advantage of the Service's manpower shortage is terrifying.

Mr. Richmond, the Acting Deputy Commissioner, essentially confessed that the Police do not have the manpower to prevent crime, or in other words, to do their job.

There can be no more compelling reason to bring in Police officers from abroad, especially when Mr. Richmond also admitted that efforts have failed to attract either new recruits or to bring old officers back to the Service.

Whether Mr. Richmond made the admission in a desperate bid to embarrass the Government into recruiting abroad is unclear. But it is certain that something needs to be done.

Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox is right to place the priority on recruiting local officers and on redeploying officers from unnecessary tasks.

But the statesman -- and woman -- also needs to know when to admit defeat and to try new approaches. It must be clear that that time has come. Bringing officers to the Island on short term contracts is the answer until conditions in the Service improve to the point where more Bermudians wish to join.

The recently released crime statistics are very disturbing. They show that almost every category of crime increased in the last quarter.

The continued decline in Police manpower will result in an increase in crime.

It's that simple. Reducing crime will only occur when the Service has enough manpower to perform its function.

WELL DESERVED HONOURS EDT Well deserved honours All those who receive honours in the Queen's Birthday and New Year's honours are deserving.

But this year's "special awards'' to the surviving members of the Progressive Group are especially well deserved and long overdue.

The group's launch of the Theatre Boycott 40 years ago broke down the long established barriers of segregation and paved the way for universal adult suffrage.

Given that most recommendations for honours must be considered and put forward by the Cabinet Office, Premier Jennifer Smith also deserves credit for this act.