Police officers have reacted furiously to Commissioner Jonathan Smith?s comments that some are living in a ?timewarp? where they answer to nobody outside the Force.

The comments ? which came during one of the top cop?s last public speeches before he steps down in a few weeks ? have angered many officers in the Bermuda Police Service, understands. One, who asked not to be named, said that many were privately furious at what has been seen as an attack on ?dinosaurs? in the Force.

He added: ?The Commissioner has said his successor has to deal with officers and accountability. But a lot of people are asking what he has done to about it during his time in charge??

Another officer said: ?These comments have raised a lot of eyebrows. If this is how he felt during his tenure, why wait until two or three weeks before retiring? He?s had five years to deal with this issue.?

He added: ?This leaves a lot of unanswered questions and leaves a lot to be said about him as a Commissioner.?

In a wide-ranging speech last week outlining a series of challenges facing the new face in the hot seat, Mr. Smith said a minority of his team ? including some in senior posts ? still think Police can do anything they want and not be held accountable.

A Police spokesman, commenting on behalf of Mr. Smith, said the Commissioner made the comments from the Rotary speech available to all members of the Bermuda Police Service on the Police computer system. He said the service policy committee, comprising of senior officers and members of management, met yesterday to discuss issues that the Commissioner had remarked upon in his speech, and was updated on recruitment initiatives and retention strategies.

The service is making sure that it is ready for the new Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) legislation, which is designed to modernise procedures, said the spokesman.

?The issues raised by the Commissioner are nothing new and he and senior management are working steadily to address these issues and lay the groundwork for a smooth transition to the new administration,? he added.