The Deputy Governor has formally responded to Public Safety Minister David Burch’s request for the Governor to hand over control of the Police.

Mark Capes received a letter from Sen. Burch on June 14 — a week after the Minister told the Senate that Sir John Vereker should hand over his constitutional responsibility for the Police “in the interests of what is best for Bermuda”.

Mr. Capes replied on June 14, referring Sen. Burch to two press statements issued by Government House on the topic. The first was released hours after the Minister’s Senate speech and said that though the Governor was ultimately in charge of all business relating to the Police, many responsibilities had been delegated to the relevant Minister for the last three decades.

“That arrangement and the resulting close collaboration on law and order issues between elected Ministers and the Governor has stood Bermuda in good stead for some 30 years,” said the statement.