More timely outcomes for disciplinary matters involving police officers are being targeted after a culture review published by a British constabulary in January issued a raft of recommendations.

Additionally, the implementation of policies tackling bullying and harassment within the Bermuda Police Service were fast-tracked in response to allegations of sexual harassment against female officers reported by TNN last month.

Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons and assistant commissioner Antoine Daniels told The Royal Gazette that numerous actions touched upon in the recommendations had already been in train before the review by Hertfordshire Constabulary.

However, both said that heightened levels of serious crime in recent months, including gun and gang violence, had stretched the service and caused some delays.

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The reviewers described “a culture of fear and distrust” in the service stemming from a sense that the Professional Standards Department was being overused.

Interviewees reported “the use of PSD as a threat” and “untenable timescales for investigations”.

Mr Simons said plans for improvements in the department were under way.

He said a King’s Counsel in Britain, who preferred not to be named, has been the “go-to” person on professional standards matters.

Mr Simons added: “The relationship has been ongoing for a couple of years, but now we routinely consult with him on professional standards and get legal advice.

“We are in the process of reviewing our conduct orders and we are preparing briefing notes to go to the Governor to seek legislative amendments around some of our professional standards. We want more timely outcomes in disciplinary matters.”

Mr Simons said transparency and accountability around professional standards is “very high”, with rationales around decisions being available, but there is work to be done in improving perceptions.

Mr Daniels added: “He [the KC] both prosecutes police offenders in their conduct and sits on the defence side, so he is very balanced and experienced.”

Mr Simons said a three-pronged policy on bullying and harassment should be in place within this financial year. The British confidential reporting organisation Say So is being considered for flagging up misconduct in the workplace, including of a sexual nature.

Officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary conducted the 21-page review last year at the request of the Governor at the time, Rena Lalgie.

Serving BPS officers were interviewed about experiences in the workplace. The review included personal and group interviews, as well as a service-wide survey with a 46 per cent response rate from 196 participants.

It recommended an assessment of recruitment, training allocation and progression.

Mr Daniels said: “We have done lots of investigative training as well as trauma-informed service delivery training. The trauma training started early in the summer; we trained about 300 officers across the service.

“Investigative training is done in stages, level one and two, and senior investigative officer is the highest. We have a cohort of 14 local officers and two of the top trainers from the UK here delivering that course. This is new policy because crime has become more complex, more digital.”

The review highlighted a perception by some that more senior officers received overseas training than less senior ones.

Mr Simons explained: “We cannot send 400 people overseas. It’s specialist training that goes overseas but we do a ton of training here.”

While the review acknowledged positive developments in empowering women in the BPS, it said more could be done to attract, retain and promote them.

Mr Daniels said: “There have been about 35 persons promoted since 2024. With the service being a third female, there were about 11 women promoted, which is representative of the service.”

He noted the promotion of Na’imah Astwood who took over the substantive role of Deputy Commissioner in May 2023, before the review commenced.

Mr Simons, who is the chairman of the Women in Policing Co-ordination Group for all Overseas Territories, added: “We are around 30 per cent women. At the sergeant level we are doing very well; at inspector level it is getting a little bit better — but it is inspector on up where we still have some work to do.

“It is also about ensuring women have access to firearms training.”

Mr Daniels said there were five women trained in firearms out of a total of approximately 40 across the service.

Another recommendation called for a revision of the BPS’s strategic and operational plan with new values, visions and ambitions.

Mr Simons said: “It’s my project with the deputy. We have brought together about 25 people and we are asking them to do an internal consultative process where they identify things that we should be considering. We have started it but it is a longer journey.”

The culture review recommended taking on the new College Code of Ethics, which outlines the expected ethical and professional behaviour within law enforcement.

Mr Daniels said that the last iteration of the code was already in place at the BPS, adding: “When they did the review in the UK, it still felt punitive. Now they have written it in a way that feels more supportive and is about learning.”

Mr Simons added: “We are looking at some of those changes too, but it does take a while because we have to put Bermuda shorts on it.

“The changes they are looking to adopt flow out of that operational cultural context. There is work to be done there.”

Speaking to a recommendation to invest in a strategy, policy and governance team, Mr Simons said police numbers would need to increased first.

“Not until our numbers go up can we have a complete dedicated resource,” he said.

At present, the BPS stand at 376 officers. Mr Simons said it was the goal to reach about 420 by the middle of next year.

He admitted that more might have been achieved had it not been such a trying time for the service.

Mr Simons said: “I think it’s important to put into context how busy we have been, particularly around some of the gun and gang violence issues, which we need to focus on as a No 1 priority.

“That means that some of our work around the culture review has been a little bit delayed.”

Mr Daniels, who is the BPS lead on the review, the lead for the PSD and the lead for the firearms and crime investigations, said he is “only one person”.

However, he took personal responsibility for the need to better communicate the plans and policies throughout the service.

The review highlighted positive elements within the BPS, not least the sense of pride, diversity, belonging and positive relationships with the community.

Mr Daniels plans a follow-up survey in the summer to see how the service has progressed.

Hertfordshire Constabulary declined to comment.