POLICE Commissioner Jonathan Smith yesterday denied claims that he had "found himself handcuffed" as he faced up to the challenges of running a Police Service 21 short of its full manpower complement.

Shadow Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley made the "handcuffed" remark in last week's Mid-Ocean News in a story about the resource challenges facing the service.

But Commissioner Smith said he was satisfied with his relationship with Government, which funds the service, and with Government House.

"I do not find myself handcuffed," said Commissioner Smith yesterday. "I readily accept there's a reporting relationship to go through both to Government House, constitutionally, and to the Ministry (of Labour, Home Affairs & Public Safety), delegated responsibilities that the Governor has given to the Minister (Terry Lister).

"There are operational challenges. All the inquiries that come our way that have to be staffed. And when there are major incidents like the landslide at Bermuda College recently, we have to deploy many of our officers.

"But I understand there is a process to go through when the service bids for additional funding, equipment or people and that involves sitting around a table and providing some rationale as to why the service might need more resources. And agreeing that the Bermuda Police Service competes with many other departments within the Government for resources.

"As Commissioner, I can only put the business and strategic plans together, argue a case and be prepared to back it up. The term 'handcuffed' has a totally different connotation to it. It's a process that has to be gone through and I'm committed to that process."

Last week, this newspaper published details of a police work schedule which showed officers were being asked to work seven days in a row followed by two days off, a situation we were told many were unhappy with. Commissioner Smith revealed that negotaitions were taking place between police officers' representatives and management to search for an improved shift system.

Commissioner Smith confirmed the pattern we described was a standard shift system for officers and that both he and the Bermuda Police Association (BPA) were looking for a better way.

"That is actually the standard shift system, seven-two, seven-two, seven-three system," said Commissioner Smith. "The significant issue is that we've had a shift system for a number of years and we're trying to come up with a shift system that better addresses operational policing.

"I believe that a better shift system exists. The one we have now has been in place 30 years or so. What the BPA and senior management are looking at is that there are as many as 150 different shift systems. And they are trying to narrow them down to a smaller number to look at in greater detail.

"Changing a shift system is a big task and a considerable amount of detail has to be worked out but both sides are at the table and trying to resolve it. We're very open and both sides agree a better shift system must exist."

A system was needed which would meet operational needs and to be beneficial to individual officers, he said.

He added that a trial had taken place in St. George's of a different system which had proved popular, but impractical because of the drain on resources its implementation would have caused.

"We had some good feedback from that system, operationally and with the welfare benefits," said the Commissioner.

"The impediments came down to resources, because the consequential effect of it meant we had to divide our officers from four watches, teams of people, to five.

"That has a significant financial implication because it means new supervisors at sergeant and inspector levels and that was something we couldn't do with the finances made available to us, because that would have to be replicated across every station in Bermuda."

He conceded that an increase in resources could benefit some aspects of the service.

"There are specific areas in the service that could benefit from additional resources and part of my role is to bring these to the Ministry's attention," he said.

"That's something I've been very active with in the last six to nine months as we've gone through the budget process. No doubt we'll continue to look at areas where emerging needs will continue to develop."

He also hit back at claims of a lack of openness over the true resources and recruitment situation in the Police Service.

The overseas recruitment plans were made public last autumn, he said, and there was a police press conference on the service's resource situation in December, he added.

Deputy Commissioner George Jackson was due to return from a recruitment trip to the UK and a recruitment team is to head to the Caribbean to interview more potential recruits next month.

"Our aim is to look for officers who are strong on training," he said. "It is important that our Bermudian officers can benefit from working with our recruits from overseas."

In addition, TV advertisements to attract local recruits had already started being broadcast, some during last Sunday's Super Bowl.