Protect Police

August 17, 2005

Dear Sir,

It is time that the Police were issued with the proper equipment when carrying out their duties. In this day and age there is no way that a Police officer should be without pepper spray or some other type of mace. This type of equipment should be standard issue.

We expect our men and women of the Police Service to respond to all types of complaints from the public while the only thing that they have to protect themselves with is a small night stick and a pair of handcuffs. The criminals are more heavily armed than the Police. If is not within the power of the Police Commissioner to issue such equipment because of some needed legislation, then my advice is that this Government needs to move swiftly to ensure that this is done immediately. Are we going to wait until some Police officer gets seriously injured or killed?

I can tell you from my experience that dealing with a domestic complaint can be very challenging to say the least. Fortunately for me and my associates, when I served the public as a Police officer I was armed with more than a night stick and handcuffs. During an interview with one of my Police officials I was told that my thinking was far too advanced for the Bermuda Police Force. I wonder what they would say today.

If we want to encourage people to join the Police Service, the administration must be seen to be looking out for the well being of their Police Officers. I don?t get that impression now.

Wake up Bermuda! Leaders, whether you are political or police, lead! I am angry to think that some lunatic would attack a Police officer with any type of weapon when he or she was only doing their job in responding to a domestic disturbance. To our Police Officers I can tell you that tough time never last, but tough people do. Get tough!Since writing this letter, there has been an article on the front page of which indicates Government will bring a law into effect that will allow Police to carry some type of mace.

I wish to compiiment Minister Horton who has acted fairly quickly to bring the necessary legislation forward that will make provisions for the Police Commissioner to allow his men and women to carry the necessary mace.

However I wish there was some way that we could cut through the red tape and implement this immediately. Maybe a special sitting of the House of Assembly should be called before November.

Mr. Darrell is a former Police officer and the author of ?Acel?dama: The untold story of the murder of the Governor of Bermuda, Sir Richard Sharples?.

Tired of empty words

August 18, 2005

Dear Sir,

I write in reference to an item in ?Bermuda Shorts? of on August 18, 2005. It initially refers to conversion of an ?old US Navy galley building? into accomodation for overseas BLDC workers.

Hidden in the text of the article is the fact that the self same building (stated for future demolition) is also to be used as ?temporary accommodation? for Police Officers, as the facilities planned for their use will not be ready in the length of time it will take to convert the building (18 months).

This is a blatant case of history repeating itself, again, and again, and again. I joined the Bermuda Police in 1957, our accommodation was the old Staff Quarters from the Hamilton Hotel (destroyed by fire in 1955?). In 1959, living quarters and Police Headquarters moved to the buildings left vacant by the departure of the British Army. At that time Eastern Division police officers were accommodated in a ?condemned? ex-army structure. Western Division officers were accommodated in an ex-Royal Navy building on Boaz Island.

Admittedly these second-hand buildings eventually received some updates after a lot of ?huffing and puffing? by the Government.

In 1978 the old Hamilton Prison was demolished to make way for the GPO. At the same time the old Hamilton Police Station was demolished to make way for the current Government Administration Building. I was ?actively? involved in the transfer of Central Police Station to the present location and it was widely publicised as ?a very temporary arrangement?. Central Police Station remains at that same location 27 years later ? four floors ? no elevator.

It has been jokingly referred as the way the Police Sports teams kept fit in rainy weather by running three laps of the floors of the building.

Because Police officers traditionally (and legally) do not, nor cannot, withdraw their services they have had to put up with being the ?tail-end? Charlie in the queue for decent accommodations and conducive working conditions. I have been to many Police Passing Out Parades, and Change of Command Ceremonies, and listened to senior officials repeatedly tell those on parade what ?jolly good fellas and gals? they are.

My answer to that is ?talk is cheap ? and action ain?t getting any cheaper ? start your engines and rev ?em up now.

Market not the answer

August 19, 2005

Dear Sir,

This is an open letter to Mr. Robert Stewart, Bermuda?s Adam Smith.

Dear Mr. Stewart,

If the Free Market is ?God? and Adam Smith, Robert Stewart, Henry Hazlitt et al (that?s Latin for -and others) are his disciples, then Alan Greenspan, Eliot Spitzer, the SEC and other regulatory bodies must be the Devil.

Contrary to your vision of Utopia or ?that marvellous economic order that operates efficiently without the designing hand of authority,? even the most rabid believer in the ?free market? understands that left to its own devices, a laissez faire attitude and no government management of the economy can only lead to social and eventually, economic disaster. Ask Alan and Elliot ? Greenspan and Spitzer that is.

Have your say

August 2, 2005

Dear Sir,

While visiting friends in Bermuda a few weeks ago, we went to a public meeting at Peace Lutheran Church where a very good presentation on King Edward VII Memorial Hospital was made by Anthony Richardson.

It was a very interesting evening, and indeed if further presentations are to be made I urge people to go and listen to what is said and express their views.

A number of valid points were made by members of the public, great concern being expressed for the loss of green belt areas.

Once you lose green belt areas you never get them back. It would be a great shame to build on the Botanical Gardens or The Arboretum.

I listened to all the arguments and the best site, in my opinion would be the present site.

I understand that 15 acres of land are required to build the new hospital and that there are in fact 17 acres on the current site including the recently purchased Springfield estate.

It was also suggested that older patients that are in fact bed blocking at the Hospital will be rehoused nearer their families in special care units which seems a very good idea both for the patients and their families.

The Hospitals Board do seem to be trying to find what the majority of people want the majority of people want. It is important that people have their say.

If you never bothered to express an opinion, it?s no good complaining afterwards if you don?t like what?s decided.

So find out the options, make your views known.

We have to get along

August 19, 2005

Dear Sir,

Bermudians shouldn?t go around saying things about Americans, Japanese or anybody who?s foreign and works in Bermuda. Why?

1.Some Bermudians who own cars with outrageous designs and, all that ?bling, bling? (shiny silver rims,spinners etc..), those types of designs were originally done in the States and got passed on to us. Those Americans could just as easily say those people stole that idea from the States but they don?t.

2. All the cars people own aren?t even made in Bermuda,they?re imported from Japan, China, America and so why should we complain about those type of people? We even have a KFC(that?s American).

Instead of complaining about the foreign workers here we should be trying to get along.

Love don?t hate.

August 19, 2005

Dear Sir,

I see more and more people using a cell phone while driving, both in cars and on bikes. Why is it always the driver and not the passenger on the phone? How would the driver feel if they killed somebody because of their carelessness and inattention?

Extremely remorseful I would hope but then, of course, it would be too late ... they would have to live with that and a life will have been wasted. What a pathetic reason to die! Think about this ? it could be you or your child on the receiving end.

There are a number of equally stupid driving practices in Bermuda but this is the most common.

Get out of the habit now before a life is wasted. Because it surely will be. The law is going to make it illegal, we hear, but then how effectively will it be enforced?

Think about it ... drive wise. Please.