Massive investment in training is vital to ensure standards stay high among Bermuda Police Service?s top brass, its Commissioner said yesterday.

Jonathan Smith raised the idea of the force looking at global leaders in Bermuda?s finance and insurance sectors ? so the cream of the Police crop learn about leadership, decision-making and ethics at home, and the service was not forced to rely on the spiralling costs of overseas training.

He said the opportunity to make the most of the Island?s expertise when it comes to training might be ?too tempting to resist?, although he added the idea was just ?food for thought at this stage?.

Mr. Smith said that in the next five years virtually every one of the officers occupying the top four ranks in the service will have reached retirement age.

?The next cadre of leadership in about 2010/11 is now occupying Chief Inspector and Inspector positions. It will take years of substantial investment in training and exposure to policing operations overseas to prepare this next group of potential Police leaders for command positions.?

He added that it is clear the Service will have to invest ?considerable sums? in training middle/senior management level officers so that the ?next generation of leaders is well prepared?.

He said this process has already started, with Chief Inspectors sent to the UK for extended training this year and another sent to the FBI National Academy in Virginia.

And a senior officer will also be sent to the FBI Academy next year, when another Superintendent is pencilled in for a UK course.

Mr. Smith revealed that about $500,000 is spent on Police training each year, mostly overseas so the highest standards could be maintained.

Four-month intensive courses at senior levels now run at close to $50,000 ? per officer. Specialist training for firearms officers, bomb disposal, forensic officers and financial investigators cost considerable sums of money.

?We are increasingly reliant on overseas training,? said the Commissioner at yesterday?s Rotary Club meeting.

?A new training strategy has just been prepared for the service and I believe this will assist the command team going forward.

?But, I suspect additional training funds will be needed in future years as the demands in certain areas of specialist operations require officers to be trained to the highest standards overseas.?