Police officers were urged yesterday to support new Commissioner George Jackson after weeks of controversy and public spats between senior officers about the state of the service. Both the Governor and the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety spoke out on the subject of loyalty during the swearing-in of Mr. Jackson and Deputy Commissioner Roseanda Young.

Internal politics within the Police hit the headlines recently when former Commissioner Jonathan Smith spoke of ?out of control? officers who ignore the Police Complaints Authority and live in a timewarp.

These comments earned Mr. Smith a public tongue-lashing from Narcotics chief Larry Smith who accused him of having made a ?disturbing and juvenile? outburst.

His remarks were also heavily criticised by Minister of National Drug Control Wayne Perinchief who suggested that longer-serving members of the Police service appeared to not be bending to his command.

But as Mr. Smith stepped down and handed his warrant card and handcuffs back in a symbolic gesture yesterday, Governor Sir John Vereker and Minister Randy Horton attempted to draw a line under the war of words. In a speech marking the change in command, Sir John told Mr. Jackson: ?I believe that you have the support of your fellow officers in the Bermuda Police Service. You have earned their respect and you are entitled to their loyalty. What I say to the officers assembled here this morning and through them to the officers who are not here, is: ?Support your new Commissioner and show him what you are capable of. Remember that the eyes of the Bermudian people are constantly on you.?

And Mr. Horton added: ?Any regime that is going to be successful and achieve its goals needs to stand behind the leader of the pack. When the leader turns around he needs to see people standing behind him, so I really want to tell those in the service to give the support that this man deserves in order to take the Police Service to even greater heights.?

Mr. Jackson said he recognised that there are challenges ahead of him and that changes in any organisation lead to ?periods of uncertainty?.

But he added:? I?m confident that working as a unified team in partnership with the community we will be able to meet the challenges of the future.?