The Bermuda Police Service has confirmed that the ?custom?s officer? accused of making anti-tourism statements and unnecessarily ?interrogating? a black American tourist at the airport two weeks ago, was in fact a female Detective Constable with the Narcotics Division.

Jo-An Turman wrote a stinging letter to Tourism Minister Ewart Brown ? a letter copied to in which she claimed an ?officer? made anti-tourism comments and demanded to know ? more than once ? why they had not gone to Hawaii instead of Bermuda.

She also claimed the ?officer? had subjected them to ?unnecessary interrogation? during the search of their luggage.

In a statement yesterday, a Police spokesperson said the officer was part of the joint HM Customs/Bermuda Police Service Combined Enforcement and Interdiction Team (CEIT).

?It is only proper that the Bermuda Police Service makes the correction that the complaint has been made against a Police officer and not a Custom?s officer,? he said.

He added that the Police Service valued the long-standing and professional working relationship it had with colleagues in HM Customs and made the correction as a result.

?Both agencies are well aware of how difficult our work is at the ports of entry as both are committed to reducing the quantities of illegal drugs and other contraband that enters our Island,? he said.

He said Police wished to assure visitors and residents that complaints about the conduct of their staff who work at the airport are rare when one considers that hundreds of thousands of passengers who fly to Bermuda.

He said staff were well aware of the level of professionalism that is required during the execution of their challenging and difficult work.

?The complaint made by the tourist, Ms Turman, will be fully investigated and the account of the officer involved together with anyone else who can provide an account of the events that transpired at the airport will be solicited,? he said.

He added that the complaint is reportable, by law, to the Police Complaints Authority and the Bermuda Police Service would now take directions from the Authority regarding this investigation, as required, by law.

In a telephonic interview from California yesterday Mrs. Turman said despite what happened she and her daughter still felt Bermuda was one of the most beautiful places they had ever been to.

She said they would love to return to Bermuda and ?give it another chance? and her husband had even hinted towards a future golfing holiday to the Island.

?At the time I wrote the letter there were so many things I felt strongly about. No one should have to pay this much money for a holiday and be harassed like that,? she said.

She added that by speaking out about it, she hoped it would help correct the situation and prevent it from happening to anyone else.

?I would not want anyone else to feel that Bermuda is not a place they would want to go back to,? she said.

Mrs. Turman said she was happy that the incident was not ?brushed under the rug? and that something had come of it, but she never expected the response.

She said Dr. Brown had called her almost immediately and assured her that the incident would be looked into.

?I?m not discouraged in any way,? she said.

When told that Police admitted it was one of their officers, Mrs. Turman was speechless, before saying that the LAPD would never admit to something like that.

?That?s very noble of them and I appreciate the fact that they are investigating the incident,? she said.