A number of Police officers are considering protest sick outs and other actions over a management decision to retain a shift system considered outdated and dangerous.

And, while the Police Association is taking a cautious approach to discussing the dispute in public, there is talk among the ranks that about a dozen officers have threatened to resign if the plan goes ahead.

But the Association is hoping to convince Commissioner Jonathan Smith to implement on an Island-wide basis a five day shift system that has been on trial in the Eastern Division for the past three years.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one officer said that the trial system had received close to a 100 percent approval rating by Eastern Division officers and that Commissioner Smith had made repeated promises over the last year and a half that it would be implemented Island-wide.

He said that the current system led to more absences and slower response times, especially during the night shift, and increased the level of injuries on the job.

And he claimed that the Commissioner was not concerned about the officers' welfare. “Police officers in general are fed up because he made so many promises he has broken,” said the officer.

“Morale has been affected because of these broken promises.” He also claimed that a number of officers had threatened to resign if the old system was retained but the Commissioner was unmoved when told of the threats at a recent meeting.

“He said he would gladly accept their resignations because they did not have the interests of the Island at heart. But the Commissioner does not have the interest of the police officers…”

Commissioner Smith did not respond to requests for comment by presstime last night.

The Commissioner's decision had raised “some concern,” said Insp. Kevin Christopher, the deputy chairman of the Association when contacted on Monday.

Inspector Christopher was reluctant to be more specific on the level of concern felt by the rank and file, saying it might be counterproductive to thrash out the issue in the media while there was still hope for an amicable resolution.

And he said he had no personal knowledge of any resignation threats.

Last week Commissioner Smith informed the Association that the trial will be ended and the original system, which requires officers to work seven days on and two days off on an eight hour shift rota, is to be retained.

Many officers had hoped the system on trial, developed with the help of the Association, would be implemented Island wide.

Known as the “five watch” system, it would have officers working ten hours a day for five days and then taking four days off before going on to a new shift.

“The seven day system was a system that was not user friendly,” said Insp. Christopher. “It caused a strain on personnel.

“I think any reasonable system would be an improvement on that. However, given the degree of support we saw for the system we helped to develop, the Association felt that's the system we should support.”

As to what steps might be taken if the discussions fail, Inspector Christopher said any comment would be inappropriate.

“The Association is about to go into negotiations with the Commissioner and the Government. We don't want to create any distrust with the Commissioner… I think he's listened to our concerns.”

Conditions of Service for the police service were published in the official gazette on Friday, but officers are effectively without a contract because of delays in finalizing agreements for the 1997-1999 and 1999-2001 contract periods.

The upcoming negotiations will determine the contract for 2001-2003.

Inspector Christopher explained that the Commissioner had his own reasons for not wanting to go with the five day system and had informed the Association of its problems last summer.

But a committee put in place to examine other options could not come to an agreement.

When pressed, however, he admitted that the dispute “would be one of the most significant issues (of Commissioner Smith's tenure) as it relates to personnel and their passion.”

Inspector Christopher released a statement to The Royal Gazette yesterday saying that the Association felt that the timing of the withdrawal of the trial was “unfortunate” because of the upcoming contract negotiations “and this may be an issue that can be resolved through that process.”

The statement added that the Association understood that the Commissioner wanted all uniformed officers on one shift system, and it was now trying to work with senior management to establish a new shift system that “meets the needs of the service and allows us to provide the public with the level of service they deserve”.