Police Force, having come into office saying that he wanted to improve the image of the Police in the community. It is, of course, virtually impossible to improve the image while making controversial mandated cuts in the Police establishment. We think the Commissioner is caught in a situation over which he has little control.

He has been forced to cut policemen because his budget, some 80 percent of which goes on salaries, has been curtailed by a recession conscious Government. No Commissioner is going to be popular with his own men if he has no choice but to engage in some fairly extensive firings and some men are bound to complain. This Commissioner is faced with a situation he did not create and is caught between the public pressure to Bermudianise the Police Force and the justified need for budget cuts. We do not think it was very fair to blame that situation on a relatively new Commissioner.

Bermudians in general want Bermuda to be well and fairly policed. Bermudians also want to feel safe themselves and to have Bermuda's visitors feel safe and secure while they are on holiday. The safety of visitors is not to be under estimated. Many people, especially those from North American urban areas, come here simply because they feel secure and want to vacation without danger or hassles. Bermuda has a reputation for security which we should guard and protect jealously.

The Commissioner of Police took office saying that his top goal was to improve the image of his Force. The force has had some image problem over the years especially in the policing of young people for such things as cycle offences.

However, it has, generally, not had a bad image with older people or with visitors. We think the image of the Police Force could be better but we do not think it is in crisis. In many ways the Police Force has the same difficulties with its image as the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Both organisations suffer because even minor problems become known very quickly in a tiny community and are often blown out of proportion by gossip and by public speculation.

There is also a disturbing tendency to use the Police Force to play politics.

As an example, the Progressive Labour Party complained loudly that the Police Force was too big. More recently it has complained about manpower cuts. Come on! We think the Police also suffer because of highly publicised and rather general criticism of the Police in Britain and the United States. Much of that criticism has been justified and the local Police have suffered from a "rub-off'' effect. Bermuda should avoid the trap of thinking "it's the same here''. It is not. We do not think Bermuda's Police Force is perfect but we do think that it is efficient, dedicated and basically honest. Bermuda can be thankful for that.

We do not want to become involved in how the Commissioner carries out cuts in his Force. However it does seem that the often controversial and often criticised Police Recreation Club could be operated as an outside franchise rather than by trained officers. It should also be subject to liquor licensing like any other members' club.

We are sorry to see cuts in parish constables because they provide community contact and conduits into neighbourhoods. We believe such constables can be very valuable in a small place where they can assist with problems in a neighbourly way.

As a newspaper we have been alarmed by the decimation of the Police public information department. That department is as ineffective now as it was 20 years ago when the media combined to argue for its improvement. Without good Police public relations, there is virtually no hope of improving or even maintaining the image of the Police.

The public wants Government to be careful with its money but we do not think people want less the Police service.