The decision to place two "Englishmen'' in Bermuda's top Police posts will set race relations back.

That was the message sent out by the National Association of Reconciliation this week.

In a one-page Press statement, NAR's Mr. Murray Brown said the group was "very concerned about the decision by the Government and the Governor to bypass Bermudians in favour of Englishmen to the top posts in the Police Force''.

He was referring to the recent hiring of British Police officers Mr. Colin Coxall and Mr. Michael Mylod as Police Commissioner and Deputy Police Commissioner, respectively.

"We think that this decision will set race relations back during the very period that Government says that it is seriously attempting to combat the problem of racism,'' Mr. Brown said.

"Apparently, Government has chosen to ignore the reports they commissioned which pointed to a strong link between the dominant presence of English Police officers and the lawlessness of black youth.'' He also said based on Press reports "the newly hired Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner have no experience in leading a small, integrated Police Force, in a small jurisdiction where the population is predominantly black.

"Surely such experience should be an important qualification at this moment of our history.'' Mr. Coxall, the 55-year-old assistant Commissioner of the City of London, spent three and a half years as a detective superintendent in the Organised Crimes Section at New Scotland Yard and was operational chief inspector of the Central Drugs Squad.

Mr. Mylod, 56, is second in command of the 3,000-strong Police force in the southern English county of Hampshire.

Mr. Brown said: "What the Government and Governor are telling Bermudians by their selection is that race is not a factor in determining whether the overseas policemen they hired can be effective in combatting crime in Bermuda.

"But there is every evidence that nothing is more important in every aspect of society than racial considerations.

"In view of this reality, surely the Governor's assessment that his new recruits should be able to count on the support of the whole community might be optimistic.''