Commissioner Colin Coxall discusses the highs and lows of his tenure as the Island's top Policeman.

If a law allowing the confiscation of drug profits had been in place, Police would have served about 30 bankruptcy orders during Operation Cleansweep.

Police Commissioner Colin Coxall stressed this to The Royal Gazette , during what was expected to be one of his final interviews before his departure from the post next week.

Claiming that he knew of no other country which allowed convicted drug traffickers to hold on to their assets, Mr. Coxall said: "I understand that there are queues of legislation and I'm only one person pushing at the door.

"I know I have been putting enormous demands on the Minister of Home Affairs' department and the Attorney General's Parliamentary draftsmen for the new legislation I need for the Police Service.

"But I'm disappointed that this did not get into effect because I hoped to set up those asset-tracing teams which I'm familiar with because we have them in the UK. After Operation Cleansweep we would have served by now about 30 bankruptcy orders. And we would have asset-stripped a lot of them (those convicted for Operation Cleansweep offences).'' The joint Police-US Drug Enforcement Agency operation saw some 30 alleged street dealers arrested in a sophisticated sting operation and remanded in custody.

"Cleansweep was aimed at having maximum shock impact on street level drug dealers and had that effect,'' Mr. Coxall insisted.

And to those who may argue that the operation simply replaced one set of street dealers with others, he said: "I was asked to go see the Ord Road community last Friday and they thanked me for what we've been able to do, which they said had transformed their lives.'' He also noted that with some $50 million to $60 million being made each year in Bermuda through the "drug industry'', street dealers in areas such as Ord Road were making as much as $7 million a year or about $20,000 to $30,000 a day.'' But he said Cleansweep -- which he noted was carried out at no expense to the local taxpayer -- was just the beginning of a "major push'' against the Island's drug dealers.

"Operation Cleansweep should be a continuation process,'' Mr. Coxall said.

"It will need a continued effort against the street level drug dealers, using technology as we used in Cleansweep, camera systems, video systems, etc. And it will need a continued, sustained effort.'' He also said he believed a variety of Operation Cleansweep could work again with local officers, "if it was properly laid and properly run''.

"I happen to think that on this small Island with sustained attack, using technology, you can reduce the level of street-level drug crime very considerably.'' As a result of putting pressure on street-level dealers, he said, Police will drive them off the streets and into properties.

"Once they start dealing from property, they can be dealt with very effectively by the Police Service,'' he said. "The Police Service should then start to concentrate on the major dealers.'' Without revealing specific tactics, Mr. Coxall said methods such as intelligence and collection plans and targeting should be used.

He added that he and other senior officers included recommendations as to what should be done about the war on drugs in an audit report which is expected to be released next week.

However, Mr. Coxall admitted he was disappointed with the delays in the following areas: Legislation on money laundering, speed detection cameras, and the taping of interviews; Work to be carried out on old Police buildings, including CID where the Narcotics Department is located; and Information technology throughout the Police Service, including better radio systems, computer systems, and technology systems.

"The IT aspect is one of my disappointments,'' Mr. Coxall admitted. "I wanted to move further forward with information technology throughout the whole force, better radio systems, computer systems, intelligence systems.

Those are all in the plans which have to be implemented.

"I've already been offered a donation of $30,000 by Renaissance Reinsurance for the criminal intelligence systems which aims mainly at drug-related crime.

"We should have also started work on the CID headquarters, which includes Narcotics, in April this year. We had money in budget. That has been delayed because of the pressure of work on Works and Engineering.'' The delay in such work was "wholly unsatisfactory'' and had a detrimental impact on morale.

"Clearly it impacts on morale. I noticed that since renovations at Somerset Police Station, officers feel better. It is so important that Police officers work in reasonable conditions. After all, the Police Service cost the people of Bermuda some $34 million a year, 85 percent (of which) is spent on salaries and wages. And therefore to maximise the efficiency of the force you need to have people working in decent conditions.'' But he said he was grateful for the funds Government provided for the refurbishment programmes.

"I just hope they keep going with this impetus,'' Mr. Coxall added.

"...My job was to give Government a strategic business plan for the Police Service. I produced a strategy, they accepted it. Then I produced a costing implementation plan which phased the implementation over a number of years. So there was a particular need for funding for capital projects.

"So the revenue has remained approximately static. There have only been cost of living increases. The money I received was for capital projects. So I was able to give them a business-like capital plan and they've honoured that plan.

The Grundy report showed a strong need to inject some capital support into remedying problems that were in the Police Service.

"I congratulate Government for doing that. It is important that whoever takes over brings this up to a modern Police Service.'' Mr. Coxall said he was also grateful for the support of his colleagues.

"I have to say that I've been surrounded by goodwill from senior officers and junior officers,'' he pointed out.

"The overwhelming message I get from people, particularly the Police Association, who I have a very close working relationship with, is that they are happy with the way things have gone and are happy that the Police Service should continue to improve.

"I feel very fulfilled. We've achieved a great deal. We've changed the whole face of the Police Service as far as its capability of providing Bermuda with an effective level of policing. But there is still a great deal to be done.

And I wish whoever succeeds me well in implementing those other things.'' He noted his successor will need to be an officer trained at international standards, and capable of implementing major computer systems, communications systems, building programmes, and training programmes.

"I would hope he would have the support of the service and the community,'' Mr. Coxall said.

He added that he truly believed he was leaving the Police Service in good standing.

"I left one of the best jobs there was in policing in London very early to come here. I was only 55. I had a job to 65 if I wanted it. I gave all of that up to come here. I did not have any hidden agendas.

"I think the Police Service is infinitely in better shape than it was two-and-half years ago. And I think it is in far better shape with the community.

"I've been inundated with phone calls and letters from people supporting me, particularly in the last couple of months which have been difficult for me personally. But I just hope it will be showed on the record in months and years to come that I did my best for Bermuda. I have no axe to grind with anybody. I'm just a professional senior Police officer who came here to do the best I can for the community which employed me.''