The recent pay rise secured by Police could help to attract more recruits, according to new Deputy Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva.

But Bermuda Police Service's second-in-command officer, who was sworn in by Governor Sir Richard Gozney last month, said he did not think better pay was the "panacea" for recruitment.

"We'll see what happens when the pay increase kicks in," Mr. DeSilva told The Royal Gazette. "I don't think simply paying people more money is the be all and end all of recruiting people. It's a factor but there are other things that contribute to employees' satisfaction with their job."

Mr. DeSilva, 41, who has been with Bermuda Police Service since he started as a cadet in 1985, said the career opportunities were incredible, with 110 different job postings within the organisation.

But he said most people were not looking for a 30-year career anymore and the service needed to work out how to attract quality recruits from a more transient work population.

He said Bermuda was not alone in finding it difficult to recruit Police officers. "I predict that our applications will go up this year and next," he added. "There is more to be done in-house in making Bermuda Police Service more attractive so we have got to work on the things that cause our staff the most stress. A big one is buildings."

Bermuda Police Association reached agreement with Government on a five percent pay rise last month.

The deal included a 5.8 percent one-off "uplift" on their original pay in October 2005, plus a five percent increase for each of the last three years and a $350-a-month housing allowance backdated to October 2005. Mr. DeSilva, whose remit includes finance, said the retroactive payments for the salary increases and housing allowance, to be made in three instalments over the next seven months, would cost "millions".

"The pay award, the dollar amount, was not budgeted for this financial year," he said, adding that either other funds would have to be moved or an application would have to be made to the Government for the money.