The Bermuda Police Service and the Royal Bermuda Regiment will work together this Cup Match to protect Bermuda’s waters, according to Wayne Caines, the Minister of National Security.

Mr Caines told the House of Assembly parish constables would operate in the coastal waters as part of the move.

He said: “Marine parish constables will utilise jet skis equipped with blue lights, siren and loud hailer equipment to provide a daily visible presence on the water to engage with Bermuda’s marine community in support of crime prevention and service provision.

“Jet ski capability will also provide greater access and rescue capabilities within hard to reach areas of Bermuda’s waters.”

Mr Caines added that police were well prepared to protect the public over Cup Match and urged motorists to be safe on Bermuda’s roads.

The Minister said SAS Protection Services has been hired by the St George’s Cricket Club to provide security at Wellington Oval, but police will still be actively involved.

He said trained officers and canine units would carry out safety inspections and searches for prohibited or dangerous items, while officers would monitor and respond to incident at after-parties.

Mr Caines added: “Cup Match is an exciting time in Bermuda. It is a time for the island to come together to celebrate the victories of our past and plan for our future collective triumphs.

“Let us all continue to do what we must to ensure our roads are safe and that there are no injuries or fatalities over the festive weekend.”

Mr Caines said that the Bermuda Police Force were still finalising their crime statistics, initial figures suggest violent crime has fallen with no homicides or serious injuries caused by gunfire so fat this year.

He said there was evidence that road safety campaigns had a positive effect.

Mr Caines said: “There have been 366 offences for impaired driving recorded since roadside sobriety checks began, however there is indication that the levels of offending is decreasing as evidenced by reduced road traffic casualties reported at KEMH.”

The minister said the creation of a Vulnerable Persons and Child Exploitation team at the BPS has helped to address the “hidden harm” in the community and brought an increase in reports of crimes against vulnerable victims.

Mr Caines said the BPS recruit drive earlier this year resulted in 110 applications, which were whittled down to a final selection pool of 45 candidates who will undergo medical and psychometric tests with the goal of a cohort of 15 officers to enter the BPS as probationary constables in October.

• To read Wayne Caines’s statement in full, click on the PDF under “Related Media”