The First Policemen
Visitors to Bermuda naively believe that this island paradise is totally free of crime. It would be similarly naive of readers of this review to think that Bermuda was free of crime before the establishment of the Police Service.

In 1610, less than a year after the Sea Venture floundered on the Island's reefs, Bermuda recorded its first murder. One Edward Waters allegedly killed a fellow sailor by the name of Edward Samuell. The accused man was caught, tried and sentenced to hang, but he later escaped and was eventually pardoned.

The first reference in Bermuda to the forerunners of Police officers occurred on 1st June 1620 at the Second Assizes in St. George's. Mention was made in the records of the role of the 'Bailiffs of the Tribes (Parishes)' and that 'the subordinate Officers to these in every tribe, are the Constables, Headborowes, and Church Wardens'.

We may therefore reasonably deduce that in 1620 there were probably nine Parish Constables serving this fledgling colony.

The Constable's oath of allegiance was all encompassing and substantially longer that the one taken by officers today. In part the oath required Constables to 'see and cause his Masters peace to be well and truly kept and preserved according to your power. You shall arrest all such persons as in your sight shall go around offensively or shall commit or make any riot, affray or breach of Masters peace' and that 'if any such offender shall make resistance with force, you shall levy hue and cry and shall pursue them until they be taken.'

It is fair to say that in those days, a Constable's lot was not a happy one! He was required by law to serve part time for a period of twelve months and he received no salary. His only income came from the execution of writs and warrants.

An Increase In Crime
Despite the presence of Parish Constables, Bermuda saw an increase in crime during the latter years of the seventeenth century and the Island's prison in St. George's became overcrowded. The then Provost Marshall repeatedly complained about the continuing inadequacy of the old prison. It would however be another thirteen years before a new prison was built. The wheels of Government moved slowly in those days too!

At the beginning of the nineteenth century the Provost Marshall was the Government official responsible for maintaining law and order in the colony. Serving under him were the Justice's of the Peace (one for each Parish) and below them, the Constables, Church Wardens and Bailiffs.

The First Police Act
About the time of the American War of Independence (1775 – 1783), the Island was faced with the problem of how to encourage Bermudian men to serve their allotted times as Parish Constables!

As most of the Island's residents know today, the Police Force has been faced with a similar type of problem throughout the twentieth century! How to encourage Bermudians to join the Police!

The simple solution at the time (1786) was to introduce an Act wherein any man chosen to serve as a Parish Constable, and who so refused to do so, could be fined five pounds (probably the equivalent to over $1,000 in those days). Incidentally the wording of this particular Bermuda Act was the first to use the term 'Police'.

During the early part of the nineteenth century various additional Acts and amendments were passed which gave the powers that be greater authority with which to appoint law enforcement officers. Constables began to receive payment for the first time for their labours.

Meanwhile in London in 1829, Sir Robert Peel established the world's first Police Force. The success of his pilot scheme quickly encouraged other cities around the world to follow suit.

First Death
In 1867 Rural Constable Thomas Burrows Browne became the first Bermudian officer to die on duty. While trying to recapture an escaped prisoner, the man stabbed him and the Constable later died from an infection. Despite this tragic event, for which the assailant was committed to the local lunatic asylum, the Island generally remained free of serious crime.

Events Come To A Head
The eventual establishment of the Bermuda Police Force probably came about as the result of a series of issues and events rather than because of one specific matter.

In the late 1870's the Chief Justice of the day was particularly critical of the calibre of men chosen to act as Constables and whether or not they had the ability, both physically and mentally, to carry out their duties.

At roughly the same time, one of the most notable murders in Bermuda's history occurred.

The Death Of Anna Skeeters
In 1878 Edward Skeeters and his wife Anna lived in a small house on Somerset Long Bay. Theirs was not a happy marriage.

One day Anna went missing and her allegedly distraught husband reported her disappearance to the authorities. Edward Skeeters himself however, became an immediate suspect. Days went by, but there was no sign of Anna. Then some local fishermen noticed a change in the flow of water in the bay. They rowed out in their boat some fifty yards and jumped overboard to investigate. There beneath the surface, tied to a heavy boulder by means of a length of rope, they discovered the rotting remains of Anna Skeeters.

Edward Skeeters was subsequentially tried, convicted and hung for the murder of his wife Anna. Today he lies buried on the island in the Great Sound that bears his name. The rock that he tied to his wife in order to keep her body submerged became the headstone on his grave.

Established 1879
In August 1879 the Legislature passed The Police Establishment Act, 1879 and on October 1st that year, Bermuda's first full time Police Force came into being.

The wording of the Act, reflecting the concerns of the Chief Justice, began 'Whereas the present police force is deficient in organization, discipline and efficiency and it is expedient to reorganize it under more efficient management:'

The new Force had an establishment of ten full time men and an annual budget of six hundred pounds.

The very first Chief of Police was Superintendent J. C. B. Clarke, a former army officer, and he was stationed in Hamilton. His second in command, Chief Constable H. Dunkley, was stationed in St. George's. Three Assistant Police Constables were posted to Hamilton, three more to St. George's and the remaining two to Sandys Parish. Twenty one Rural Constables, who were still employed, backed them up on a part time basis.

One of the earliest full time Constables was a colourful individual by the name of Thomas Joseph Powell who claimed to be a veteran of the Crimean War (1853 – 1856).

The Big Shake Up
Despite the appointment of a Chief of Police and full time officers, the Force failed to distinguish itself in its early years.

By the turn of the century it was apparent to most people that the twenty one year old Force needed a major shake up – and it got it!

Under the 1901 Establishment Act the Force was almost trebled in strength. The Superintendent's rank was abolished and the new rank of Inspector of Police was created. Pay and conditions were also improved across the board.

The revamped Force now consisted of one Inspector of Police, three Chief Constables, fifteen Constables and twenty one part time Rural Constables.

So exactly how much did a full time Constable earn in salary in 1901 on the new pay scales? To be exact, between £78 and £85 per year (in today's dollar amounts, roughly between $128 and $140).

An unusual provision of this Act allowed for 'the employment of a Detective in cases of public emergency.' The first one however was not appointed until some eighteen years later in 1919!

Further Increase In Men
Just two years after the big shake up, the size of the Force was increased again through the addition of seven Constables. One of the prerequisites for appointment was that the applicant must be able to read and write legibly. Uniform and boots were supplied free of charge.

It is believed that as many as half a dozen of the Rural Constables serving at this time were from the West Indies, although there was no specific recruiting drive in the Islands at that time. One of the first West Indians to join the Force was Henry Montgomery Beach. He was born in St. Kitts and came to Bermuda in the 1890's. Beach served as a Rural Constable in Devonshire Parish and retired in 1919.

The Twentieth Century
The early years of the twentieth century prior to the outbreak of the First World War were quiet for both Bermuda and the Police Force.

Serious crime was still a rarity and only one murder was recorded between 1905 and 1917. That murder, however, in 1913, caused a major stir at the time.

The Armstrong Case
Like the vast majority of murders committed in Bermuda this century, it arose out of a domestic dispute. Robert Montgomery Armstrong was seen to be paying too much attention to the wife of one Chesterfield Paul. Following a fight (which Paul won), Armstrong went home, picked up a knife, returned to Paul's residence and stabbed him. He died almost immediately.

At the Inquest the Foreman of the Jury raised concerns about the testimony of the Doctor who attended the deceased. No autopsy had been performed and at the request of the jury, the Coroner ordered the body to be exhumed. Following the postmortem examination, the dead man's heart was laid out on a piece of blotting paper and shown to the jury to prove to them how he met his end.

The accused Armstrong subsequently became the first man to be found guilty of murder in Bermuda this century and also the first to be executed. He was hanged on Christmas Eve 1913.

It is of further interest to note that his father, Thomas Armstrong was also accused of murder (in 1896). The charge in his case however was later reduced to one of manslaughter, of which he was convicted.

Many years later, Martha Paul, a sister of the deceased Chesterfield Paul, was charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriend. She too was found guilty, executed and is buried on Skeeters Island.

Some interesting categories of crime listed in the Police reports during the Great War included 'Murder of wife & child' and 'Murder other than wife & child'.
Another offence was 'Praedial Larceny', which, according to one dictionary means (1) Of or relating to land, farming etc. (2) Attached to or occupying land.

The War Years
During the Great War (1914 – 1918), most of the activity in Bermuda centered around the dockyard area and the principal role of the Police at this time appears to have been keeping rowdy sailors in check!

The First Detective
In 1919 Charles Edward Simons was appointed as Bermuda's first Detective Officer. 'D. O.' Simons soon became a familiar figure to one and all as he pedal cycled around the Island investigating crime.

The First Overseas Recruits
In 1920 the Force underwent another major reorganization. The Police Establishment Act of 1920 empowered the Chief of Police to recruit young men in England and that is exactly what he did.

Eighteen men were selected from the five hundred applications received and they arrived in Bermuda in August of that year. Five were ex-Royal Marines and the other thirteen ex-United Kingdom Police officers. The new Force now numbered forty six.

The new recruits arrived by steamer which berthed in Hamilton and after docking they were marched off to Hamilton Police Station (yes, the same building which we use today!). Literally within hours of arrival some of them were detailed to walk the beat.

Having just arrived in a foreign country (five of them without any Police training whatsoever), is it hardly surprising to learn that one of them became lost and had to ask a road sweeper the way back to the Police Station!

New Fingerprint Section
In 1924, the Governor, Sir Joseph Asser, wrote to the Chief of Police, Mr. J.H. Sempill, suggesting that the Bermuda Police Force should introduce fingerprinting to aid Detectives in the investigation of crime. Mr. Sempill was already thinking on similar lines and afterwards arranged for three officers, one of whom was 'D.O.' Simons, to attend courses of instruction at the New York City Police Criminal Identification Bureau.

On their return to Bermuda, and with the assistance of a fingerprint expert from New York, they established the new Bermuda Fingerprint Section – the forerunner of today's Scenes Of Crime Office (S.O.C.O.). The first successful conviction in Bermuda obtained solely on fingerprint evidence was secured two years later.

The Lone Rider
By the late 1920's Tucker's Town was being developed as both the ideal winter vacation destination for well heeled North American tourists and also as a beautiful place in which to live.

Beautiful it might have been, but it was also a long way from everything. Back in the age of the horse and buggy, the new residents felt a certain vulnerability and so they clubbed together to raise enough money to buy a horse. That horse was then donated to the Police Force on condition that a Police officer use it solely to patrol the Tucker's Town area.

In 1929 P.C. John Galloway became the Bermuda Police Force's first (and so far only) equestrian patrol officer. A subsequent down turn in the economy a few years later led to this unique patrol being withdrawn.

Historical Review by Sgt. Chris Wilcox, September 1999 **This review was reproduced from the publication, 'Historical Review of the Bermuda Police Service 1879 - 1999'. Edited, designed and produced by Sgt. MacDonald.

The start of the 1930's promised to be the dawn of a prosperous new era for Bermuda. Tourism was starting to take off and the standard of living was rising.

1931 saw the opening of a single line railway running from St. George's by way of Hamilton to Somerset, and for the very first time Bermudians had a viable travel alternative to the horse and buggy or pedal cycle. Many Police officers in particular began using the railway as a means to travel to and from work.

Six years later in 1937, the island's isolation from the rest of the world effectively ended with the inauguration of international commercial airline services linking Bermuda to the United States and Great Britain. Both Pam Am and Imperial Airways (now British Airways) operated flying boats to the island, which landed in the Great Sound. The normal flying time for the journey between Bermuda and New York, however, was then in excess of five hours.

State of the Police Force

By 1933 the Police Force had grown in size to 75 officers, two thirds of whom where expatriate Englishmen.

The importance of having a separate Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.) was now apparent and that same year the C.I.D. Unit was increased in strength from two officers to seven.

Memories of An Ex-Police Officer

Noted local writer Mr. Vernon Jackson served with the Bermuda Police Force between 1933 and 1947. Shortly before Mr. Jackson died in 1996, retired Detective Superintendent Andrew Bermingham persuaded him to share his memories of life as a Policeman and to write them down for the benefit of future generations. Those writings provide a wonderful insight into a period when life was simpler and Police officers received excellent public support.

Vernon Jackson joined the Force in 1933, not particularly through choice, but circumstance. By then the great Depression had spread to Bermuda and his own business was failing.

After being accepted into the Force, he recalls being issued with the dress of the day; a summer weight light grey uniform, white pith helmet, black boots and a black raincoat. On his first day of duty he caught the train to Somerset and paraded before his new Watch Sergeant, an ex-army man by the name of Mullins.

In those days new officers received no formal training and were expected to learn their trade 'on the job.' Sergeant Mullins would become Vernon Jackson's mentor, drill instructor and his classroom teacher.

After six months in Somerset he was transferred to St. George's. Here he met one P.C. Aldrich, who was the Parish Constable for St. David's. In those days of course, before the Base was built, St. David's was little more than a sleepy backwater.

Mr. Jackson noted that 'Constable Aldrich had little to do except to remain on friendly terms with the natives.'

After 18 months in uniform, Vernon Jackson was transferred to the C.I.D. as a Detective Constable.

At this juncture in time (1935) the relationship between the Police Force and the public was probably the best that it has ever been - or ever will be! Mr. Jackson himself makes reference to this in his notes. 'When I got into Police work, it came as no surprise to me to find that relations between the police and the public was sound and good. I could go into any area, be it Pond Hill or Fairylands, and receive the same courteous, friendly treatment.

As an example, when I spent a day at Smith's Hill searching for an escaped prisoner, the neighbours kept a lookout for the escapee; and when he turned up, a woman came up to me and whispered, "He's around the corner." I confronted him and he gave himself up, saying that he was tired of running. As ludicrous as it may seem today, I sat him on the cross-bar of my pedal cycle and gave him a ride to the Police Station.'

He wrote that the most important case that he worked on was the murder of Miss. Margaret Stapleton in 1941. Further mention of this particular case appears later in this review.

In 1947, after 14 years service, Detective Sergeant Vernon Jackson resigned from the Force for personal reasons. We are deeply grateful to him (and to ex-Detective Supt. Andrew Bermingham) for sharing his memories with us and for providing us with an insight in policing in the 1930's and 1940's.

THE WAR YEARS
When the Second World War broke out in 1939, there were only 45 motor vehicles in Bermuda; none of which were Police cars. At the same time there was an estimated 20,000 pedal cycles and 550 horse drawn carriages on the roads. It is interesting to note that today there are well under fifty such carriages in Bermuda.

The main cause of accidents at this time was speeding on pedal cycles! A major gripe of the cyclists themselves was that they kept getting their cycle wheels caught in the railway lines that ran along Front Street.

The effect of the war on Bermuda was immediate; tourism, and with it the economy, both nose-dived very quickly. The repercussions were soon felt by Police officers - their salaries were cut by 10%!

Fortunately this state of affairs did not last too long. In 1941 Britain signed a land-lease agreement with the United States and work began on building two U.S. Bases here. The wages of Police officers were soon returned to their pre-war levels, and then shortly thereafter, due to a rise in inflation, their salaries were actually increased.

A major task for Police officers during the war years was to keep in line several thousand American Navy Seabees, who had been brought over to the Island to construct the Bases. To quote Mr. Vernon Jackson again, 'Those men were tough; it was war time, and some had criminal records. Offences committed by Seabees and service personnel were numerous, and on several occasions I had to attend Court Martials at Kindley Air Force Base and also at Castle Harbour Hotel which was used by U.S. Army Officers until the war ended.'

By 1942 the Force establishment had been raised to 112, though the actual strength was only 97; 47 English officers and 50 Bermudians.

The Stapleton Case
During the war years, British women were brought to Bermuda to act as censorettes. They worked from offices in the basement of the old Hamilton Hotel and their job was to discreetly read foreign mail being sent from Europe (via Bermuda) to North America. Basically they were looking for any information whatsoever about planned enemy activities.

In 1941, the murder of one such censorette, Miss. Margaret Stapleton, caused more interest and speculation amongst Bermudians than all the great wars being fought overseas in Europe, Africa and Asia.

One evening in July (1941), Miss Stapleton visited friends at Bleak House, Devonshire. When it came time to leave, she declined an escort and began pushing her pedal-cycle along the moonlit railway track towards the train stop at Toby's Lane - the train would take her back to her flat in Hamilton. She never caught the train however, and when her flat-mates telephoned to say that she had not returned from Bleak House, her friends began to search for her.

Miss. Stapleton's half-naked body was subsequently found amongst the bushes near to Prospect Railway Halt. She had been raped and beaten to death.

Intensive police enquiries, which included the help of two F.B.I. Agents for six months, continued for over a year. In August 1942 a Coroner's Inquest named one Harry Sousa, a soldier in the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps, as the murderer.

The Police knew exactly where to find Sousa - next door in the Hamilton Gaol (site of the present Hamilton Post Office). He was there serving a ten year sentence for rape.

At his trial in December 1942, the prosecution produced three witnesses (all inmates) who testified that Sousa had confessed to them that he committed the crime while they all shared a prison cell together. Then one of the witnesses retracted his statement and claimed that he had been offered £500 by the Police Commissioner to give false evidence.

The Commissioner, Mr. John McBeath, was then called to the witness stand. He hotly denied the allegation and pointed out that the public reward on offer was in actual fact £1,100, not £500.

Sousa was found guilty and sentenced to hang - but that was not the end of events!

Just hours before the sentence was due to be carried out, Sousa escaped through a 7" gap in the bars of his cell window.

A massive manhunt was launched and The Royal Gazette and Colonist Daily newspaper printed a special one page, one penny edition offering a reward of £250 for information leading to the recapture of Harry Sousa.

Less than twenty four hours later he was back in prison custody after having been flushed from his hiding place (a cave near Black Watch Pass). The following day another one page special edition of the newspaper appeared on the streets, this time proclaiming that Sousa had been recaptured.

Sousa explained to the authorities how he had escaped, but some people doubted his story and claimed that he must have received inside help. To lay the matter to rest, and in front of nervous Prison Officers, he again escaped (if ever so briefly) through the bars in his cell window, and into the arms of the waiting officers.

Just hours before his actual execution on 7th July 1943, Sousa confessed in his cell to P.C. John Marshall that he did in fact commit the murder of Margaret Stapleton.

The First Police Car
By 1942 there was an estimated 1,000 motor vehicles in Bermuda - mostly military. To enable the Police to keep up with developments, the Force paid £375 for a Dodge sedan motor car. That first Bermuda police car, however, was solely for the use of the then Commissioner, Mr. McBeath!

The Motor Car Act
In 1946 the Motor Car Act was passed which enabled anybody who could afford one, to buy an automobile. It is an understatement to say that things in Bermuda have never been quite the same since.

To keep pace with the expected increase in traffic, the fleet of police vehicles was increased to six and shortly afterwards the Force purchased 10 autocycles for use by officers engaged in District or Rural Patrols.

At the same time (1946) recruiting resumed from the United Kingdom.

AFTER THE WAR

Into the 1950's
By the start of the 1950's the Force was being welded into a cohesive and efficient organization of which Bermuda could be proud. All the Police Stations were in radio contact with one another, cars were fitted with two way radios and the first speed detectors were introduced (the forerunner of modern radar guns). For the first time the Force also acquired Police dogs; in this instance,four.

1951 also saw the establishment of the Bermuda Reserve Constabulary, although actual recruiting did not begin until the following year.

Recruiting Problems
The familiar problem of how to attract sufficient numbers of Bermudians into the Police came to the fore once again in 1954.

In the Police Annual Report that year, the Commissioner, Mr. R. G. Henderson, remarked "In spite of the urgent need to recruit local men, it is most disappointing that so few have come forward." From the applications received, five local officers and five foreign officers were appointed that year.

The Commissioner also mentioned that a special study was to be made of 'crime prevention' and special attention was to be given to this aspect of police work in the future. In reality almost a quarter of a century would pass before a specialised Crime Prevention Unit was created within the Bermuda Police Force in 1977.

The Green Ticket
During the 1950's Bermudians and visitors alike were expected to adhere to a strict dress code. Officers were directed to tactfully issue a notice called a 'green ticket' to any person whom they considered to be improperly dressed in public. For example if they felt that the length of a woman's skirt was too short, or if her shorts were, well ~ too short!

The actual wording read
"May we respectfully suggest that your attire may prove to be embarrassing as there are certain regulations pertaining to propriety of dress that are being enforced in order to maintain Bermuda's position as a most attractive and pleasant holiday resort."

A lot of officers (all of whom were male at this time) were very disappointed when the decision was made a few years later to scrap the green ticket!

Prospect Bound
After the British Army Garrison departed from Prospect in 1958, the Police Force accepted the offer of their vacant buildings. The Administration, Traffic and C.I.D. Departments moved into the empty buildings and for the first time in its history, the Police Force was headquartered outside Hamilton.

1959 was an exceptionally busy year for the Police; between March and October an unprecedented number of murders or attempted murders were recorded (six in total). Investigations stretched the Force to its limit and Detectives from Scotland Yard were called in to assist. Eventually a suspect with links to all six cases was arrested and convicted.

Another case that year involved a man who attempted to dispose of his wife using a stick of dynamite!

One consequence of the foregoing was the demand for a Police Station to be built in Warwick Parish; as a matter of urgency!

During the same year (1959) an ugly docks dispute arose which culminated in a massive public demonstration. Most of the dockworkers armed themselves with weapons and marched around the streets of Hamilton in an intimidating manner. The Police quickly retaliated by forming a 50 man strong riot squad that marched down Front Street to face the dockers. The then Senior Magistrate, the Worshipful R. P. Gray, fearing the worst, read out the Riot Act, and verygradually the crowd began to disperse.

On a brighter note, 1959 was also the year in which the first Police Cadet scheme began.

A Decade For Optimism
Like the thirties, the sixties promised to be a golden era for Bermuda. The economy was doing well and tourism was booming - over 100,000 visitors came to the Island in 1960.

Looking back, however, it seems incredulous that in 1960 the Bermuda Police Force had neither a Police Women's Department nor a Marine Section. After all, to state the obvious, half the population was female and the Island was surrounded by the ocean!

Perhaps remembering the momentous events of 1959, the Police hierarchy was all too well aware of the Force's deficiencies and at the start of the 1960's they set about rectifying them.

In 1961 the Police Women's Department was established under the command of W/Inspector Isabella Lee and W/Sergeant Rose Neville, both of whom were recruited from the United Kingdom. Three local women soon joined them, one of whom was Mrs. Jean Vickers (nee Mathis). She has the distinction of being the first Bermudian woman to join the Police Force.

1961 also saw the creation of the Narcotics Department. It was initially staffed by just two officers, Detective Inspector Leon Bean and Detective Constable Harold Moniz. Two years later in 1963, Narcotic officers recorded their first arrests and convictions for the possession of marijuana.

Do-It-Yourself
Back in the early sixties there was no spare money with which to buy even one boat for a fledgling Marine Section, so two enterprising Constables, Derek Jenkinson and Dave Garland (with the Commissioner's backing of course), set about making one! The Corporation of Hamilton generously supplied the materials and the Department of Marine and Ports provided the engines. In 1962 the Blue Heron was launched and the Police Marine Section was born.

Today the Section has a fleet of 7 vessels including a multi-purpose Hatteras Sports Fisherman which was given to the Police in 1996 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.).

New Training Facility
The Police Training School was also established in 1962 and that same year the Force conducted its first ever 13 week basic training course.

Other notable milestones about this time included the creation of the Police Association to act as a voice for the rank and file, and the establishment of the Criminal Records Office (C.R.O.), Cycle Squad and Special Branch. Also, after an absence of several years, Parish Constables were re-introduced and provided with scooters to police their districts.

Meanwhile on the social front the Police Force became one of the leading organizations to bring down the racial barriers that existed in Bermuda at that time. The Police Recreation Club in fact was one of the first to organize bi-racial social functions and activities.

The Birdcage
Like it or not, the most recognizable image of a Police officer in Bermuda is the 'Bobby In the Birdcage'. Though it does in fact resemble a birdcage, the platform from which officers direct traffic at Heyl's Corner was actually named for its designer, Mr. "Dickie" Bird, the then Corporation of Hamilton Engineer (1962).

Prior to that time, when it became excessively hot and the sun was streaming down, the Constable on duty had to make do with an adjustable umbrella!

The BELCO Riot
In February 1965 a riot erupted outside the premises of the Bermuda Electrical Light Company on Serpentine Road and the Police were ordered to restore the peace. As a result of their intervention, 17 Police officers were injured. One officer, P.C. Gerard Ian Davies, was so badly injured that he had to be invalided out of the Force. His father later presented a soccer trophy to the Bermuda Football Association to be played for annually; it was ironically named the 'FriendshipTrophy'.

In the New Years Honours List of 1966, seven officers were awarded medals in recognition of their actions during this dispute. Inspector Robert Ball, Constables Andrew Bermingham, Michael Caulkett and the previously mentioned Gerard Ian Davies, all received the Colonial Police Medal For Gallantry, whilst Sergeants John Cafferkey and Kenneth Morris and W.P.C. Christine Muspratt all received the Colonial Police Medal For Meritorious Service.

Racial Imbalance
The proportion of white Police officers (mainly expatriate) in relation to the number of black Bermudian officers, particularly with regard to the racial make-up of Bermuda, has been a constant subject of debate amongst both Police officers and the public since the founding of the Force in 1879. In 1965, in an attempt to redress the unequal racial balance, senior officers went to Barbados specifically to recruit black officers. Selected applicants were interviewed and seven Barbadians were chosen to join six Bermudians on Basic Training Course number 7 (February to May 1966). Officers on that course included Mrs. Gertrude Barker (nee Cannonier) and Mr. Vendall Bridgeman. Both have since retired from the Police after years of dedicated service.

More Rioting
Just three years after the Belco disturbances, rioting broke out again - this time at the close of the Floral Pageant. The riots appeared to be well planned and continued for three nights. Police officers were placed on 12 hour shifts and it was deemed necessary to fly troops in from Britain, though they only played a supporting role. Gradually peace was restored, but Bermuda's reputation was again tarnished and the damage to property ran into millions of pounds.

First Gymkhana
At the end of the 1960's it was estimated that 20% of the Police Force was then involved, one way or another, in the voluntary promotion of youth activities. A good deal of that activity was channeled into launching the first ever Police pedal cycle gymkhana in 1969, an event which attracted over 400 school children. The Police still arrange gymkhanas and another one has been included in this year's calendar of events to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Service.

Bermuda's Darkest Era
If officers serving with the Force in the mid-60's thought that they had seen Bermuda's worst days, they were very wrong. The darkest period in the history of this Island was about to begin.

On September 9th 1972, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. George Duckett, was shot dead outside his residence Bleak House (the same residence that featured in the Stapleton murder case 31 years earlier). The then Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Leroy 'Nobby' Clark, immediately assumed charge of the Force and was later sworn in as the new Commissioner.

The death of Mr. Duckett signaled the start of a violent crime wave lasting fully two years.

Six months later, at midnight on March 10th 1973, the Governor, Sir Richard Sharples and his A.D.C. Captain Hugh Sayers, were also shot dead. They were about to take the Governor's dog (which was also killed) for a walk and had barely strolled fifty yards from the main entrance to Government House, before two men opened fire at close range.

Less than a month later, two supermarket executives, Mr. Victor Rego and Mr. Mark Doe were also brutally murdered following an armed robbery of their store.

At the request of the Commissioner, Scotland Yard Detectives were again called in to assist the local C.I.D. officers in their investigations.

The principal suspect for all these atrocities was one Erskine Durrant 'Buck' Burrows. At the time of Mr. Duckett's murder he was on release from prison working as a 'trusty' at Police Headquarters and also at the Commissioner's home.

Over the next 18 months more armed robberies followed. 'Buck' himself pulled off a particularly daring daylight robbery at the drive-in branch of the Bank of Bermuda on Church Street. He rode up to the bank on his mobylette, shotgun under his arm, walked inside and demanded money. With his ill-gotten takings, he then rode off at high speed on his cycle up Court Street.

On another occasion he rode through Police Headquarters late one night firing his shotgun randomly at Police buildings. Fortunately nobody was injured.

A heavily armed 'Buck' Burrows was finally arrested in October 1973. Future Commissioner (then Detective Chief Inspector) Clive Donald and Detective Sergeant Larry Smith (now Chief Inspector), members of a special stake-out team, lay in wait for Burrows one night and pounced upon him as he rode by. In the following New Years Honours List the two officers were both deservedly awarded The Colonial Police Medal For Gallantry.

Further investigations led to another man, Larry Tacklyn, also being charged alongside Erskine 'Buck' Burrows with the murders of the Governor, his A.D.C. and Messrs. Rego and Doe. Burrows alone was charged with the murder of the Commissioner.

Following lengthy trials in the mid-1970ís, the two men were found guilty and sentenced to be executed. Once all avenues of appeal had been exhausted, the date for execution was set for December 1st 1977.

The last days of November were particularly tense and on the evening of November 30th a large group assembled in Hamilton with the intention of marching all the way to Casemates in a futile last bid to stop the hangings.

The marchers reached as far as East Broadway before turning around and heading back towards Hamilton Police Station (now the site of the Government Administration Building). When the marchers started to overturn Police cars, the Riot Squad, which was on stand-by at Prospect, was called into action.

By the time the marchers and anti-hanging fraternity first came face to face with the Riot Squad, the two groups stood one block apart on Parliament Street - the marchers outside the main Post Office and the Police by the entrance to Magistrates Court.

At that point the Riot Squad was totally outnumbered; less than 30 officers facing a hostile crowd, perhaps in excess of 200 persons. However the Police were well trained and well disciplined. When they marched in unison along the street, swinging their long wooden batons against their bamboo shields, it made a deafening sound and made any would-be foe think twice about tackling them. The Police were also fortunate to have the right man to lead them at this critical moment in time, Chief Superintendent Jim McMaster.

Using a loudhailer he told the crowd to disperse and to go home. When they refused, he ordered the Riot Squad to march up the street and to 'take' the Church Street / Parliament Street junction - and that was exactly what they did.

It was still early evening; about 8pm. and the Police objective was now evident - to contain the crowd in the back of town. The original Riot Squad now split into two, reinforcements arrived and gradually the Police took charge of a series of road junctions. These included the junctions of Victoria and Parliament Streets and of Court and Church Streets. And that is where the Police remained all night. Whenever they were charged by the mob, they retaliated by firing off a volley of teargas. Before dawn broke numerous warehouses in the back of town were set ablaze and the Force prepared for a long confrontation.

The following evening after dark more buildings in Hamilton were torched. Watching from Police Headquarters, Prospect, one officer remarked, "This is what it must have been like when Nero burned Rome."

But what of Burrows and Tacklyn? They were executed on schedule during the early hours of December 1st within the walls of Casemates and laid to rest in unmarked graves.

As the rioting and arson escalated, the Bermuda Regiment and Police Reserve Constabulary were embodied. Troops were again brought in from Britain, though they were to play a non-combative role. Gradually peace was restored but it was a tense Christmas for most Police officers.

Outward Bound
After listing all of the awful events that befell Bermuda and the Police Force during the 1970's, it is a pleasure to be able to conclude the review of this particular era on a series of positive notes.

The Force has always been conscious of the need to foster good relations between itself and the Island's youth. Back in 1970 - with this thought in mind - the Police launched what would become their most successful community project to date, the Outward Bound programme.

Originally co-ordinated solely by Police officers, this programme has provided the opportunity for thousands of Bermudian youngsters to sample the Outward Bound experience, both here and overseas. For many of the participants it was their first positive contact with Police officers.

Back in 1995 the Bermuda Outward Bound scheme celebrated a milestone; its 25th anniversary. Given its successful track record, it is hardly surprising that this popular programme remains a cornerstone of Police community relations.

Centennial Celebrations
On the subject of anniversaries, the Force celebrated its own 100th birthday in a big way in October 1979.

The centerpiece of the festivities was a huge exhibition, the largest ever mounted by the Police. It occupied the whole of the East Exhibition Room in the City Hall, Hamilton (now the home of the Bermuda National Gallery). Other notable events included a Thanksgiving Service, a Centennial Ball and a parade involving Police officers, Cadets, Reserves and various Police vehicles. The Bermuda Post Office even issued a special set of four commemorative stamps.

Proposed Police Museum
Following the success of the Centennial Exhibition and the amount of public interest shown in the exhibits on display, it was suggested by various people that a small, permanent Police Museum should be established. Regretfully this proposal has yet to come to fruition.

Historical Review by Sgt. Chris Wilcox, September 1999 **This review was reproduced from the publication, 'Historical Review of the Bermuda Police Service 1879 - 1999'. Edited, designed and produced by Sgt. MacDonald.

On February 28th 1981, Mr. Frederick Colborn "Penny" Bean made Police history when he became the first born Bermudian to rise all the way through the ranks from Constable to Commissioner.

During his stewardship of the Force (1981 - 1989) he oversaw many dramatic advances, particularly in the areas of police communications and computerization.

One of the first major developments of the decade was the creation in 1984 of the Police Community Relations Department. With a strength of two Sergeants, it was set up to handle all Press related issues and to coordinate Police community projects.

Prior to this point the Police had operated with just a single full time Press Officer. Now for the first time the Force could become activity involved in promoting itself through community projects.

Intruder Alarms
The Police first began monitoring intruder alarm systems in the mid-1960's. It was not however until twenty years later that demand in Bermuda for hi-tech protection systems really took off.

In 1982 Police Operations officers monitored just over 200 intruder alarm systems. By the end of that decade, two independent companies had established their own central stations and the number of systems installed, Island-wide, exceeded 1,000. Today there are over 2,600 such systems linked directly to the Police or to central stations.

In 1987 the Force finally caught up with the outside world and became computerized. Older officers in particular, who previously had no desire to use a computer, were forced to learn how to operate this new piece of apparatus or be left behind like the Dodo. Some even turned to their children for help in mastering this complex new beast!

Hurricane Emily
Early one morning in September 1987, Hurricane Emily struck an unprepared Bermuda. The Police Force as always was at the forefront of operations to assess the damage, assist with clearing away the debris and to help Island residents to get their lives back to normal asquickly as possible. The hurricane cost millions of dollars worth of damage and many residents were without electricity for weeks on end.

Change Of Command
In 1989 Mr. Clive Donald succeeded Mr. Bean as Commissioner of Police. He (Mr. Donald) was recognized and admired throughout Bermuda as both an outstanding Detective and an excellent all round sportsman.

The biggest cases on which Mr. Donald worked during his Police career were inevitably the murders of Commissioner Duckett and Governor Sir Richard Sharples. As previously mentioned, it was in relation to the investigation of these cases back in 1973, that then Detective Chief Inspector Donald was awarded the Colonial Police Medal For Gallantry.

As Police Commissioner Mr. Donald is probably best remembered for his programme of accelerated promotions (which at the time drew criticism in some quarters). He correctly foresaw an emerging vacuum of adequately qualified and trained Officers to lead the Force in the late 1990's. Mr. Donald countered this by promoting promising young officers ahead of claimants with longer service.

First DNA Conviction
In 1990 the Police Force secured its first conviction in a Bermuda court based upon DNA evidence gathered at the scene of a crime.

The Herkommer Murder
On April 16th 1992, Island residents awoke to the shock news that a vacationing German tourist, Miss Antje Herkommer, had been brutally murdered the previous day on a visit to the Maritime Museum in Dockyard.

Miss Herkommer had come to Bermuda to visit her sister, who at that time was employed by a local jewellery store.

While her sister was busy at work, Miss Herkommer took the ferry to Dockyard and went sightseeing at the Maritime Museum. As she walked about the grounds of the museum by herself, a man working on the property befriended her. He enticed her into a dark passageway and then attacked her with the intention of raping her. In the ensuing violent struggle, Antje Herkommer was choked to death.

Within a few days, one Leroy Burgess was charged with this violent murder. It transpired that he was then a prison inmate nearing the end of a jail sentence for rape. At the actual time of the murder he was working unsupervised at the museum as part of a prison day release programme.

The public was up in arms about the lack of supervision of a prison inmate who was also a known sex offender.

At his trial, the Prosecution agreed to drop the charge of murder in exchange for a guilty plea to manslaughter. Burgess was subsequently jailed for life.

New Chief Of Police
On May 16th. 1992, Mr. Lennett Edwards was appointed as Commissioner of Police to succeed Mr. Donald.

In his Christmas message in the 1992 Police magazine, Mr. Edwards alluded to the recession that was then gripping Bermuda and most of the rest of the world. If officers initially paid little heed to the Commissioner's message, they would soon take notice.

In January 1993 Mr. Edwards dropped a bombshell on members of the Force. He stated that due to Government budget restraints, the Police budget was to be cut by $692,000. Furthermore, since 90% of the Police annual budget went on salaries, he added, the only way to cut cost s was to reduce manpower.

Two months later in March 1993, Mr. Edwards announced that the five year contracts of 23 non-Bermudian officers - 13 West Indian and 10 British officers - which were due to expire shortly, would not be renewed.

Many serving officers expressed feelings of absolute disbelief or anger and the morale of the Force plummeted. The decision however, remained and the officers were let go.

Following the non-renewal of contacts earlier in the year and a sudden rash of resignations, the strength of the Force became severely depleted. In December 1993, in an attempt to return desk bound officers to operational duties, Commissioner Edwards invited Management Services to conduct a civilian feasibility study. Subject to the findings of the study, it was hoped to begin recruiting civilians in the New Year.

First Women Motorcyclists
In April 1993, two women officers, Constables Yvonne Ricca and Cindy Eve-Spencer, made Police history when they became the first female officers to be trained and authorized to ride Police motorcycles.

Royal Visit
During March 1994 the Force was at full stretch for the three day official visit of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The Police operation involved 250 regular officers and 70 Reserves.

1994 Heritage Day Float
For only the second time in its history (the previous time being in 1930) the Police Force entered a floral float into a local parade, on this occasion, the annual Heritage Day Parade. The statistics relating to the construction of this float were remarkable. It took 50 volunteers (Police officers, Reserves, Civilians and their respective families), 160 hours to build the float and a further 200 hours to decorate it. Fortunately the efforts of all concerned were recognized and the float won many awards. It was also clearly the outstanding float in the Heritage Day Parade of 1994.

Overseas Recruiting
In July 1994 the failure once again to attract sufficient Bermudians to join the Force resulted in the recruitment of six trained officers from the United Kingdom. Other than Messrs., Coxall, Mylod and Lemay, they were the last non-Bermudian Police officers to be appointed.

Pending Retirements
During the latter half of the year, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Alex Forbes, made known his intention to retire from the Force. Shortly afterwards the Commissioner, Mr. Edwards, likewise stated that he too would be stepping down (due to ill health).

In December 1994, the Government controversially announced that the new Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner would be brought in from the United Kingdom on contract.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS
During the past five years policing and politics have become even more inextricably linked than ever before. Every appointment and move made by the Police has come in for political scrutiny, and this has often led to unfair criticism by persons who do not fully understand the issues in the first place.

1995 ~ Appointment Of An Overseas Commissioner
Following the release of the Grundy and Tumim Reports and the premature retirement of Commissioner Edwards in 1994 (ostensibly through ill health), Government sought to hire a replacement Commissioner and Deputy from overseas.

In the spring of 1995 Mr. Colin Coxall was appointed as the Island's new Commissioner and Mr. Michael Mylod as his Deputy.

Mr. Coxall struck a popular cord when he stated from the outset that "It is my avowed intent to make the Bermuda Police into one of the best small Police Forces in the world."

As the first order of business the new Commissioner set about producing a Service Strategy within ninety days of his appointment. That document outlined the philosophical and organizational changes proposed by Mr. Coxall and which were accepted by the then Government. The Commissioner also listed 112 strategic intents which he proposed to develop over the next few years.

The Strategy sought to address a whole range of problems facing the Force, including the rise in crime, the low number of civilian employees, the working conditions at the Police Stations and the high ratio of very senior officers in relation to the lower ranks.

Commissioner Coxall also established an internal Policy Committee. This Committee, consisting of Officers of the rank of Chief Inspector and above and the civilian Heads of Departments, was, and still is, responsible for making all major internal decisions about the running of the Service. Prior to this time the then Commissioner usually made such decisions by himself or in consultation with his most senior officers.

Reserve Headquarters
After extensive renovation work, the new Reserve Police Headquarters Building was opened in November. Reserve officers also adopted a new uniform and a change of name. Henceforth they were to be known as the Bermuda Reserve Police (formerly they were known as the Bermuda Reserve Constabulary).

Change Of Name
At about the same time that the Reserves changed their name, so did the regular Force. The organization was no longer to be called the Bermuda Police Force; from now on it would be addressed as the Bermuda Police Service.

Crime Stoppers
Meanwhile on September 12th 1995, "Crime Stoppers Bermuda" came into existence under the chairmanship of Mr. McNeil Warner.

This non-Police organization seeks to encourage members of the public to pass on information anonymously about crimes that they may have witnessed or know about. Once that information is supplied the caller is given a code number and asked to call back later to discover whether or not he or she is entitled to a monetary reward.

After a slow start, Crime Stoppers is now proving to be a potent weapon in the fight against crime.

1996 ~ Major Reorganization
The majority of the proposals and changes outlined in the Service Strategy became effective on January 2nd. 1996. These changes saw the establishment of several new Departments including Human Resources, Technology, Community Relations and Commercial Crime. The process of civilianizing "key" positions within the Service also began and during the year four senior posts were filled.

CCTV
In a jointly funded venture, the Bermuda Government and the Corporation of Hamilton invited an overseas company to conduct a feasibility study on the viability of introducing closed-circuit television to Bermuda. The outcome of the study was positive and talks began with the Police Service on how best to monitor an inaugural system covering the city of Hamilton. It was later agreed that the costs of the first phase would be met equally by the Bermuda Government, the Corporation of Hamilton and the business community.

Redundancies
Following through with his plan to prune the very high number of senior ranking officers in the Service at that time, the Commissioner, after consultation with Government, advised Assistant Commissioner Wayne Perinchief and Superintendent George Rose that their posts were being made redundant

The move became a major political issue. Mr. Perinchief in particular was very reluctant at that time to see his Police career come to an end. The matter was finally resolved through the courts and both former Officers received hefty financial settlements.

The Middleton Murder
On the morning of July 3rd 1996, the naked body of Canadian teenager, Rebecca Middleton was found at the western end of Ferry Reach. The 17 year old from Belleville, Ontario had been sexually assaulted and stabbed repeatedly. It was one of the worst murders that local officers have ever had to investigate.

A special team of experienced officers under the command of Detective Superintendent Vic Richmond was immediately set up to investigate the crime. After ten days of intense inquiries, officers arrested two local men for the murder of Miss Middleton.

One of the accused, Kirk Mundy, later pleaded "guilty" to a lessor charge in relation to this crime and was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison.

At the time of going to press the case against the other co-defendant has still not been fully resolved and therefore it would be inappropriate to discuss the matter any further at this time.

New Community Initiatives
During April and May 1996 the Crime Prevention Unit organized and hosted the first ever Police Night School Programme. Held one night per week for two months and catering to people from all walks of life, it was a runaway success. Each evening officers from different Departments within the Service would speak about the role of their specific Sections. Due to its popularity, Night School has since become a regular fixture in the calendar of events arranged by the Crime Prevention Unit.

September 1996 ~ The Launch of R.E.A.C.H.
The Resistance, Education And Community Help initiative was launched in 1996 supported by the Ministry of Education and utilizing five full time Police officers. The scheme was in effect effectively the first comprehensive schools programme ever established by the Bermuda Police Service.

It was conceived to introduce a positive police presence into Bermuda's schools at the pre-school and primary school level. Following its initial success the programme has since been expanded to include all of Bermuda's Middle Schools.

Glass Ceiling
The promotion of Inspector Gertrude Barker to the rank of Chief Inspector in April 1996 effectively broke the old "glass ceiling" then governing the promotion of women within the Police Service. Until that point in time, no woman officer had ever held a rank above that of Inspector.

NB: At the time of going to press (September 1st) Mrs. Barker currently holds the rank of Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Xing Da
In October the Police were called upon to assist the United States Coast Guard to detain a vessel off Bermuda which was suspected of carrying illegal Chinese immigrants. In what became a major operation, the ship's crew and passengers were brought ashore and escorted to a waiting U.S. military aeroplane. They were then flown to the United States. The rusty old ship, the Xing Da, was later sunk off the Dockyard in 100' of water.

Departure of Mr. Mylod
In September 1996, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Mylod unexpectedly announced his resignation. He had six months remaining of his 2 year contract to serve.

1997 ~ New Deputy Commissioner
Following a search abroad for a replacement for Mr. Mylod, Mr. Jean-Jacques Lemay was seconded to the Service from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for a period of two years. Mr. Lemay began his new role as Deputy Commissioner in January 1997.

Somerset Police Station
When Mr. Coxall first visited Somerset Police Station, he described it as "the worst Police Station I have ever visited in the world." Perhaps shamed by the Commissioner's comment, Government undertook to renovate the old building. Those renovations lasted for nine months and in September 1997 the "new" and expanded Somerset Police Station opened for business.

Extended Overseas Training
Looking towards the long term future leadership of the Service, Commissioner Coxall arranged for two Chief Inspectors, Jonathan Smith and George Jackson, to fly to England in January to spend six months on attachment to various U.K. Forces.

"Operation Cleansweep"
Following months of secret planning involving the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, the Narcotics Section and the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.), "Operation Cleansweep" was launched against Bermuda's unsuspecting drug traffickers.

In the initial phase of what was planned to be a two part operation, local and overseas Narcotic officers targeted the middlemen, the drug pushers. The objective was to arrest, detain and prosecute them and to try and obtain information which in the future (phase two of the operation), they could use to bring down Bermuda's drug barons.

Narcotic officers began by keeping surveillance on the Island's drug pushers and recording their illicit transactions on video tape. Then the officers swooped. They made over 40 arrests which resulted in 28 people being convicted of drug related offences.

While the operation was resource intensive, many of our investigators learned, first-hand, what it took to carry out surveillance operations with planned street purchases of controlled drugs followed by further investigations and follow up arrests. The Service is indebted to the D.E.A. for their assistance with this operation.

1998
On April 16th Mr. Lemay was formerly appointed as the new Commissioner of Police on a 3 year contract. He remains on secondment from the R.C.M.P.

In June, after two decades of repeated requests from Politicians, Police Commissioners and members of the public, a Police Sub-Station was finally opened in Warwick Parish.

Overseas Assistance
That same month (June), at the request of the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a five man Bermuda Police unit was dispatched to assist the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force to investigate a marine tragedy.

That incident involved a Haitian sloop, which the local authorities believed was carrying illegal immigrants to their Island. Dangerously over-loaded, the vessel capsized and six passengers drowned. A further 24 were listed as missing.

The Bermuda Police Unit, headed by Acting Detective Inspector Keith Cassidy, consisted of two officers from the Scenes of Crime Office and three others who spoke Creole to act as interpreters - Creole being the language which most Haitians understand.

New Command Vehicle
In November, on behalf of all the local emergency services, the Police took possession of a 34' Winnebago that had been fitted out as a National Disaster Command vehicle. The vehicle has since been used on various occasions and is starting to become a familiar sight on Bermuda's roads.

1999
Aside from the anniversary being celebrated by the Service, 1999 will go down as a watershed year in the history of the Bermuda Police.

Unsettled Times
In the late spring, frustration with the failure of the Government negotiating team to settle the Service's outstanding pay award (the previous contract had expired on 30th. September 1997) caused a small wave of officers to report sick. The so called "blue flu" was the first unofficial strike in the history of the Bermuda Police. Following binding arbitration a new contract was finally signed in July - it will expire on September 30th 1999.

Meanwhile the Service continues to face a major manpower shortage. Insufficient numbers of Bermudians apply to join the Police each year and no officers (save those of the rank of Commissioner) have been recruited from abroad since 1994. It remains to be seen how the Commissioner and Government will resolve this long standing problem.

The Positive Outlook
In July 1999 the Service launched its new computer programme to replace the original one which it adopted in 1987. The new system is of course millennium compliant!

One month later in August, closed-circuit television (CCTV) finally became a reality when trained officers in Prospect (primarily from the Bermuda Reserve Police) began monitoring images being transmitted from Hamilton.

The Police Cadet Scheme, abandoned several years ago, is in the process of being reintroduced under a very different set of guidelines. Once again it is hoped that the scheme will encourage Cadets to join the Police Service when they become eligible.

Crime Stoppers really came into its own during 1999 and from the information received so far, Police officers have been able to make a number of major arrests and seize large amounts of illicit drugs.

It has also been a time to say goodbye to two long serving Officers. In April Mr. Harold Moniz, the Deputy Commissioner, commenced pre-requirement leave after a record breaking 40 years service.

Just 4 months later, Mr. Alan Bissell, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, followed suit and retired after having served for 34 years with the Bermuda Police.

Their experience and knowledge will be greatly missed and we wish them both a long and happy retirement.

Police Week Celebrations
In October this year the Bermuda Police Service will be celebrating its 120th anniversary (1879 - 1999) with a week of special events. Highlights include a Thanksgiving Service, a special brunch, an exhibition high-lighting the contributions of serving officers, receptions for senior citizens and retired officers, and to conclude with, a dance and bar-b-que.

Closing Remarks
Mr. Ted Burton probably summed up best what policing is all about when he wrote at the conclusion of the 1979 Centennial edition magazine, "Police are people too! Like everyone else, they are only human and, for this reason alone, it will never be possible to have a Service" which is perfect in the eyes of the judiciary, attorneys, and the public-at-large, all at the same time. In assessing the value of the police, one must take into account the vast amount of humane work that they do, which is normally taken quite for granted. Assisting people in some sort of distress is an everyday occurrence to most police officers. Not until one is personally involved is it appreciated, and one finds that the officer who stands in the dock one day being belittled, called a liar, accused of assaulting the prisoner, is really quite a nice chap and handy to have around in an emergency.

"Let us all take stock and give thanks for a Police Service of which we should all be proud."

Historical Review by Sgt. Chris Wilcox, September 1999**This review was reproduced from the publication, 'Historical Review of the Bermuda Police Service 1879 - 1999'. Edited, designed and produced by Sgt. MacDonald.