26/08/2024 the press conference following shots being fired at police officers on the 24/08/2024 and the first instance, in the constabulary’s history, of police returning shots at the suspects as they fled the scene; the first time officers had discharged their weapons at others in the line of duty.

Press Conference text

The following text is an automated transcript of the spoken word and BermudaPolice.com does not warranty the correctness of the transcription.   The conference can be heard here.

Okay, we’re going live now, okay.

1. Good afternoon, Bermuda.
2. Shortly after midnight on Saturday the 24th of August 2024, police officers were responding to an incident near Khyber Pass in Warwick.
3. As they approached the junction with Quarry Lane, they observed two males riding a motorcycle heading south along Khyber Pass.
4. The passenger discharged a firearm at our officers.
5. In response, the officers pursued the suspects in an attempt to stop them.
6. The rider lost control of their motorcycle and whilst being chased on foot, pointed the firearm towards the officers.
7. In the course of this encounter, our officers discharged their weapons.
8. The suspects managed to escape on foot.
9. This is not the first time that officers have been shot at.
10. But this is the first time that in the performance of their duty, BPS officers have discharged a lethal weapon at another person.
11. I want to stress that, thankfully, there were no reports of injury resulting from this incident.
12. I met with the officers involved on the evening in question, and I’m grateful to say that they’re doing well considering the circumstances.
13. An investigation is now underway led by our Serious Crime Unit.
14. Additionally, we have initiated our post-incident procedures, which is a standard protocol whenever firearms are discharged, excluding training scenarios.
15. This process is designed to thoroughly examine our police response and the use of firearms.
16. We have also notified the Police Complaints Authority, which provides independent oversight of our actions.
17. Further information on the investigation will be shared with Chief Inspector Burns.
18. I must emphasize that it is absolutely reckless to shoot at the police.
19. The offender puts his life at the ultimate risk.
20. Such actions not only place the officers in extreme danger, but also endanger bystanders and the community at large.
21. The Bermuda Police Service is equipped and trained to effectively respond to these threatening situations.
22. For over 25 years, we have been professionalizing our firearms training and capability.
23. I am committed to maintaining our ability to respond to emergencies and have ensured that the number of firearms officers on patrol remains consistent, even as resources have declined.
24. Rest assured, there are dedicated teams of officers working tirelessly to deter and disrupt and apprehend those gang members who show a wanton disregard for our community’s safety.
25. This includes making arrests, executing a warrants, and ensuring that those gang members face justice in our courts for their criminal acts.
26. ACP Daniels will provide some additional information.
27. I ask for the continued support of our community.
28. Working together, we can make a difference.
29. If you know something, please say something.
30. Your information is vital to helping us keep Bermuda safe.
31. Now I will invite Chief Inspector Burns to share a few comments.
32. Good afternoon, everyone.
33. I will now provide an investigative update from the Serious Crime Unit.
34. I can confirm that the officers from the Serious Crime Department have commenced an investigation into this firearms incident.
35. A crime scene investigator from our forensic support team has examined the scene.
36. The motorcycle ridden by the suspects has been recovered, as well as other items that will be forensically processed.
37. We have recovered multiple shell casings from the scene that confirmed that different weapons were fired.
38. Investigators have spent the weekend making inquiries in the area, talking to area residents, and searching for any CCTV that may have captured the incident.
39. I would like to thank all residents who have come forward and assisted us thus far.
40. As we actively continue the investigation, I want to remind everyone that the individuals who fired at police are currently at large.
41. This was a dangerous and reckless act, as pointed out by the Commissioner, that placed the lives of our officers and nearby residents at significant risk.
42. I encourage anyone with information to contact the Senior Investigating Officer heading the investigation, which is Superintendent Sherwin-Joseph at 717-2158, or you can email him at jsherwin@bps.bm.
43. Alternatively, you can call the Crime Stoppers on 800-8477, or you can speak to an officer who you know and trust.
44. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers our officers face every day and the importance of community partnerships in maintaining public safety.
45. We urge the community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour or activity to the police.
46. Thank you.
47. Good afternoon, members of the media.
48. As noted from the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Simons, Bermuda continues to navigate through a difficult period of firearms use and senseless violence.
49. As I’ve already said during previous press releases, today we have experienced seven murders since Bermuda Day 2024, three of those with the use of a firearm.
50. An example of the community experiencing overall trauma just past weekend, we’ve had number one, an officer-involved shooting incident.
51. Thankfully, no one has been reported injured.
52. This was our 14th confirmed firearms incident of 2024.
53. In 2023, we had eight.
54. This is a real concern for the island.
55. Sadly, Saturday night, we also experienced our fifth traffic fatality when a 50-year-old male lost his life under tragic circumstances on our roads.
56. And in addition to that, there were reported 20 motorcycles stealing from various locations around the island.
57. So just a snapshot of this past weekend.
58. Tackling criminal gangs is the number one priority for the Bermuda Police Service.
59. We continue to evolve our operational response plans to two key themes.
60. One, targeting those most likely to cause and commit violent acts, as well as providing community reassurance.
61. I recognize that some within our community will say that the police response often appears reactionary as opposed to being more proactive.
62. Notwithstanding, officers cannot be aggro all the time.
63. The BPS has placed a heavy emphasis on deploying officers in areas where the highest threat is likely.
64. We’ve conducted a number of successful pre-planned and proactive operations with huge successh in recent months.
65. This includes the seizure of millions of dollars, what is believed to be earned by unlawful means, multiple large drug seizures, the arrests and charging before the courts of drug and firearm suspects, together with the recovery of eight operational firearms since last December, one of which is linked to multiple confirmed shootings since 2009.
66. As we continue to execute these operations, particularly those involving traffic checkpoints, I am seeking residents’ cooperation in exercising the necessary patience and restraint as some of the more highly visible tactics may impact you, as some of you may have seen recently.
67. There will continue to be increased patrols in affected areas, particularly those deemed hotspots, and where various communities have been impacted by recent incidents of violence or other trauma.
68. There continue to be teams dedicated to targeting those suspected of committing violence, these teams have been in place for the majority of the summer with great success, as I’ve highlighted above.
69. In closing, I take this opportunity to thank those persons who have provided assistance to the police so far, as well as those police officers who continue to show up and show out every day.
70. It is incumbent upon the community to stand together and support each other when faced with those bent on destabilizing our society.
71. The Bermuda Police Service continues to be encouraged by those willing to do that.
72. Without information from our communities, we have earned a part of the picture.
73. The more complete our side picture, the better we are able to direct our own activity to those areas with the greatest need, continuing to arrest and convict those who cause the greatest harm.
74. Thank you.
75. Any questions?
76. A few questions, because I asked when a father, a mother was killed, is this a game-changer? Now, the 7th of May, do you agree this is a game-changer?
    1. I’ve actually already said to the media that I think there’s been a step change in terms of what people are willing to do with the level of violence that we’re seeing, and perhaps this is sort of indicative of that trend.
    2. So it is concerning. The Bermuda Police is doing its part to identify and arrest individuals that are involved in that criminality, and to detect and deter and disrupt activity before it happens.
77. If the activity be so saddening at night, and police are prepared to fight back, and you see or see someone getting hit, what do you feel in return for coming from police?
    1. Right, so I think that is an eventuality that we need to prepare for.
    2. The reality is in 2024, as a policing organization for a fairly large population that has the full range of policing issues, I think it is a testament to us as a people and to us as a group of police officers that that has not occurred, particularly in light of the number of confirmed firearms incidents that have occurred over the past 15 years.
78. What do you say to the public? You’ve seen on social media where they called the police, saw and their reaction. I know you have, because of the law. Can the police change their tactics?
    1. So I appreciate that perspective. I think when you look at other jurisdictions and the style and nature of their policing, it can be a little bit different.
    2. One of the things that I’m particularly pleased about is that our relationship with the community and the public is a positive one.
    3. The public are continuing to ask to see our presence, and I think that is a reflection of the balanced approach that we take towards law enforcement.
    4. Mr. Daniels pointed out that in this year or since December of this year, we’ve recovered eight firearms.
    5. I don’t have the total amount of arrests that have been made, but there will be a number of court cases that are backed up, so that our response is proportionate to the events and incidents that occur.
79. What do you say to the elements that we see today where these individuals have no respect, no regard for even the law?
    1. Again, when you look at trends that are happening just globally, particularly in the OTs, where there are a significant amount of criminal firearms types of incidents, we’re doing quite well as a community.
    2. Those are down to individual choices, and we’ve seen evolution in behaviour of the community, which is quite frankly disturbing.
80. Going back to the incident itself earlier on Saturday morning, could you tell me what the initial incident was that caused police to go to Calgary Road? That was in one incident. Is it related to the shooting?
    1. It was a call for service, maybe like a prowling or a burglary in progress.
    2. I don’t want to make the link between those two at this point.
    3. It’s way too early to establish that, but without a doubt, that’s a line of inquiry that we’re examining.
81. I mean, why were the police armed? Because we thought that it’s only an armed response unit, members of an armed response unit will be armed, but generally, officers on patrol don’t normally carry firearms, do they?
    1. So there are a group of officers that 24 hours a day are armed, right?
    2. So we have an armed response capability that is 24 hours a day, and they’re out on patrol.
    3. So there is a likelihood that people up to bad things are going to encounter a firearms officer.
82. And do you know exactly how many shots were fired?
    1. At this moment in time, that’s just not information that we’re going to release.
    2. We have the post-incident investigation, the post-incident procedure, which really is about examining…
    3. Well, there’s two things.
    4. There’s the actual investigation, so general police investigation, but there’s another inquiry that really looks at the entire process, and it’s just far too early in that inquiry to say that.
83. But you are confident in saying that it was the suspects who fired first?
    1. There was a response, yes.
84. And so would it be fair to say that it was a firefight, or was it just, you know, one or two shots?
    1. I’m confident in saying that there was a number of shots that were fired on both sides of this equation, if you’d like.
85. Now, you mentioned in your initial statement that, thankfully, the offender managed to escape, and then there were no reports of any injuries, and then you go to hospital, gunshot wounds. Yeah. And you seemed quite pleased about that, but it does rather beg the question, what’s the point of police officers firing at suspects if they’re not going to hit the target?
    1. I appreciate that, but when you’re dealing with people that are on foot, running, moving, etc., that is an incredibly difficult kind of circumstance, which you would see, you know, the world over.
    2. And whilst we’re on that point, I have absolute confidence in the firearms teams and services they’re training and their capability.
    3. That was an extremely difficult situation that we were confronted with, and when I step away from that, I’m grateful that no one was, in fact, injured.
86. All right. And how many officers were involved, actually? Sorry, just to clarify that.
    1. Two.
87. Two. And you said that they’re doing well, but what’s the mood generally amongst your teams, and how are police officers feeling generally?
    1. Yeah, I’m sure that there’s some reflection that’s going on, without a doubt, you know, some concern, you know, that officers would be experiencing.
    2. You know, we’re fortunate that all our officers have safety equipment that they would routinely use when they’re on patrol.
    3. That includes ballistic protection, that they’re encouraged to also be continuously to be vigilant when they’re making traffic stops and attending scenes where there’s any type of indication that there’s a threat of violence, that they would take the appropriate steps and respond safely to that.
88. Commissioner, thank you so much. Okay.
89. Hi, Cooper, Stevenson Broadcasting. What are the rules of engagement for officers when discharging a firearm? Is it, you know, you can’t fire until you’ve been fired upon? Is there a particular…
    1. No, no. So basically, a threat is presented, they’re skilled in the assessment of that threat, and when it is appropriate to discharge a firearm.
    2. The discharge of a firearm is at the absolute last end of a continuum of use of force.
    3. So yeah, there’s no right or wrong, you know, sort of rules per se, but there are guidelines.
    4. So this is the first time that’s ever happened where a police officer has ever feared so significantly for their life that they’ve opened fire.
90. That’s a pretty significant Rubicon that we passed. Policing by consent is a two-way street. When it comes to cracking down on crimes like this, it seems like that might have to come into question, whether policing by consent is the way forward to solve something like this, where it’s estimated to rattle it.
    1. No, no, no, absolutely.
    2. I categorically disagree.
    3. We’re never, ever going to question policing by consent.
    4. It’s at the bedrock of what we do.
    5. So earning and maintaining the community’s confidence and trust that when we exercise authority of the full range of our authorities, it’s got to be lawful, it’s got to be proportionate, it’s got to be necessary.
91. There’s been a lot of speculation about the traffic incidents, about the violence, and it comes at a time when the Bermuda Police Service is at an all-time low and it’s manpower. There’s speculation that this could be what happens when the thin blue line gets too thin. Is it more important now than ever that you bolster your numbers, you try to find new ways to get people into the police force?
    1. So I think resourcing is definitely an important issue.
    2. It particularly affects our ability to surge in our response.
    3. Day-to-day response to policing, we’ve got that covered, but it is that surge capability that is not where we would like it to be, where our numbers are.
    4. The issue is less about just sheer… Well, it’s not just...
    5. We get a number of applications, like we might call it 100 applications for 15 posts, right?
    6. But it is getting 100 people through to those 15 that we just lose a lot.
    7. So there is still interest.
    8. We have gone overseas.
    9. We’ve got a training course coming up in December, and once we know the amount of locals that will fill that course, we may also have to augment that by overseas recruits.
92. Last question. You guys have been putting on a pretty significant show for a while now. It’s been several months where you guys have been making yourselves visible on the roads, out and about in the communities. I’ve seen cars passing by my house late at night.  How much overtime is being put in here? You guys must be exhausting yourselves to the point that you don’t want to break?
    1. Well, I don’t think that’s the case, but it does come at a financial cost.
    2. So that is a real issue for us.
    3. So whenever we want to surge, that capability has to generally come from officers that are off-duty.
    4. That means overtime.
    5. So I don’t have the figures right now, but I could expect that our overtime expense is going to be significant.
93. Thank you very much.
94. Commissioner, will the officers that you increase here, officers that care for firearms, will there be an increase in officers that care for firearms? So the increase of this type of behaviour?
    1. Right. So generally speaking, we have a set amount of officers for sort of business as usual.
    2. When tensions run high, we do put on additional resources.
    3. And then when tensions go back, we will consider scaling that back.
    4. Firearms resourcing is, in terms of the sheer amount of officers that can carry firearms, we are looking to raise that number.
    5. We have an authorized firearms officer course projected for later this year.
    6. And we have recently brought in a couple of officers, and we will almost likely be recruiting other officers from overseas to swell the numbers.
    7. But the point I’m kind of making is that the amount of officers that are out on patrol hasn’t changed.
95. 14 to 15 years ago, as the Commissioner back then said, very few firearms will not end up being shared. Do you have a number of how many firearms are allowed to do?
    1. So we’ve been asked that question for years and years and years.
    2. And what I can say is that there still seems to be evidence that there’s a small amount of firearms that are being used criminally.
    3. So if somebody has a firearm that they’re just not using, it’s difficult to say that that firearm exists or doesn’t exist.
    4. But there still is evidence of a relatively few number of firearms that are being criminally used.
96. My last question, Commissioner, to you, why are you not seeing officers making life more difficult?
    1. But there’s small numbers, as you say, of individuals that are making it extremely difficult for commuters.
    2. Yeah, so there are a number of arrests, warrants that are taking place where we have the evidence for that.
    3. Mr. Daniels spoke about some of our efforts around that.
    4. I think the recovery of eight firearms in particular since December speaks volumes to our efforts around targeting those individuals that are the highest harm causers.
97. How about 20 bikes stolen over the weekend? How many of these bikes have been stolen? Individuals not working? Crate catch? And shooter’s bikes? What’s your thoughts on that?
    1. So I think 20 cycles that were stolen over this weekend is just an awful lot.
    2. So just we look at regular patterns of stuff, it’s an awful lot.
    3. Our concern is that stolen cycles often are subsequently used in firearms.
    4. So those bikes are laid down for a while and then taken out when they’re needed or when they’re used criminally.
    5. I’m not so sure that I would agree with the narrative that funding or lack of funding is contributing to the cycle theft.
98. You mentioned a while back that two men on a motorcycle is a good indicator for you that somebody might be up to no good. And that has happened again here.
99. Is that what you tell the public? That’s the sort of thing to be looking out for when looking out for dangerous situations.
    1. So I think particularly time of day and two up on a motorcycle would be an indicator for us.
    2. Very often when we see people come to and from firearms incidents, they are two up on a bike, masked up, that kind of thing.
100. Yeah. All right. Thank you very much.