Darrin Simons, the Commissioner of a Police service ‘in crisis‘, recently speaking about Bermuda’s appalling crime statistics, is reported (by the Gazette) to have remarked: As I have often said, the community is the police and the police is the community.* Possibly the quote should have been attributed; a small gesture, but it shows integrity…
Where are the crime figures for 2023 and 2024? Can they really be that difficult to produce? As for 2022, whilst offences recorded by police fell more than 8 per cent in 2022 compared with the previous year (believed to be due to Covid regulations, as opposed to policing), many areas saw troubling increases: Serious…
The Bermuda Police Review report (which can be read here), in many respects, delivers a damning assessment. However, its opening statement “The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) is a high-performing, forward-thinking, and advanced force in comparison to its Overseas Territories counterparts” immediately casts doubt on its credibility. The comparison, left vague and unquantified, raises critical questions:…
Just days after the sacking of a senior Officer for ‘poor conduct’(read more here) the island’s Assistant Commissioner (3rd highest rank) Martin Weekes, received ‘management advice’ as a result of WhatsApp exchanges with a former officer. These exchanges, coming to light during a hearing, were apparently described as: embarrassing not in keeping with the high…
13/12/204 – a Bermuda Police Service (BPS) superintendent has been fired for inappropriate conduct. The identity of the officer has yet to be disclosed but the lack of people holding such a rank is few and it will likely not be long before this detail is revealed. The ‘poor conduct’ description covers a multitude. Whilst…
2024 has seen what may be a record number of murders in Bermuda and, adding to the many unsolved killings, in November 2024, a conviction has been quashed due to ‘fundamentally flawed DNA evidence‘. Coincidentally, in 2024, a UK film crew has been on the island filming the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) and Coast Guard. It…
05/2009 – A new DNA database was in the pipeline for Bermuda with the Police hoping it would crack cold cases and boost detection rates in new crimes. A three-year contract with Florida-based firm, Trinity DNA Solutions was signed with the $987,000 entirely from proceeds of crime cash confiscated during court proceedings and put into the…
It is reported that, during a weapons check 15/09/2024, a BPS armed officer has accidentally discharged his weapon giving rise to an investigation (read more here). Apparently no one was injured and no damage was caused to property This occurring just weeks after the reports of the first time BPS officers had fired upon suspects…
It is reported in the press that, having been shot at 24/08/2024, ‘Police officers … fired back at the suspects as they fled the scene‘ (source). Apparently, this is the first time officers have discharged their weapons at others in the line of duty. There should now follow an enquiry to determine whether the officer…
Darrin Simons, the chief of police, has apparently said ‘Officer numbers need to rise in order for the BPS to effectively respond to violent firearm crime’. It therefore appears, if Bermuda police numbers remain as are, the constabulary will be unable to effectively respond to ‘violent firearm crime’ – is unable to respond effectively to…