Although the promotion system of the Bermuda Police Service appears to be transparent it has been failing the organization. Many people are promoted before they learn to adequately and effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities of their former rank. These people are now in supervisory positions, and are expected to teach, supervise, give informed direction and train their juniors. This is one of the unfortunate circumstances that exist within the Bermuda Police Service in all of the ranks and hampers the proper deployment of personnel because the promoted personnel are incapable of performing in their promoted capacities. An example of this is, the Hamilton Police Station had an individual who was responsible for its command. Unfortunately this commandant as a constable avoided learning the job as it related to policing, and despite quick promotion he did not understand the concept of policing. Hence the reason he always has three of his close inspector friends, assigned to his office in one capacity or the other.
If this individual had taken the time as a young constable to perform the basic every-day duties of that rank and had done the same in his capacity of a sergeant of police, an inspector etc. then he would have been an effective and efficient superintendent of police today and hopefully a very efficient and productive assistant, deputy or commissioner of police in the future. What is unfortunate is the fact that, even though this individual may realize that he does not possess the ability to efficiently fulfill the obligation of his present posting, he has the ambition of becoming commissioner of police and may very well hold that post one day.
So it is safe to say that the present process of promotion that the Bermuda Police Service has in place, although transparent, is not working well for the service. There are too many people in the Bermuda Police Service who have gained elevation to post they are unable to manage. This situation affects the Bermuda Police Service negatively in many ways. It also hampers the quality and the level of service the community receives, the number of crimes solved, the level of preventative policing the BPS provides to the community, and the proper distribution, utilization and management of the police resources in all of its capacity.
The Bermuda Police Service has to find a promotion system which can work positively for that institution. This system must allow for the promote of the individuals who went though the system, know the job, have the strength, tact and skill to get the personnel they supervise to honestly, effectively and efficiently perform their expected obligations to the service and to the community.
Because Bermuda is an affluent community it appears that the government has unending financial resources to run the different departments, but supervisors and managers must be made responsible and held accountable. They must ensure that the resources are properly managed. They must also ensure that the community receives a high quality of service; the type of service citizens, residents and visitors to this island deserve.
