NCJ Number
134397
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1991) Pages: 127-139
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
When British Commonwealth countries move toward independence, as in the case of Bermuda, the police frequently become an explosive issue as nationalists focus on the expatriate composition of the force.
Abstract
A series of incidents, including street riots directed against the police and the murder of the police commissioner in 1972, led to investigations by three royal commissions. The 1969 Wooding Commission Report, the 1978 Pitts Commission Report, and the 1985 Archibald Commission Report all recommended changes in the policy and operation of the Bermuda Police. Specifically, each urged greater Bermudianization and better public relations. A review of contemporary police department administrative records and statistics to determine the extent to which these recommendations have been implemented reveals that 445 Bermudian recruits were attracted between 1970 and 1988; however, these numbers just kept up with the overall growth of the police establishment. Since 1980, the police force has grown because of administrative proliferation and the creation of a personnel reserve. The authors conclude that Bermudianization was undertaken at the fastest possible rate without lowering the quality of recruits. 15 references (Author abstract modified)