Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members will recall that I recently advised this Honourable House and members of the public of the Bermuda Police Service’s (BPS) recruitment drive for Recruit Foundation Course (RFC) 80. I would like to remind the public that the closing date for this RFC is April 8th, 2019.
Mr. Speaker, the BPS is committed to attracting Bermuda’s best to join the Service. In this vein, I am thrilled to report that 12 new Constables were added to the ranks of the BPS following the Recruit Foundation Course 79 Passing Out Parade held on Friday, March 14th. Following a rigorous recruitment process and after 18 weeks of intensive training the newest members of the BPS are:
- Constable 2535 Wanay Bartley
- Constable 2536 Anthony Fernandes
- Constable 2537 Noah Harvey
- Constable 2538 Justin Hunt
- Constable 2539 Daniel Sanna
- Constable 2540 Ryan Saraiva
- Constable 2541 Thomas Simons
- Constable 2542 William Simpson
- Constable 2543 Kayla Smith
- Constable 2544 Ryan Swan
- Constable 2545 Kieran Swann
- Constable 2546 Marcus Uddin
Mr. Speaker, throughout the Recruit Foundation Course, these men and women were required to complete instruction modules on various aspects of Bermuda Law, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Community Development, Officer Safety and First Aid. These courses are led by the training instructors within the BPS Training School, and officers with specialist expertise in the material. The recruits also received driver training from the BPS Driving Instructors. Each of the recruits has received instruction on dealing with investigations involving sexual assault, and are now SCARS certified.
Mr. Speaker, there were several awards presented during the Passing Out Ceremony. The Instructors Cup is an award that is given to the fastest male and female officer over the International 10 kilometre or 6 mile Flatt’s road running course. For RFC 79 the female recipient was Constable Kayla Smith and the male recipient was Constable Ryan Swan. Constable Swan also won the All Round Athlete and Physical Fitness Award. The female recipient was Constable Wanay Bartley.
In addition to physical fitness, Mr. Speaker, the recruits are also tested on their academic capabilities through several exams. All of the recruits performed admirably. Constable Kayla Smith earned the Academic Award through achieving and overall test average of 95.16%.
As the BPS is charged to protect and serve, it is a tradition of each Recruit Foundation Course to raise money in aid of a charity of their choice. RFC 79 determined that the Freeman Family would be the benefactor of their charity drive. The recruits raised a total of $1400 to donate to the Freeman Family to aid the medical expenses of Baby Iziah Freeman. Iziah was diagnosed with the extremely rare Costello Syndrome. Both his parents are serving members of the Bermuda Police Service, making this donation especially poignant for the BPS.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of every Recruit Foundation Course the Deputy Commissioners Cup is presented to the recruit who has displayed the best effort on the course and has made the most significant process. The awardee for RFC 79 was Constable Anthony Fernandes. The coveted Baton of Honour, conferred to the most distinguished recruit as identified by the Training staff, was awarded to Constable Ryan Swan.
Mr. Speaker¸ these recruits have now commenced their full-time service with the Bermuda Police Service. The new Constables have been deployed to the Central, East, and West Stations and are now attached to the Community Policing Unit. As the Minister of National Security, I would like to thank these men and women for answering the call to police service and wish them the very best in their new careers. These men and women will be the leaders of the BPS in the years to come.
Mr. Speaker, while the RFC trains the newest members, the BPS also commits to training senior officers. Most recently, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Darrin Simons completed a 3 month intensive Strategic Command Course in the United Kingdom. The course is intended to prepare officers for senior level leadership. DCOP Simons was the first serving Bermudian officer to attend the command course. Commissioner Corbishley reports that the feedback he has received regarding DCOP Simons’ performance on the course has been outstanding. That is something that we all can be proud of.
Mr. Speaker, DCOP Simons is an example that when Bermudians are rightfully trained and given the opportunity to lead, they can and will meet and exceed global standards. The BPS will benefit greatly from the new ideas and recommendations that DCOP will be able to offer as a result of his training.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members will recall that in the 2018 Speech from the Throne, the Government, in agreement with Government House and the Commissioner of Police, promised to implement a community policing model. I am pleased to announce that on March 14th the BPS officially launched its Parish Constable Programme. The cornerstone of the programme is that each parish will have a dedicated Constables who will be responsible for developing relationships with the local community.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, Criminal Investigation Department Detectives will be redeployed from their current postings to work in each of the nine parishes. It is intended that together with the Parish Constables, the CID Detectives will begin to build the CID’s investigative capabilities within their designated parishes. Through the Parish Constable Programme, the BPS aims to engage and partner with the community in a way that promotes trust and healing.
Mr. Speaker¸ the Bermuda Police Service continues to be an outstanding protection and policing service. Through continued training and investment in its officers, the BPS will be able to provide a service that is fit for Bermuda’s needs. As the Minister of National Security, I will continue to support the evolution of the BPS.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.