Retreat to Formulate 2011 Annual Policing Plan
The senior command and management team of the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) recently held a two day retreat to formulate the Annual Policing Plan for 2011.
On Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th February all officers ranked Chief Inspector and above, along with senior civilian support staff managers, along with the Bermuda Police Association, making a total of 29 staff gathered to develop the plan.
The group was visited by Governor Sir Richard Gozney and the Minister of National Security Lt. Col. David Burch.
The Governor congratulated the Service for its successes at Court with seven convictions for gun crimes in 2010.
Minister Burch thanked the Service for its work towards making Bermuda safer in 2010 and pledged his support for 2011. The Minister also fielded questions from the group and provided reassurance that he was working hard to represent the Service in this year’s budget process.
Minister Burch said, “I was pleased to participate in an exercise which clearly demonstrated the BPS’s commitment to engaging in collaborative and strategic discussions aimed at tackling issues of crime and violence. In recent days, we’ve witnessed the tragedy of another murder due to gun violence. And so I was heartened at the fact that officers at all levels were engaged and committed to enacting tangible solutions that will ultimately protect our communities.”
The Policing Plan, which commences on 1st April, is a rolling approach to identifying what the operational priorities will be for the police each year. The key components of last year’s plan were “tackling crime, enhancing public confidence and policing within the community.”
The 2011 plan is expected to build on those priorities and make clear statements about where the focus will be for the police this year, including, where the resources will be deployed and where the funding will be spent.
The BPS Policing Plan will be published in March as a collaborative statement by the Governor, the Minister and the Commissioner of Police.
