Acting Commissioner Responds To SJB
“I acknowledge and appreciate the views of Social Justice Bermuda,” Acting Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons said, adding that “this is an unacceptable situation in which a police officer admitted to engaging in activity that caused significant concern to a family and the community.”
This follows after Social Justice Bermuda [SJB] said that the police officer who leaked the CCTV footage showing a fatal collision “is no longer qualified to be a police officer and should be relieved of their position.”
“We believe that this violation reaches the level of gross misconduct,” SJB said, adding that “this and other behaviour begs the question of whether the police service can be trusted not to abuse its powers in relation to CCTV footage.”
In response, Acting Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons said, “I acknowledge and appreciate the views of Social Justice Bermuda, as expressed in their Monday, 8th November 2021 public statement. This is an unacceptable situation in which a police officer admitted to engaging in activity that caused significant concern to a family and the community.
“We all agree that this should not have happened and there should be a consequence. However, there is a prescribed process that must be followed and all the facts must be considered so that the appropriate determination is made.
“I seek the public’s patience to allow due process to occur, as we work to resolve this matter.
“In order to solve crimes and generally help make Bermuda safer, the longstanding partnership between the police and the community is vital. Therefore, I welcome comments from organisations such as Social Justice Bermuda. All community views have value, particularly those that express dissatisfaction. They give us pause and provide an opportunity for reflection and growth.”
Mr Simons also addressed other comments from SJB saying, “Separately, a report on the events of 2nd December 2016 was prepared by an independent authority and made public shortly after. That report has led to changes in how we deal with public order incidents.
“In addition, the recent handling of a matter involving an officer’s social media post was dealt with before the courts and reported on by the local news media. That officer is no longer a member of the Bermuda Police Service.
“I have previously shared that delays in providing crime statistics result from staffing reallocations that prioritise police response to crime over the statistics.
“Notwithstanding this, I wholeheartedly acknowledged the criticism regarding the tardiness in producing these figures at a recent press conference, where delayed crime statistics from 2018 and 2019 were released. I stress, however, ensuring public safety will always remain the top priority of the Bermuda Police Service.
“To be clear, we remain focused on this most recent situation. I again apologise to the families and those impacted by what transpired.
“Even when we don’t get it right, I remain confident that the women and men of the Bermuda Police Service know all too well the value of the community’s trust and support and are saddened when we fall short of those expectations.”
