Police Release ‘Cultural Review’ Report
The Bermuda Police Service [BPS] released the findings of a comprehensive cultural review, which they said was “demonstrating our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Commissioner Darrin Simons stated, “This review, which has been in development for over two years, represents a significant step in our ongoing efforts to enhance our service to our community. We’ve been working with Her Excellency the Governor, to whom we are deeply indebted for her support, as well as our UK colleagues to agree on the terms of reference and timings for this review.”
The police said, ”Key Findings:
- The BPS is recognized as a high-performing, forward-thinking service among Overseas Territories.
- Our workforce maintains strong shared values and takes pride in their work and the BPS.
- Areas for improvement include addressing resource challenges, improving respect, fairness and transparency and enhancing internal communication.
“The review’s methodology included personal and group interviews, as well as a service-wide survey with a 46% response rate [196 participants].”
“While the review highlights areas where morale and culture need improvement, it also underscores the resilience and dedication of our officers and staff,” Commissioner Simons added. “I’m immensely proud of their unwavering commitment to serving our community, especially in the face of significant resource challenges.”
A police spokesperson added, “The BPS leadership, with the continued support of the Governor and UK colleagues, is committed to addressing the concerns raised in the review. We will be developing an action plan to implement the recommendations, focusing on areas such as resource allocation, internal communication, and professional development.”
“This review is not just about identifying issues; it’s about growing stronger as an organization,” Commissioner Simons emphasized. “We’re dedicated to building on our strengths and addressing our weaknesses to better serve Bermuda.”
A police spokesperson added, “The full report is available on the BPS website. We welcome public feedback as we work together to enhance policing services in Bermuda.”
The full BPS Cultural Review Final Report 2024 follows below [PDF here]:
What about the culture of laziness and incompetence in taking two years to produce an annual crime statistics report and then including a lengthy disclaimer that says the report is useless for decision-making or anything else? But BPS personnel feel good about themselves, so that must be OK.
DISCLAIMER
“While every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this report is accurate, the BPS makes no warranty, representation or guarantee as to the content, sequence, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of any data or information provided. The reader should not rely on the data provided for comparison purposes over time, or for any reason. The BPS shall assume no liability for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information provided. The BPS will not be responsible for the use of, or the results obtained from the use of this report. The BPS assumes no liability for any decisions made or actions taken or not taken by the user in reliance of this report. Any use of the document for commercial purposes is prohibited.”
The Bermuda Police Review report, in many respects, delivers a damning assessment. However, its opening statement “The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) is a high-performing, forward-thinking, and advanced force in comparison to its Overseas Territories counterparts” immediately casts doubt on its credibility. The comparison, left vague and unquantified, raises critical questions: Which overseas territories were included? Were they evaluated under similar scrutiny? And does this imply Bermuda performs marginally better than forces deemed subpar?
The methodology behind the report also invites scepticism. Was it merely a desk-bound exercise, reliant on pro forma or templated questions? Were responses processed in a way that allowed automated findings to churn out boilerplate conclusions? The lack of clarity around the relatively low number of responses, unsegmented by rank or seniority, raises further concerns. Was the analysis manual and thoughtful, or superficial at best?
Ultimately, the report’s approach and substance leave one questioning whether it offers meaningful insight.
Possibly requests for further information will shed more light on the situation:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bermuda_police_service_a_cultura
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/review_of_bermuda_police_service
Should any Bermudian be interested in different information from UK Authorities or wish to monitor the outcome of the above requests, signing up is free and (unlike with the Bermuda PATI), the UK’s is a proper Freedom of Information Act; available to non-residents: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/