R 222102Z JAN 10 FM AMCONSUL HAMILTON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3995 UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HAMILTON 000018 SUBJECT: BERMUDA POLICE SERVICE

RELEASES FARREACHING 2010 POLICING PLAN: MAKING BERMUDA SAFER REF: A. HAMILTON 16 B. HAMILTON 11 C. 2009 HAMILTON 149 D. 2009 HAMILTON 101 -------Summary -------1. (SBU) On January 21, Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva publicly released the Bermuda Police Service's (BPS) Policing Plan for 2010. It is an ambitious strategy aimed at making Bermuda a safer place to live, work and visit. The plan takes a four-pronged approach to policing, which Desilva described as the "four Ps": people, partnership, priorities and performance. It reflects the contributions and endorsements of Governor Richard Gozney, who is the U.K.'s representative in Bermuda and who has charge of the Island's internal security, and Labor, Home Affairs and Housing Minister David Burch. Reflecting the gang-related crime wave now gripping the Island (REFTELS B-D), the plan sets out a Gang and Violence Reduction Strategy. That strategy

emphasizes the identification of Prolific Priority Offenders (PPOs), the relatively few criminals involved in a disproportionate number of offences, and embedding Community Action Teams in troubled neighborhoods. ------------------------Acknowledging the Problem ------------------------2.(U) The plan opens with an admission that, as Bermuda grapples with an escalation in the use of guns and associated gang violence, the need for police to focus their efforts on front-line operations has never been greater. DeSilva wrote, "The friendly and tranquil Bermuda that we are internationally known for is being threatened by recurring and alarming news of violence." Therefore, the plan articulates a new mission statement for the BPS: making Bermuda safer. The key priorities to implement the mission statement are: A) tackling crime; B) enhancing public confidence; C) policing with the community; D) modernizing the BPS; and E) optimizing performance. The BPS will put its resources, focus and energy into the "four Ps": people, partnerships, priorities and performance. --------------------------------------------------The Top Priority: Tackling Criminal, Gang and Drug Activity --------------------------------------------------3. (U) The plan states that troubled neighborhoods and those affected by gang violence are the highest priority. The BPS has devised a Gang and Violence Reduction Strategy that addresses

prevention and deterrence; apprehension and conviction; and rehabilitation and resettlement. The strategy calls for "relentless investigation" to identify Prolific Priority Offenders (PPOs); a targeted deployment plan to reduce drug supply and apply asset forfeiture legislation; review by the FBI, U.S. and U.K. police for best practices; gang disruption workshops for police and other stakeholders; and training for prosecutors and BPS investigators in the use of special investigative measures. The plan also calls for exploring overseas options to augment local police in the short term while improving Bermudian recruitment, as well as arranging overseas attachments for front-line officers in gang units. Deputy Commissioner Michael Jackman was quoted in the January 22 Royal Gazette as saying, "We have been hampered in our ability to tackle the recent spate of gun crime because this has been very new to us. We've been trying to draw from experience we just don't have~Our officers will join the front line in the battle against gangs in these countries and then help us deal with the problems we face." The BPS will provide firearms training for officers in the armed response vehicles and training in gun crime-scene reconstruction to improve the capabilities of the forensic unit. ----------------------------------Partnership, People and Performance ----------------------------------4. (U) The policing plan outlines a ProblemOriented Policing and Partnership (POPP) approach involving all stakeholders, including government, public and private sector agencies, the business community, schools, churches, neighborhoods and

individuals. Citizen focus is high on the agenda, calling for engagement with area legislators, community representatives, and key partners, development of community action groups and advisory committees, community impact assessments, as well as school programs and crime prevention initiatives. The plan sets forth a commitment to training, development and support of all staff, including a tutor constable program. The BPS has developed a local recruitment and retention plan to increase the number of Bermudians at all levels within the service. The BPS will also reorganize its records management system and prepare for full implementation of the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act. Among other things, it will develop prosecutor charging and bailing guides. ------Comment ------5. (SBU) Commissioner Michael DeSilva assumed office December 16, 2009, in the midst of a gangand-gun crime wave that stunned the community. While addressing the violence, DeSilva managed to oversee the development of the 2010 Police Plan. The plan is a welcome approach; it is proactive, aggressive, comprehensive and targeted and will bring the BPS into the Twenty-first Century. It also has the unqualified, unified support of the Governor and Home Affairs Minister a necessary change from past practice where the Bermuda Government and Government House seemed to work at cross purposes. 6. (SBU) While the plan lays the groundwork for

tackling guns and gangs now, it also recognizes the need for outside assistance, such as that already received from the FBI on January 4-6 (REFTEL A) and that now in the planning stages. The BPS is seeking more help in crisis management, crime scene examination, forensic pathology, and close protection. RSO is working with DS/ATA to identify immediate assistance with regards to VIP Protection training. Further discussions are underway to determine whether long-term DS-provided training can be organized. Post has guarded confidence that the BPS is on the right track and that the support from the community and government it is now enjoying will pave the way for reduced crime in the future. SHELTON (Edited and reformatted by Andres for ease of reading.)