The Department for National Drug Control (DNDC) and the Bermuda Police Service today re-affirmed their commitment towards cooperation for drug abuse control within the context of the Strategic Framework of the National Drug Control Policies and Master Plan (2007-2011). To this end the DNDC and Bermuda Police Service have agreed to take action in order to provide increased technical management and coordination opportunities, training opportunities and community actions and activities to support, integrate and coordinate on-going dissemination of drug information as well as to facilitate local training of Officers in the fundamental concepts of drug addiction.

This partnership agreement is invaluable in our efforts at providing a balanced approach to national drug control as outlined in the Master Plan. Development of this initiative rests on the need for a more pragmatic approach which encourages all those involved to implement strategies which would achieve significant reductions in levels of drug use and successfully combat the effects of addiction on both the individual and on society as a whole. It will also substantially assist in ensuring that a broader base of inter-departmental cooperation takes place and as such, using a whole-of-government approach, seek to facilitate the implementation of activities—particularly training and information dissemination activities—across the demand and supply reduction spectrum.

In order for such cooperation to be successful, DNDC and the Bermuda Police Service will now seek to establish an on-going framework and timetable to work together to achieve a substantial reduction in the availability of illicit drugs and drug related crimes.