Department of Communication & Information - The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) is currently delivering a Strategic Firearms Commander (Gold) Course at the Police Training Centre, Prospect. The course, which is running from 21-25 November 2011, is designed primarily to meet the needs of officers of Chief Inspector rank and above whose current roles and responsibilities include strategic command and management of spontaneous firearms incidents and authorized firearms operations. This will include commanding the deployment of armed surveillance, armed response officers, tactical support and specialist firearms teams in operations against their full remit.

The aim of the course is to enable these officers to perform the role of Gold in firearms incidents/operations. All seven BPS Chief Inspectors are currently participating in this training.

Consistent with its commitment to the UKCOT (United Kingdom Caribbean Overseas Territories) Working Group on Armed Policing (WGAP), the BPS has made places available for the following five officers from UKCOT police services. They are as follows:

• Commissioner Steve Foster -  Royal Montserrat Police Force
• Superintendent Darron Williams – Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police
• Detective Superintendent Kurt Walton – Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
• Inspector Ian Brellisford – Royal Cayman Islands Police Service
• Inspector Alwin James – British Virgin Islands Police Force

The course is provided free of charge and basic barrack-style accommodation is being provided at Prospect. Qualified BPS trainers are delivering the current UK National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) course curriculum and the two BPS Assistant Commissioners of Police will be assisted in their role as Assessors by Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde, Cumbria Police, UK.

Minister of National Security the Hon. Wayne Perinchief, who had the opportunity to visit with the officers said: “This is an excellent opportunity to share our local expertise with our colleagues within the Region. The men and women of the Bermuda Police Service are well trained and their willingness to assist other law enforcement colleagues in this important operational area is commendable.”

Included with the UKCOT police officers in the group photo above are:

Dignitaries

• Acting Governor David Arkley
• Minister of National Security the Hon. Wayne Perinchief
• Acting Commissioner of Police Mike Jackman
• Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Paul Wright
• Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police James Howard

Local Participants

• Chief Inspector Tracy Adams
• Chief Inspector Hashim Estwick
• Chief Inspector Sean Field-Lament
• Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro
• Chief Inspector Darrin Simons
• Chief Inspector Junior Watts
• Chief Inspector Na’imah Williams
• Inspector Steve Donnelly (Course Instructor)
• Inspector Val Holder (Course Instructor)
• Dr. Mira Ingemann (Bermuda Police Service Welfare Officer)