The Commissioner of Police Mr. Michael DeSilva expressed sadness today upon learning of the passing of Mr. Eugene Vickers, retired Commandant of the Bermuda Reserve Police (BRP). Mr. Vickers died on Saturday afternoon in hospital overseas. His career began with the Reserve Constabulary, as it was known then, in 1964. He helped to lead the organisation through a series of modernisation changes in the late 1990s including a change in name, a change in uniform to match their full-time colleagues and a change in training to facilitate wider deployment of Reserve Officers across a fuller spectrum of general police duties.

Mr. Vickers was appointed as the fifth Commandant of the BRP in September 1999, becoming the first born Bermudian to reach that rank. In 2001 he led the BRP in celebration of its 50th anniversary of establishment by Act of Parliament. In October 2002 Mr. Vickers proudly hosted the Reserve Police Commandants World Conference in Bermuda. He was a recipient of the Colonial Police Medal (CPM) for Meritorious Service and he retired after 40 years of service in October 2004. He was later awarded as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2011 for his lifetime dedication to community service in Bermuda.

Commissioner DeSilva said, “The Bermuda Police Service and the Bermuda Reserve Police have lost a highly respected colleague and friend. Commandant Vickers was a strong man who loved his family and his island. He was a shining example of philanthropy and a dedicated community servant. His 40 years as a reserve police officer and his endless involvement in community projects set a standard for leadership in Bermuda. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family as they cope with this very sad loss.”