Government's decision to hire two senior Police officers from abroad is "asinine'', says a co-chairman of the Police Tumim Committee.

Mr. Dale Butler -- whose report has been cited by Government when justifying its decision to hire the British officers -- said "there is absolutely nothing in our report that says we should hire foreigners.'' As Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman and Deputy Governor Mr. Peter Willis jetted to London to begin interviews for the Police posts today, controversy over the move continued to grow.

The Bermuda Industrial Union threw its support behind a petition calling on the Governor and Government to rescind the move. And Opposition Leader Mr.

Frederick Wade said the Progressive Labour Party is "considering our options'' to defeat the plans.

But Mr. Butler launched the most scathing attack on the hiring move, calling on Mr. Pearman to resign.

"Under no circumstances should we have considered bringing in supervisors from overseas,'' said Mr. Butler, who is an author, publisher, and principal of Dellwood Primary School. "There were at least two qualified senior officers who could have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership.'' He cited Assistant Commissioner Wayne Perinchief, Assistant Commissioner Harold Moniz, and possibly Supt. Alan Bissell, who has been serving as an acting Assistant Commissioner.

With a Masters Degree in Management and Human Resource Development from Webster University, "Mr. Perinchief had more qualifications than the outgoing Commissioner,'' Mr. Lennett (Lennie) Edwards.

Mr. Butler criticised Mr. Edwards, who has been in ill health and announced his retirement two years earlier than planned, for not recommending a successor.

"He demonstrated gross negligence by failing to recommend to Government either of those senior officers,'' Mr. Butler said. "It's a scar on his otherwise unblemished career.'' Mr. Butler said it was true that the Police Tumim Report identified severe morale and management problems on the force, and "highlighted the fact there was an ageing command'', but Government was to blame for that.

"Mr. Pearman and previous Ministers are responsible for failing to ensure a first-class training and development programme,'' he said. Instead, Police "operate almost a punishment style. They'll do almost anything not to see you advance.'' Despite that, officers like Mr. Perinchief had obtained extra training through their own efforts, Mr. Butler said. "He obtained his Bachelor's (degree) at night, and finally his Masters.'' Mr. Andrew Bermingham, the senior officer who co-chaired the Police Tumim Committee with Mr. Butler and has since retired from the force, declined to comment on the hiring plan.

Mr. Butler rejected the suggestion from UK senior Police adviser for Dependent Territory Police Forces Mr. Lionel Grundy that Mr. Perinchief had held his current post for too short a time to be promoted again.

"One can only ask why he was not allowed to progress sooner,'' Mr. Butler said.

A Bermudian Commissioner should have been named. If he felt he did not have time to deal with "the whole issue of the organisation of the force,'' an overseas consultant could have been hired for one or two years, Mr. Butler said.

Meanwhile, BIU president Mr. Ottiwell Simmons MP said in a news release that the union was calling on all members to sign a petition opposing the hiring.

"The people of Bermuda are no longer in a colonial mode and we are mature and responsible enough to head up our own Police services,'' Mr. Simmons said.

Mr. Wade said Government is "moving rapidly to get this all wrapped up before the House (of Assembly) meets'' on February 3, but the PLP is "considering our options''.

They include bringing a motion to rescind the hiring or attempting to block the move during the Budget Debate, Mr. Wade said.

The current Police management could not be blamed for problems identified in the Tumim Report, which Government had put "in the trash bin,'' instead of acting on, he said.