The Police Service will evolve from a command and control organisation into a service in which decision-making is shared throughout the organisation by the beginning of the 21st Century. Chief Reporter Henry Adderley reports that this was one of the decisions which came out of a just-completed re-evaluation of the Service's future role.

Professionalism, integrity, respect, accountability, dedication, courage and unity will be the core values of the 21st Century's Bermuda Police Service.

Its mission will be: "To ensure a safe, secure and peaceful Bermuda for all...because we care.'' And in order to carry this out, the suitably funded and effectively trained entity will operate at full strength with properly designed facilities and proven equipment.

Officers and civilians will work hand in hand in a healthy work environment with effective and adequate medical and welfare policies, an enforced code of conduct and access to legal representation.

The Bermudian Commissioner will lead an apolitical management team which practices shared leadership and consistently applies policies which reflect the Service's values, mission and vision.

And the open and honest communication flowing through and out of the Service will allow partnerships with the community and other agencies to be successful and continue growing.

A dream? Not according to members of the Bermuda Police Service who recently completed extensive workshops and designed core values, a mission statement and a vision which they say the Service's entire membership can buy into.

The workshops came about when the Service recognised a need to fulfil two main objectives if it were to evolve, said Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay.

First, a core functions review was required to determine whether the Service was deploying its resources effectively.

That review recently wrapped up.

Then, continued Mr. Lemay, was the need to develop a set of core values, a mission statement and a vision for the Service.

A mission statement in former Police Commissioner Colin Coxall's 1995 Service Strategy was a modified version from another constabulary and local officers never bought into it, he said.

"If you want people to buy into a mission statement, it is very important that everyone has an opportunity to have a say in its development,'' said Mr.

Lemay.

Also lacking were core values to indicate what the Service stood for, how its members should treat both each other and the public and how they should expect to be treated.

There was also no vision for the evolution of the Service on the eve of the Millennium.

A bidding process kicked off and New York-based Dr. Bill Woodson and Associates got the contract with the lowest bid of $60,000.

Besides the low price was the company's submission which indicated it was best suited to meet the objectives set by the Service and it had previous experience in Bermuda.

All 505 civilians and Police officers employed by the Service were invited to attend the two-day workshops and 372 (about 75 percent) eventually participated.

"It was extremely positive to have three quarters of the Service involved in the workshops and expressing their concerns,'' Mr. Lemay said.

Police facilitator P.c. Simon Groves said some of the absentees were unable to attend because of last minute operational requirements.

The Commissioner said: "I think we are on the cutting edge. This has not been done in Bermuda before.'' Police Press Officer Evelyn James Barnett agreed.

"This is the first organisation where everybody has been involved,'' she said. "Normally it is the senior managers only. It's been a time consuming process -- three months -- but it was worth it.'' Participants included Sgt. Ralph Furbert, P.c. Mark Clark and Traffic Warden Brendalee White who agreed that it was important to understand the process that participants went through to reach the final mission statement, core values and vision for the Service.

Each group brainstormed together to reach a consensus on what they felt the mission, vision and values should be, said Sgt. Furbert.

These responses were than looked at and a final consensus was reached on each.

Each group also selected a representative to carry on the work they had begun.

Participants were encouraged to speak freely and openly, stressed Mr. Lemay, and were given the chance to voice their concerns.

And he underlined that none of the wording of the mission, vision or values would be changed since they had been reached by consensus of the participants.

"If anything was changed the process would be flawed,'' he said.

"Part of the process during the two-day workshops was giving participants a chance to articulate their concerns,'' said P.c. Groves. "There were common themes which fell under some 33 different headings and the specifics will be addressed in house.'' Sgt. Furbert said the meetings and creation of the vision and mission statements and core values had taken the Service to the beginning of the real process.

"We now have to use what we have developed to deal with the issues the Service is facing,'' he said P.c. Clark noted that the resulting vision, mission and values were brief but that was the idea.

"We did not want waffle or a diatribe,'' he said. "We wanted something concise that could fit on a T-shirt. In the case of the mission statement, it reads `because we care' -- that's why we do what we do.'' P.c. Groves added: "The key is to be concise so they will be remembered.'' "This is our message in the organisation and to the public,'' noted Sgt.

Furbert.

P.c. Groves said: "The mission statement is only 13 words long but it is one part of a three pronged message. All three pieces of the puzzle have to be looked at together.'' P.c. Clark added: "They are all parts of the whole and they will breed accountability amongst management and the individual.'' The seven core values identified and agreed upon by the participants represent how members of the Service should treat each other and the public and how they should be treated by others.

"The Service as a whole must adapt the core values, vision and mission statement if it is to effect the leadership positively. Whether the leadership be from an individual or a group it must all have the same core values,'' said P.c. Clark.

Meanwhile the vision states how the membership sees the Service within five years time, but is written in the present tense to underline that the process of reaching the goals begins immediately, said P.c. Groves.

He added that each point raised in the vision was attainable and desirable.

Issues will be dealt with, stressed Mr. Lemay.

"Short and long term action plans are being developed to address the issues raised during the workshops,'' he said.

"We are cognisant of the problems we are facing and want to repair them and deal with any future problems that arise. We cannot address the future until we address the current concerns,'' added P.c. Groves.

The development of the mission statement, vision and core values gives the Service a solid foundation to support its evolution.

It was the Service's failure to evolve that had created the problems it was now experiencing, noted P.c. Clark.

"One thing we have not done over the years is take a hard look at ourselves,'' he admitted.

The group of 18 representatives will seek to change perceptions of the Service within its membership and in the community from the outset.

Said P.c. Clark: "What we are trying to achieve is creating the attitude that if we are part of the process, then we will be part of the change.'' Sgt. Furbert stressed: "We have to continue on from here and start the whole new process.'' P.c. Clark added: "The process has not ended. It is just beginning. The 18 reps will be putting the core values, vision and mission statement into practice.'' "We will be the example to the rest of the Service and will apply these principles from day to day both inside and outside the organisation,'' said Ms White.

They will also meet regularly with senior management in the Service, said Mr.

Lemay.

"They represent all the people who participated in the workshops and they will now monitor the process and make sure it continues and ensure there is a mechanism for accountability,'' he said.

Mr. Lemay stressed that he fully supported what had been achieved and described the planned evolution of the Service.

The new Police "We are embarking on a journey to change the way we do business,'' he said.

"We are changing from a command and control organisation to a learning organisation with a focus on empowerment, accountability and risk management.

"This initiative has been put in place. We are walking the walk.

"We are going from a command and control organisation to a shared leadership organisation. We are involving people in the future of the organisation and empowering people to participate in decision making.'' And there will be many spinoffs including a boost to the Bermudianisation process, identification of future leaders and raising morale.

Mr. Lemay said: "A mandate was given to me to recognise the future leaders of the organisation.

"We are ensuring that officers are given leadership skills as early as possible so we won't have empty top positions and no people to fill them. We are developing leaders in the very young stages.'' Added P.c. Clark: "Instead of management making decisions we want those decisions to come from people in the front line, the people who are managing the delivery of the service.'' "This will be a strong message to those considering a career in the Bermuda Police Service,'' said Mr. Lemay.

Sgt. Furbert agreed.

"Those contemplating joining can look at the statements and say `I want to be a part of that','' he said.

And it will help boost morale, added P.c. Clarke.

"We are not telling management how to make a decision, we are showing how it should arrive at making a decision,'' he said. "Using the input from these workshops means there should be no arbitrary decisions made -- all decisions should be transparent and consistent.

"Once that happens the morale on the job must go up.'' And with the evolution will come a community policing strategy and crime management strategy for the Island.

Said Mr. Lemay: "A community policing strategy cannot be developed without a mission statement, core values and a vision and a crime management strategy cannot be developed without the community policing strategy.

"Everything from now on will tie into this.

"Every member of the Service will be held accountable to making decisions on the basis of the mission statement, vision and core values.

"We will review all our policies and make sure they are consistent with the mission statement, core values and visions. If they are not, we will have to change them.'' The results from the workshop are set to put the Police Service on a par with top private and public sector organisations around the world, said Mr. Lemay.

What was important to note, added P.c. Clark, was that the chosen workshop representatives would still be in the Service in ten years time, as would many of the participants.

"You cannot count the number of people in administrative positions who will still be here in ten years,'' he said. "We are the future and what better part can we play in our future than the part we have now? "It is our responsibility now to speak for the future of the Service. We have no choice but to.