A former officer has rejected claims that the recent restructuring of the Police Service will improve its operation or effectiveness.

And he contends that the Community Action Teams (CAT) developed under the realignment will have little impact on major problems facing the island such as drugs and gang violence.

His comments followed a report by this newspaper that officers were left demoralised by a decision to reduce the Narcotics and Criminal Investigations Departments by half, and get rid of community officers. That staff was drafted to the CAT initiative, with a team established in each of the island's three police stations.

The Police Service issued a press release in response to the story in which Superintendent Michael DeSilva insisted the realignment would not compromise "community safety, operational effectiveness or public confidence".

He argued that the CAT initiative, combined with a new shift system, would place more officers in places such as Hamilton, at times when bars and nightclubs are busy. And he dismissed the comments of officers interviewed by the Mid-Ocean News account, saying their views were in the minority.

Countered a former officer in a letter to the editor this week: "I think it is fair to say that the major problems facing the police today are drugs, burglary/theft, gang violence (and) anti-social behaviour ¿ all of which are drug related ¿ major disregard for the rules of the road by certain road users and the list goes on.

"I cannot see what impact the CAT patrols will have on the crime/drug problems. Will groups of police officers patrolling in vans be in a position to solve burglaries or thefts or the cutting down of on major drug importation through our ports and open shoreline?

"Supt. DeSilva goes at length to say the low morale issue is from a minority of officers. I would suggest that if a properly conducted survey were to be carried out within the Police Department on the problems which affect morale, Supt. DeSilva would be in for a shock."

The man agreed that officers should be on hand to make arrests for "possession of minor amounts of drugs, drinking in public places, etc.," in Hamilton, but questioned how the Service intended to efficiently police the rest of the island.

"I am sure all the victims of crime in Bermuda, from Somerset to St. George's, who have been burgled, robbed or assaulted ¿ most of the culprits are drug users ¿ will be happy to know that the pool of detectives, both CID and Narcotics, has been reduced in order to help fill CAT patrols to make things safe around bars and nightclubs," he stated.

"I would say it is ridiculous to reduce the manpower of two of the most important departments in the Police Service. These are officers who carry out all the major investigations, inquiries and interviews, complete the files and normally end up with their case in Supreme Court. Most of them have received overseas training and have many years of experience behind them. To stick this type of officer in a van for 12 hours whilst the crime rate soars is farcical."

A police spokesman yesterday gave this response: "As you know the realignment took place on June 16, 2007 and is designed to shape the organisation so that it best develops community-focused partnership policing. On September 16 it will have undergone a three-month initial trial period where the Bermuda Police Service can fully ascertain the effectiveness of the new realignment.

"It is much too early to deal with specifics as levied by a former police officer, particularly when the criticisms are out of context with the overall purpose of the realignment. We remain focused and committed to ensuring that we provide the best policing strategies for Bermuda."