reprint this editorial which ran last Autumn.

*** Once again crime is on the decrease. There is every indication that good policing pays off. One of the greatest deterrents to crime is the ability to convince potential criminals that they will be caught. When policing is lax, crime will grow just because it appears to be possible and profitable. If policing is thorough and efficient or even if it appears to be thorough and efficient, then crime will drop simply because of the concern over detection.

We have to accept the fact that for years Bermuda's Police Service gave the impression of not being in the best shape. It did not appear to be dynamic or especially energetic. Sometimes it even gave the impression of being intimidated by criminals...unable to move against crime for fear of the social results. It may be that constant criticism from politicians had weakened the spirit of the Police. The result was that we all can remember just how often we asked, "Why don't the Police do something about it?'' Now, finally, something is being done. Crime figures are dropping.

When the first six months of 1996 are compared with the first six months of 1995, there are significant reductions in crimes against the person, crimes against property and vehicle thefts. We think that is what the great majority of Bermudians want to see. They want to feel safe on the streets and in their homes. They want their children to be safe and they want to be able to park their cycles with some degree of certainty that the cycle will be there when they return.

Yet there are politicians who still go on complaining about the Police Service and about senior trained people being brought in to head the Service. The safety of Bermudians and the safety of our visitors has to come before the scoring of political points.

There has to be some reality here. Bermuda is a very complex but very small country. Bermuda cannot always produce top people for top jobs in every sector and there will be times when we have to look outside. The Bank of Bermuda found that out. The truth is that our high standard of education has prepared us remarkably well. We have produced more top Bermudians of high quality than most countries would have been able to do.

No-one wants to exclude Bermudians from success but we should not push Bermudians toward failure. While we all believe in Bermudianisation, we have to be very careful not to sacrifice the national good to Bermudianisation.

Some politicians it seems would have us do that and it is simply not sensible.

We must not make the mistake of thinking that just because someone is Bermudian they should have the job when the first requirement should be that they are capable of doing the job well.

In the meantime, the much-maligned heads of the Police Service are showing results which make it clear that the job can be done, despite political sniping. No citizen should be complacent. The Police are getting help and they need all the help they can get. We have a real chance for success.

The Commissioner of Police has said: "I believe the public is fed up with crime and fed up with being made to feel nervous about becoming involved.''