Police told to respond to Pati request on search warrant
New police commissioner Darrin Simons has been ordered to respond to a public access to information request for records about a search warrant.
Information Commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez said in a decision issued on Wednesday that the request for e-mails regarding the warrant was made to the Bermuda Police Service last October and it provided a decision in February.
The dissatisfied requester asked Mr Simons, then the acting Commissioner of Police, to review the decision but he failed to do so by March 22 — the statutory six-week deadline set out in the Public Access to Information Act.
Mr Simons was appointed Commissioner of Police on March 16.
Ms Gutierrez wrote that her office invited the BPS to explain why a decision was not issued, but though a "reasonable opportunity to make representations was provided, no submissions were received …“
She said she was satisfied the BPS failed to comply with the Act and she ordered the police commissioner to issue an internal review decision by May 18.
The decision said: "The Information Commissioner recommends that the BPS consider whether it is appropriate to apologise to the applicant for its failure to comply with the statutory time frame for issuing an internal review decision.“
Mr Simons said: “I wish to apologise for failing to meet the decision review deadline.”
NB: This story has been edited to include a comment from the Commissioner of Police.
