Two police officers have been recognised for their efforts in making Hamilton a safer place.

Pc Carol Skerritt and Pc Christopher Douglas were praised for going “above and beyond the call of duty” after being assigned as City Constables — a scheme set up by the Corporation of Hamilton and the Bermuda Police Service to tackle crime in the city.

At a presentation ceremony yesterday, Dwayne Caines, the corporation’s chief executive, said: “A few years ago, we had a number of challenges and knew we needed to have a partnership with the Bermuda Police Service.

“With the former Commissioner of Police, we established what we knew was a progressive way forward. We identified a plan to use extra-duty officers and introduce the concept of City Constables.

“Two of the assigned officers, Pc Skerritt and Pc Douglas, go above and beyond the call of duty. They collaborate with the businesses, they come to my office with lists and reports and provide significant input to make sure we are aware of issues that need to be rectified.”

Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton, added: “It became apparent that whatever was working in the past wasn’t necessarily working today, and we decided to engage in this partnership. Today is an opportunity to say thank you very much for creating change. The partnership has created a lot of engagement with the community.”

Darrin Simons, the Commissioner of Police, who also attended the presentation, said: “I was really impacted by this gesture. I want to thank the City for their expression of gratitude. Relationships are important and this one works well to fulfil what we want to achieve.”