Customs officers are unable to protect Bermuda’s borders because of a lack of staff and equipment, according to documents obtained by The Royal Gazette.

Officers have filed more than 50 complaints with the Bermuda Public Services Union, ranging from a lack of officers to maintain a full team at the airport or inspect cargo containers at the docks, to a lack of training programmes and uniforms.

This list of concerns includes:

• A lack of officers to target containers. The report claims that approximately 300 containers arrive in Bermuda each week, but staff shortages mean that only between six and ten are searched.

• No staff on duty when private jets land without passengers.

• No customs presence at the oil docks.

• Insufficient officers to maintain a consistent ramp team at LF Wade International Airport, and “inadequate” coverage when cruise ships are visiting.

• An annual training budget of just $4,000.

• One x-ray machine that has not been operational since 2019 and another that has not been licensed since 2016.

• Officers being denied leave because of a staff shortages.

Lucinda Pearman, the Collector of Customs, also came in for fierce criticism in the nine-page dossier, which is dated July 13, 2022.

Ms Pearman was accused of lowering morale within the department by ignoring health and safety rules and officer transfer requests, refusing to listen to ideas and suggestions put forward by staff, and mismanaging resources.

One complaint stated: “The Collector is not taking officers’ preferences into account, wherever practicable, therefore denying the best service possible to be provided to Government and the general public, and not providing officers with variety, challenges and greater developmental opportunities.”

Another set of complaints reads: “No vehicle to transport large freight suspected of containing drugs and/or contraband at SET. Officers have to hire/utilise a private firm to transport uncustomised goods.

“No forklift in Queen’s warehouse to unload and load containers that need to be searched. Officers operating forklift without training, licence and insurance.”

Ms Pearman hit back in a written response, saying that she was unaware of many of the complaints, and in certain cases did not have the authority to address them.

She did acknowledge that requests for more cash to fund staff recruitment had been refused by the Government.

Regarding staff shortages, the report noted: “The Collector has no authority to recruit staff without the appropriate authorisation … or without suitable budgetary funding.

“Year-on-year requests to recruit additional staff (and provide the associated funding) have been submitted but not been granted.

‘“Various attempts have been made to reorganise the department to improve its efficiency to allow the Customs Department to function effectively with fewer staff.

“Due to financial and manpower constraints, the Collector has managed the resources with the policies and procedures available.

“We have no control over maximum staffing levels. Vacancies have to be approved and advertised for funded vacant posts.

In response to concerns about a failure by the department to search containers, the report said: “Currently there are two staff members who perform targeting duties on Saturdays for three hours. There have been no issues presented or documented … to senior management regarding insufficient officers to target containers.”

Ms Pearman also accepted that the department had long-running maintenance issues with x-ray equipment.

The report agreed that x-ray equipment at the dock had not received a renewal licence since 2016, but added: ”Since 2020 the availability of a physicist to recertify the x-ray scanner has not been possible.

“Please note that the department has been working along with the DOH to resolve this issue.”

Earlier this year The Royal Gazetterevealed that x-ray equipment at Hamilton docks was in a constant state of repair.

At that time, a government spokesman said that the maintenance work was preventive and, as a result, the scanner “has been in continuous use since its commissioning, with virtually no downtime required for repairs”.

Ms Pearman also confirmed that the department’s training budget was $4,000, but added that this was “sufficient”.

The report said: “Additional budget can be requested dependent on the need.

“This seems to overlook the fact that hundreds of quality instructional materials and courses are available at no cost.”

Contacted about the apparent crisis, a government spokesman would only say that Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, was “aware of ongoing talks” between the Collector of Customs, management, and the BPSU on “a number of matters”.

The spokesman added: “There is a process for dealing with these matters as set out by the collective bargaining agreement and it would not be appropriate for the minister to make public comment on the specific issues”.

The BPSU declined to comment on the complaints.