Details of Bermuda policing series revealed ahead of release
Suspected illegal drug use at Harbour Nights, an arrest during a heated exchange at Cup Match, farm animals making a bid for freedom and a raid on a property where pitbulls are thought to be bred unlawfully are among the real-life events in a TV series to be featured on UK television.
Policing Paradise, which predominantly focuses on Bermudian and British-born officers, is to air on BBC One in Britain from Monday.
The 16-episode series from Spun Gold Productions explores the work of the 400-strong Bermuda Police Service, as well as work by the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coastguard, in keeping tourists and locals safe.
Some clips are also available on the BBC website.
A summary of the first episode said: “A haven for the rich and famous, this stunning subtropical retreat has its fair share of challenges on both land and sea, with more than 3,000 crimes committed each year.
“We show how these dedicated officers, including around 30 from the UK, deal with the highs and lows of policing this British Overseas Territory.”
It added that Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons included shoplifting, theft and drug importation as some of the island’s common crimes.
The first episode followed constables Bryden Pedro and Shandora Burrows, who deal with a man suspected of taking illegal drugs during the family friendly street festival Harbour Nights in Hamilton.
“Things get heated when the man aggressively resists arrest and is marched by officers through the busy festive streets but calm is eventually restored to the event,” the teaser noted.
The episode also featured an officer accidentally leaving a farm gate open leading to several cows staging an attempted escape.
A group suspected of breeding illegal dogs are raided in episode 3, resulting in the seizure of six pitbull pups.
Officer Robin MacNab shared upsetting stories of other occasions where dogs have been discovered in a severely malnourished and weak state.
Police escapades extend beyond the shoreline in episode 6 as British police reservist Hugo Benziger and his colleagues in the coastguard conduct scuba-diving exercises including the recovery of a fake dead body nicknamed “Ruth Lee”.
The troubles on Bermuda’s roads are touched upon in a number of episodes, with police highlighting that on average, one life is lost to a traffic incident each month.
Officer Mark Lewis opens up about some of the people he has lost personally.
It is during episode 12 that a man is arrested following an argument at Cup Match, described as “the biggest event of the year”.
Officers Crystal Correia and Litanya Smith were on duty at the stadium when the dispute broke out between “passionate fans”.
The series wraps up with a compilation of the previous 15 episodes.
Three Bermuda Police Service officers went overseas to work alongside their counterparts in Montserrat during one of the island’s busiest periods.
Sergeant Jerry Waterman, Constable Melissa Butler and Constable Stephen Allen were dispatched this month.
In December 2024, the BPS received a request via the UK Overseas Territories office of the Foreign Office, through Government House, asking for mutual aid assistance for the Royal Montserrat Police Service in policing their biggest event of the year: the St Patrick’s Festival.
The event centred around St Patrick’s Day, which is the most resource intensive time of year for the RMPS.
This year, in anticipation of a large influx of visitors and in response to intelligence received, it was expected to be one of the biggest St Patrick’s events the island has seen.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Martin Weekes said: “The BPS was pleased to support our Overseas Territory partners by deploying a small contingent of three officers to Montserrat to work alongside a contingent of officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.
“This team of six experienced community officers have been working alongside the RMPS officers to police events across Montserrat, helping to make the event a safe one for all attendees as well as providing additional contingency against the possibility of public disorder.
“The joint team have already been commended for their work in rescuing a lone female driver stuck in a stalled vehicle in a dangerous area.”
The officers left the island on March 4, travelling through the US and Antigua, and were due to return to Bermuda today.
On March 6, the team was formally welcomed to the island by Montserrat’s Governor Sarah Tucker before being deployed to their new temporary duties.
The Governor’s Office in Montserrat said in a social media post: “These collaborative exchanges facilitate valuable professional development and reinforce the strategic partnerships between British Overseas Territories.
“At the brief meet-up, HE expressed she is hopeful of reciprocal exchanges where RMPS personnel will be part of similar professional exchanges to other OTs in the future.”
The show was given access to the police jet ski squad, marine police, coastguard, canine unit, traffic division and customs officers.
Alex McLeod, a BBC Daytime commissioner, said in October that Policing Paradise was akin to “the real-life Death in Paradise”, referring to a British crime comedy drama that averaged eight million viewers per episode.
He added: “Audiences will be able to get lost in the islands of Bermuda as they are taken on a journey with the wonderful police force working to keep Bermuda safe for residents and tourists.
“It’s a deep dive into the culture of these truly unique islands and one we hope audiences will feel privileged to be a part of.”
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