attract recruits of the highest calibre, Commissioner Colin Coxall announced yesterday.

He told Hamilton Rotarians that the Police were looking for quality recruits to enter its ranks and eventually filter into its most senior positions.

"Bermuda is a top quality country that is bidding for a place in the global village and it deserves a top quality Police Service led by top quality Police managers.'' People with the highest educational qualifications were needed if they were expected to manage the $29 million-a-year business someday, he continued.

But Mr. Coxall said he realised that there was going to be a lot of competition from other industries for these individuals so a fast track system for quicker promotion was needed.

These individuals could not be expected to join up and remain constables for as long as people had in the past.

The average length of time to go from the rank of constable to that of a sergeant is now about 13 years, he revealed.

Mr. Coxall said promotions needed to be accelerated to produce a challenging career for future recruits and allow them to "go as far and as fast as their ability will let them''.

Recruitment was being looked at as a long term mission, he said.

The first step was to replace the old cadet programme which was too expensive and simply "did not work'' with the trainee constable programme.

Future officers would mainly be taken from the 20-30-year-old age group and Police would work with Island educational programmes to enhance their skills and fill-in any deficiencies.

When recruits reached a suitable level of competence in the different aspects required by the Service then they would join up, said Mr. Coxall.

It was important to train Police officers with quality leadership skills as they were being empowered with more complex duties, he continued.

POLICE POL