Commissioner Jonathan Smith has warned of the major overhaul facing the Bermuda Police Service when a new evidence act is rolled out.

He said the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), due to be tabled in the House of Assembly later this month, will completely modernise arrest and detention procedures, detective work and how evidence is obtained from suspects.

But he warned that in some parts of the UK, where the act is already in place, PACE has led to an increase in bureaucracy and stopped officers getting out on the streets.

The Commissioner said PACE means officers will have to meet tight deadlines on how long they hold suspects in custody and investigate crimes faster, getting files to prosecutors more quickly.

But he said benefits include it being easier to get evidence in sex assault cases and rape victims no longer having to face their attackers in court.

He also told a Rotary Club meeting: ?In short, this (PACE) is a fundamental re-write of the way we have been doing business and quite possibly, will have the most profound effect on the operations of the service since the advent of the Criminal Code Act almost 100 years ago.?

Training demands in the wake of the new law will be ?significant? as all arrest and detention and evidence collecting rules have to be re-written.

In a bid to combat a red-tape headache, the force has recently advertised in the UK for a PACE implementation manager, who should be in post by early 2006. Five new custody sergeant posts will also be created to deal with the paperwork linked with the new law.

Mr. Smith said the knowledge officers now need has ?pushed the knowledge envelope to the extreme?. He added: ?Some officers have clearly been over-burdened by the sheer volume of legislation and mistakes are being made.?

He said training staff will have to be increasingly vigilant to ensure future officers are equipped with the know-how to get the job done.