The Bermuda Police Service has engaged a consultant on a two year contract as it continues to revamp its operations, Commissioner Jean Jacques Lemay reported yesterday.

He told The Royal Gazette that Frank McCallion, who was with Management Services, had effectively been seconded to the Police Service because of the amount of work he was doing for the force.

Mr. McCallion was involved in a number of Police projects while with Management Services as he was an expert in Police and Fire Service issues, said Mr. Lemay.

However he was being severely overworked because of the number of projects being sent his way, continued Mr. Lemay, which was why Management Services agreed to loan him to the Police Service -- which will pay his salary -- for the next two years.

Mr. McCallion's period of service in the Police force began on September 1 and he has been given a number of projects to get started on, said Mr. Lemay.

Once the two years are up, he will return to Management Services.

One project, continued Mr. Lemay, is looking into different shifts for Police officers in an attempt to improve service.

Mr. McCallion is looking at the feasibility of putting officers on ten hour shifts and is working with the Bermuda Public Services Association and Police.

The idea of longer shifts -- officers are presently on eight hour shifts -- came from within the Police Service as officers said they felt longer shifts would be better for them and their families and, in the long term, be more efficient.

However there were implications involved that had to be looked at and Mr.

McCallion is presently examining these, said Mr. Lemay.

He is also looking into the pay officers receive and the conditions they work under as well as examining the allocations of resources within the Service.

Mr. Lemay said there was no formula currently in place to determine the staffing requirements for each department and Mr. McCallion was developing a model which applied to Bermuda.