months after passing his training course as the best all-round rookie.

He was transferred to the motorcycle section where he worked for seven years, investigating crimes and gaining experience in all forms of Policing. For the past 16 years P.c. Martin Johnson has been working as a mechanic in the Police workshop.

Yet P.c. Johnson has a degree in law and a degree in psychology.

"I joined the Force as a constable and I took an oath to do whatever my duties were. The Commissioner has the power to do what he wants to do as far as duties are concerned,'' said P.c. Johnson.

It is a typical example of a dilemma the new Police Commissioner, Mr. Colin Coxall, highlighted when he launched his radical shake-up of the force last month.

In his strategy Mr. Coxall wrote that "huge weaknesses'' existed in the lack of basic policies covering "human resources'' -- the men and women of the Service.

It is also an extreme example of the type of officer that could be freed to fight crime through more civilianisation of posts, which Mr. Coxall intends to do.

"P.c. Johnson must be the best qualified mechanic in Bermuda,'' joked Mr.

Coxall, who only recently heard of the officer's qualifications.

It was in 1971 that P.c. Johnson gave up his deputy headmaster's job and uprooted from St. Vincent to Bermuda.

He joined the Bermuda Police Service and passed his training course, winning the Baton of Honour in the process. Five years after joining the Force Mr.

Johnson passed his Sergeant's exam.

"I was asked to go to the garage department in 1979, I was qualified as I had done a mechanic's course. It's a question of what the system allows you to do.

The system put me in the workshop.'' It was then that P.c. Johnson studied for and passed a degree in psychology from Queens University, Canada, and then in 1990 he graduated from London University with a second class law degree.

Both were studied in Bermuda in his spare time although P.c. Johnson saved overtime and holidays to attend courses in London.

"Each time I qualified I would photocopy the certificates and pass them up.

It's up to senior officers to deploy their men as they see fit, but if I had been in any other Force I think I could have gone much further,'' he added.

"How can you do a law degree without having drive and initiative?'' Now, close to completing 25 years service and possible retirement he is looking to see what lies after life as a `Policeman' and he hopes to practise law.

"The way I was ignored as far as promotion was concerned was something I decided would not bother me, but I decided to improve myself.

"I think my time has been wasted. A man with a law degree fixing engines is a waste of time to me.'' IN THE WORKSHOP -- P.c. Martin Johnson who the Commissioner jokingly called "the best qualified mechanic in Bermuda''.