Some Police officers fear their careers could run smack into a glass ceiling, new Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay revealed yesterday.

Mr. Lemay -- confirmed in the top post just a week ago -- said he had already had discussions with officers from Constable up to Deputy Commissioner level.

And he added: "One of the issues which has come out of these discussions is that we must look at whether there are any systematic barriers in the organisation which prevents people from having opportunities.

"Opportunities are really related to promotional issues and I intend that everyone gets the chance to demonstrate their capabilities and skills.

"It's all about having a fair, equitable and transparent system which allows everyone to show their potential for development and acquire new skills and experience.'' And he said officers would get the chance to train not just with other forces, but with mega-firms like IBM and General Motors in a bid to boost their management skills.

Mr. Lemay said: "It's good to see how these companies are restructuring themselves and the changes which are taking place -- when you look at these organisations, you realise change is constant.'' He was speaking in his first major interview since taking over the top job after six months as Acting Commissioner.

Mr. Lemay said: "I have the advantage of having gone through 18 months here -- it's given me an insight in terms of how the organisation has been functioning.'' He added that extra training, both in Bermuda and overseas, would cost a significant amount, although he was unable to give a figure before a series of extended interviews identifies exactly what is needed.

But he said Government was set to back career development plans with hard cash in a bid to prepare officers for a shot at the two top jobs in the force.

Mr. Lemay explained: "It's hard to say how much it will cost because we haven't completed the interviews with all the candidates.

"But some of the training will take place in Bermuda, some in the UK and some in Canada. When we look at the duration of the courses, then we have to come up with a figure.'' He added: "I do have the full support of Government in the area of executive development.

"You can't have a system in place without the necessary funding to support it.'' And he said: "At the end of it, we will have an individual training package for each officer for Inspector up to Deputy Commissioner outlining their skills, training and experience, as well as the type of training they will need in order to move up the ladder and be competitive for the next position.'' Mr. Lemay, who invited the executive of the rank-and-file Bermuda Police Association to the announcement of his appointment at Government House, a first for the force, added that he wanted to establish a set of "core values'' for the service.

He said: "Core values really boil down to how we treat each other. It's very important to have a set of core values which dicate how we set our goals and how we interact with each other.'' And he added: "That can only be done by the members of the service themselves.

"It's a matter of sitting down at the table and asking how we are going to treat ourselves as an organisation.''