Policing in the future will be about the commitment of the service and the relationship its officers have to the community.

And while technology is important, it alone cannot win the war against crime Commissioner of Police Jean-Jacques Lemay told Hamilton Rotarians this week.

Mr. Lemay reaffirmed his commitment to find a replacement from among a pool of suitably qualified candidates who will be comfortable in a reorganised Service.

"The future of policing is not just in the technology we will use.'' he said at Rotary's luncheon at the La Coquille Restaurant on Tuesday. "It is very much in the nature and behaviour of the modern officer and the relationship of officers with their community.'' Mr. Lemay said that as society changed, the way Police fought crime changed, aided by advances in transportation, technology and communication, becoming more reactive.

As efficient policing came to mean a rapid response, general patrols, and investigations after the fact, in recent years crime prevention and crime control programmes were started but had little effect on crime.

He added: "The problem was not as serious in Bermuda where Police officers are a part of the community and interaction takes place. But Police response dealt with incidents, not the underlying problems of crime.'' Mr. Lemay said changes began in 1994 with then-Commissioner Lennett Edwards who started the civilianisation of the Service.

His replacement, Colin Coxall wrote a service strategy with 120 Strategic Intents which were supposed to bring greater involvement between Police and the community.

Mr. Coxall introduced several programmes including increases in the number of Parish constables, and the Resistance, Education, and Community Help Programme (REACH), the name change from Police Force to Service, and the creation of consultative committees.

Mr. Lemay said a reexamination of the "core values'' of the Service and its Mission Statement, and making its leaders more effective will make the Service better able to fight crime.

Mr. Lemay -- who was on mobile patrols during Monday's election and was on Court Street until 3.30 a.m. -- said every officer must be a leader.

"Every Police officer, regardless of role and context, must demonstrate leadership behaviour,'' he said.

He added: "If the requirement is not met, the void is often filled with a loss of public confidence, lack of teamwork and operational efficiency, mistrust, heightened stress and ethics violations.'' Mr. Lemay explained that a "reciprocal dynamic'' between leaders and followers means leadership becomes "influence through motivation''.

Mr. Lemay said the restructuring of the Service included asking several questions in relation to the core values and Mission Statement.

These include evaluating the unit's intended use, its current usage, finding out what is needed for it to operate efficiently, and whether the unit could be staffed by civilians.

Mr. Lemay concluded: "I am committed, as is everyone in the service, to providing you with the best service possible -- safer streets and safer communities are our number one priority.'' Mr. Lemay said he and other senior officers went out on mobile patrols and did other regular Police duties throughout Monday's election and the subsequent celebrations.

He, like other officers, finished work around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

He added: "If I lead from the front, people will see the importance of certain tasks. And the people will see the commitment of the senior officers to our new programme.'' Jean-Jacques Lemay Graphic file name: LEMMAY