additional training this year to bring them up to date with the latest techniques in the field.

Deputy Commissioner George Jackson said yesterday that every officer in CID and the narcotics unit would either receive training on the Island or overseas, following recommendations made at the Commission of Inquiry into Serious Crimes last year.

The Police came under fire for failing to ensure that as many officers as possible were regularly trained, and the inquiry commissioners reported that few were ever sent for training.

Officers told the inquiry how simulation exercises were not held on the Island to help them prepare for major situations, such as riots, and they said brand new equipment brought in for use during incidents of public disorder was still in the pristine condition it arrived in.

Yesterday, Mr. Jackson said the service had already planned training this year for some officers, but had made a concerted effort to ensure every investigating detective would be brought up to date during the next 12 months.

The Deputy Commissioner said the report said more emphasis should be placed on providing training for all officers.

He said: "There were several recommendations made. In reviewing them, the Bermuda Police Service has embarked on a rigorous training programme.

"There are four detective sergeants in the UK being trained. One is in Canada.

"On the local scene, we have recently completed a training course for 20 officers in investigative work. We have also brought in two trainers from Canada to provide training to officers.'' He said some officers were receiving training using the most modern techniques in taking statements and interviewing.

He said two instructors would also be brought in from the UK to train 20 senior investigators.

Mr. Jackson added: "We have identified 18 training courses for narcotics officers. We are also conducting local training and overseas training for those officers.

"Hopefully, by the end of the year we will have exposed all of our investigators to some level of training when it comes to investigations.'' The report drawn up after the month-long inquiry into the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes said the old adage of `practice makes perfect' appeared to have been completely lost on the management of the Police Service.

The report said: "This failure to conduct regular exercises, apart from impairing operational readiness, has had the effect of sapping the morale of front line operatives. It bodes well for the future that a number of relatively junior officers were not only aware of this yawning lacunas, but able to offer practical solutions to the problem.

"They identified the Scenes of Crime, the Major Incident Room, the CID, both centrally and regionally, and the National Intelligence Department as being departments of critical importance where exercises should be conducted upon a regular, structured and ongoing basis.'' There were some 42 recommendations that came out of the Commission of Inquiry which were directed at the Police.

Yesterday, Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay said the recommendations had been studied and were now being reviewed and consolidated because some were similar, especially in terms of training.

He said the areas of DNA legislation and the collection of intimate samples had been highlighted as being of major importance, and he said Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox and the Government were being updated regularly with quarterly reports.