report assesses the progress made by outgoing Commissioner of Police Colin Coxall and the Police Service in implementing the Police Service Strategy which was launched in 1995. The full text begins on Page 4.

Opposition law and order spokesman Alex Scott yesterday hit out at Police Commissioner Colin Coxall's last public duty in the job -- an international conference of Police chiefs in Florida.

And the Shadow Home Affairs Minister said it would have been better to give another officer the chance of international exposure than allow Mr. Coxall -- who quits the job and policing at the end of the month -- to go.

Mr. Scott said: "We feel more direct benefit could obviously have come to Bermuda and the Police Service if another senior officer or the Deputy Commissioner Mr. Lemay had been the person to go.

"This is an expense to the public purse and we are prepared to put this question down in Parliament if we don't get a satisfactory answer.'' The Commissioner flew to Orlando, Florida on Saturday for four days of the five-day International Association of Chiefs of Police, attended by senior officers from the UK, US and Europe.

Mr. Coxall, who once gave a lecture on terrorism to the conference, will not be speaking this time around.

He will return to the Island on Wednesday -- two days before his official retirement date and five months before his contract was due to end.

Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness said: "This is something Mr. Coxall planned for some considerable time. He went because of his connections both as Commissioner in Bermuda and his connections from London.

"I haven't discussed it with him and I really shouldn't comment because I don't know the theme of this particular conference.

"I would have hoped someone who would have provided some continuity would have gone. I would be happy to look into this.'' Mr. Edness added that Mr. Coxall had leave due and said he did not know if the Police Service had footed the bill for the trip.

Deputy Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay will become Acting Commissioner while the hunt goes on for a replacement.

Labour and Home Affairs Minster Quinton Edness and Governor Thorold Masefield have already started the search for a new Police boss.

It is understood Government and Mr. Masefield are casting their nets wide in the search for a top-class replacement for Mr. Coxall.

It is believed the former British colony of Hong Kong has been considered, together with Commonwealth countries like the UK, Canada and Caribbean nations.

But Mr. Edness has already said that senior officers already with the Bermuda force were not to be ruled out of the picture.

He told The Royal Gazette on Friday that he was "disappointed'' that Mr.

Coxall had not prepared a training and succession plan, which he had agreed to do when he was hired.

Mr. Scott said: "I am told the Minister said that Mr. Coxall had failed to identify an individual....now we have the Minister saying there will be some sort of monitoring of the records of senior officers and one may be chosen.

"I think that's very possible and that could have been done before Mr. Coxall came.'' Mr. Scott added that criticism of Mr. Coxall from within Government appeared to be mounting as the Commissioner approached the end of his tenure.

He said: "We find that very curious. While we have provided -- as an Opposition should -- critical review of the Police Service, we have never gone after Mr. Coxall personally the way Mr. Edness has.'' Mr. Coxall, however, has been asked by Government to assist in organising future training until his contract officially ends in March.

But Mr. Scott said: "It seems highly unlikely, with the level of criticism emanating from the Minister, that Mr. Coxall would still be deemed to an individual they would want as a consultant.

"If they do, a lot of the criticisms must not be as concerning to the Minister as he makes out.'' But Mr. Edness said that Mr. Coxall would not be acting as a consultant, just assisting with training opportunities in the UK for officers until the spring.

Mr. Edness added: "He has asked if he could do this and we said he could do....he is not a consultant.''