Police officers rejected a 10 per cent pay cut yesterday — despite a warning from the commissioner that refusal would lead to a $4.5 million budget reduction and could spark a crime wave.

Stephen Corbishley told officers in a letter before the vote that failure to accept the government deal could have “a massive impact on community safety” and lead to the loss of up to 50 police positions across the ranks.

He said that the vote on the cuts package, forced by the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, was “the most important ballot in the BPS’s history”.

Mr Corbishley added that the cuts could result in “a definite increase in crime” because of the removal of community policing.

He warned there was also “a real potential of increased homicides, gang-related and domestic, loss of confidence and legitimacy to policing with the community”.

Mr Corbishley told Bermuda Police Association members that the Government was “faced with an economic crisis that has to be addressed” and would not budge on its stance.

But 51 per cent of those who voted — 204 members — rejected the cuts.

A total of 147 — 37 per cent — agreed to accept the deal and 12 per cent — 46 officers — abstained.

A source said that officers had been prepared to negotiate on the 10 per cent pay cut — if they were given a 4.5 per cent pay rise owed for three years.

The source added that legal action was likely to be taken against the Government over the failure to award the pay rise and over any dismissals from the service that may be made.

The source said: “The Government said they are not responding to the 4.5 per cent pay rise we are owed and have not paid the back pay on it.

“That will be taken to court to resolve. Government would not negotiate with us on that — we said we would not consider austerity until you increase pay and back pay.”

“The Bermuda Police Association will inform the Government they are taking legal advice on any dismissals. There will be a lot of fight on that — a lot of court action.”

The source admitted: “I am sure the cuts will have negative impact on investigations — our work on anti-money laundering and antiterrorist financing will take a huge hit.

“Progress of investigations will take a hit. The community work we do will be parked. We won’t have the resources to do it and our parish constables will have to be suspended.”

But the source insisted frontline policing would not be affected.

The source said: “I don’t think so — if we go down this road, we have to restructure the entire police service, making sure the front line is fully staffed so we can adequately respond. The front line will be supersized, I suspect.”

Mr Corbishley earlier told officers in his plea to accept the deal: “If the austerity proposal is not agreed by members, the transferred position is a massive impact on community safety as a result of personal agenda rather than the reason we all joined policing, to serve and protect.”

He said that the service would also be unable to meet accreditation standards on financial crime and money laundering and that “the BPS would no longer possess the capabilities to adequately investigate financial crime, social tension/disorder and civil unrest”.

Mr Corbishley added that Bermuda’s international image could also suffer because of a drop in community safety capabilities and an increase in serious and organised crime gangs targeting Bermuda as intelligence-gathering ability suffered.

He said the budget reduction was equal to the loss of 40 to 50 officers across the service.

Mr Corbishley outlined in the e-mail to BPA members how costs would have to be reduced.

He wrote: “I ask members to consider that this pandemic saw legislation rewritten to achieve critical needs. This will happen again to allow us, in blunt terms, to end the careers of selected individuals with the BPS.

“The ‘who’ will not be, as I have heard commentary to, ‘last in, first out’, expats or any other category chosen for easy disposal.

“It will be based on a number of factors likely to include, but not exclusive to, the retention of specialist capabilities alongside individuals’ career assessments, such as disciplinary histories, absence or other personal factors.”

Mr Corbishley told officers that was “the reality you are casting your vote for and I can assure you the Government will not renegotiate their position”.

Mr Corbishley added in his e-mail that the BPS would be forced to create an “operationally reactive” structure limited to primary roles, including patrols, investigations, intelligence and command and control.

He said that preventive and community policing elements would not be delivered because of resource limitations.

That would also include management of high-risk gang and sex offenders, the removal of the police presence at Government House, the Premier’s official residence, in the courts and an end to BPS support for the Bermuda Coastguard.

The BPA’s decision followed votes by the Fire Services Association and the Prison Officers Association this month to reject the pay cuts.

The Bermuda Police Association and national security ministry did not respond to a request for comment.