March 1, 2024

That leads us now to the business of the
day. And again, particularly for the listening audience, we are here today for the resumption of the annual Budget Debate. Today, and again for the audience,
every day as you know there are eight hours that are
set aside for particular department heads that are selected to be debated each day. And those times are
normally split between different ministries during the
course of the day but today we have the whole eight hours that are dedicated to the Mini stry of National Security. So today we will be focusing on the responsibilities of that Ministry. And we will start with the Minister
of National Security and then followed by the Shadow Spokesman for National Security.
Again, for the listening audience, once we go
into Committee the Speaker is out of the House for that
entire time. And this morning’s session will be chaired
by MP Chris Famous, who will lead the start of the debates this morning.
The Premier will lead us into Committee and
we will put the responsibility of the House in the hands of the Chairperson after that.

Hon. E. David Burt: Good morning, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now resume in Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates
of Revenue and Expenditure for fiscal year 2024/25.

Honourable Members, we are now in
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25 [which] are now to be debated.
I call upon the Minister in charge to proceed.
Minister, you have the floor.

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move the following heads,
Head 83— Ministry of National Security, Headquarters;
Head 6—Defence; [Head] 7—Police; [Head] 12— Customs; [Head] 25—Department of Corrections; and [Head] 45—Fire Services be now taken under consid-eration.

Are there any objections?
None.
Minister, carry on.

HEAD 83 —MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY
HEADQUARTERS

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman and Honourable Members, I am pleased to present the current ac-counts estimate for the Ministry of National Security Headquarters, Head 83, which can be found on pages
B-262 through B -265 of the Estimates of Revenue and
Expenditure Book.
Mr. Chairman, I will briefly discuss the Ministry
as a whole followed by information for Head 83— Ministry Headquarters, and then in detail for each of the
heads under the Ministry. Those heads are as follows:
Head 6— Defence, Head 7 —Bermuda Police Service,
Head 12—Department of Customs, Head 25—Department of Corrections and Head 45 —Bermuda Fire and
Rescue Services.
Mr. Chairman, eight hours have been allocated
for this Ministry, and I intend to give sufficient time for
the Opposition to ask any questions they may have or for them to seek clarification on the financial year
2024/25 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.
Our mission, Mr. Chairman, of the Ministry of
National Security Headquarters is Working together to
keep you safe. Mr. Chairman, the mission statement,
programmes and budgets within the Ministry are
aligned with this overriding mission. I will briefly set out
some of the priorities of the Ministry for the next financial year which includes several policy initiatives on
which we shall be delivering as part of the focus on
crime prevention and the concentrated efforts to reduce
the number of road traffic offences.
• The final stages of the new Island- wide CCTV
system will be completed by the end of July
2024.
• We aim to fill posts within our cybersecurity unit
which will greatly enhance our protection in the
cyber realm.
• We will fill vital posts within the Disaster Risk
Reduction and Mitigation Team.
• We intend to fill posts across our Uniform Services to provide greater operational effectiveness and ultimately enhancing safety and security across Bermuda.
• We look to upgrade two security systems in our
Corrections facilities.
656 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Funding for the Royal Bermuda Regiment to
establish a hurricane preparedness shelter
project.
Mr. Chairman, I would now draw your attention
to page B -262 of the Estimates Book where you will
note that the Ministry of National Security budget for the financial year 2024/25 is $137,759,000, an increase of $6,425,000, or 5 per cent, which will be disc ussed in
more detail in the individual heads. This increase is mainly owing to the 2.25 per cent salary uplift for all full -
time employees including the members of union bodies still in negotiations or in the final stages of review and signoff which will b e addressed in each department’s
budget briefs.
Mr. Chairman, page B -262 shows a revenue
estimate for the Ministry of $1,776,000, a $308,000 increase, or 21 per cent over financial year 2023/24,
which will also be discussed in more detail in the individual heads.
Mr. Chairman, page B -262 also details the current account expenditure of the departments that make
up the overall budget for the Ministry by head, as follows:

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, we now go on
to Head 83.

HEAD 83 —MINISTRY HEADQUARTERS

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I now turn to
the current account estimates for Head 83— Ministry
Headquarters, which can be found on page B -263.
Mr. Chairman, the objectives of the Ministry
Headquarters are to ensure the Minister’s policy objectives are met; to ensure that the Ministry and departments deliver services effectively and comply with relevant legislation, policies and procedures; to pl an, mitigate and respond to threats to security; to reduce crime
and antisocial behaviour; and to promote public safety.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry of National Security
Headquarters’ budget allocation of $3,170,000 for the
financial year 2024/25 represents an increase of
$487,000, or an 18 per cent increase, over the 2023/24
budget allocation.
Mr. Chairman, on page B -263 of the current account estimates you will note that there are six business units within the Ministry Headquarters. The estimate for
business unit 93000, Administration, is $2,002,000, an increase of $435,000, or 28 per cent. Thi s comprises
$36,858 toward the salary uplift. [There is] $217,000 to cover two information system security and incident response officers for the cybersecurity team, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team coordinator
post of $125,000. The rema ining amount was allocated
toward the Uniform Services Training Programme in
the amount of $56,142.
Mr. Chairman, the estimates for business unit
93002, Parole Board is $125,000, an increase of $3,000, or 2 per cent in anticipation of additional meetings stemming from hearings for parole breaches and appeals.
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for business unit
93003, Treatment of Offenders Board, is $30,000, an
increase of $3,000, or 11 per cent in anticipation of additional meetings.
The estimate for business unit 93004, Police
Complaints Authority, is $31,000, an increase of
$10,000, or 48 per cent in anticipation of additional
meetings.
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for business unit
93007, Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team is
$190,000 compared to $12,000 for the 2023/24 financial year. The increase is to fund
• one disaster coordinator post —$125,000;
• conference tabletop exercises —$40,000;
• posters, maps and advertising—$13,500; and
• emergency broadcasting systems maintenance— $11,000.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 93008 relates to
the Gang Violence Reduction programme with an estimate for financial year 2024/25 of $792,000. This represents a $154,000 decrease, or 16 per cent decrease
over the financial year 2023/24. The funds were reallocated toward the Uniform Services Training Programme. The reduction in the estimate will only impact
the inability to hire additional outreach and youth workers and special projects such as sending youth on the
Habitat for Humanity programme. The current pr ogrammes such as Gang Violence Reduction Case
Management and Outreach Services, Work Placement,
G.R.E.A.T. and the I AM programmes will continue to
provide training, skills and support to our youth.

Subjective Analysis
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I would now
like to address page B -264 of the Current Account Estimates. This page includes the Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates and the employee numbers
of full -time equivalents.
Mr. Chairman, three of the object codes see no
change in estimates for financial year 2024/25 over the
original budget of 2023/24, and I will therefore limit my
comments to the other 10 that have been changed. Salaries increased by $279,000, or 34 per cent , to reflect
a 2.25 per cent salary uplift and the filling of two cybersecurity posts, as well as the Disaster Coordinator post
in our Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team. HEAD Department FY 2024/25 Estimate
83 Ministry HQ $ 3,170,000
6 Defence 8,827,000
7 Police [64,838,000]
12 Customs 18,372,000
25 Corrections 25,727,000
45 Fire Services 16,825,000
Ministry Total $137,759,000


Bermuda House of Assembly Wages increased, Mr. Chairman, by $279,000
to cover the wages for 10 Uniform Services Training
Programme candidates. Training has been increased
by $80,000, or 400 per cent, to reflect the increased
need for cybersecurity and disaster training. Further increases are also reflected in repair and maintenance
by $11,000, or 367 per cent, to cover copier and radio
equipment maintenance fees.
Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry has increased
by $7,000, for the Uniform Services Training Pro-gramme. Decreases are reflected in transport by $1,000, or 100 per cent. Communications by $11,000,
or 28 per cent. Professional Services by $108,000, or
8 per cent. Material and supplies by $29,000, or 24 per
cent. Other Expenses by $20,000, or 10 per cent. The
reduction in the budget for those costs was applied to the wages, uniforms and part -time teachers for the Uniform Services Training Programme.
Mr. Chairman, it is anticipated that the fees will
increase to $913,000 as the country experiences post COVID -19 celebrations and events such as special
events hosted by individuals, sporting buddies and
charitable and entertainment organisations.
The employee numbers, or full -time equivalents, have increased to 10 with the addition of two
posts for the Cybersecurity Unit and one for the Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Team.
I shall now move on to page C -15 for Capital
Acquisitions.

Capital Acquisitions
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Ministry
has $4,000 allocated to office equipment for new computers.
Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to some of the
accomplishments that the Ministry had in 2023/24 be-fore moving to the other heads under the Ministry.

Cybersecurity

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: To ensure that Bermuda’s
critical services such as our energy supply, telecommu-nications, emergency services, water infrastructure and government are adequately protected against increasing cyberattacks, a Cybersecurity Act has been drafted
and will be tab led this year. This Act will establish minimum standards for the protection of critical national information infrastructure, formally establish the cybersecurity governance board to oversee the protection of these entities and a nati onal cybersecurity incident response team to assist government and private sector
entities with preparing for and responding to cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity legislation is also being drafted
and will be tabled to help ensure Bermuda legislation meets the international requirements established by
the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. This legislation will provide modern definitions of cybercrimes and will provide law enforcement and the Judiciary with an
effective foundation for investigating and prosecuting
cybercrimes.
Mr. Chairman, we are increasingly dependent
on information technology to store sensitive information and provide critical services. As was demonstrated in
September 2023, cyberattacks represent a significant
threat to Bermuda and our economy. We must cont inue
to improve our ability to protect against, detect, respond to and recover from cyberattacks. Our cybersecurity
strategy provides the appropriate framework for the Government of Bermuda to ensure that Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) sys tems across all
critical segments of our society and economy are designed, implemented, operated and maintained with
adequate security.
In the coming year, with more human resources in our Cybersecurity Unit and with a legislative
framework for the protection of critical national information infrastructure systems, our ability to defend
against cyberattacks will be greatly enhanced. Whils t
no system is completely immune from cyberattacks, as was shown last year by successful cyberattacks in Las
Vegas and Singapore, and if I may, Mr. Chairman, just
on this morning’s news there is a real big cyberattack
in the US health system. Across the co untry the health
insurances have been comprised, across the whole of
the United States. So cyberattacks are real. So our efforts in this space over the next year will provide increased security for our systems.
Mr. Chairman, the cybersecurity key accomplishments during financial year 2023/24 included [the following:
• The Ministry of National Security has conducted extensive consultation with Bermuda
stakeholders and is working with parliamentary drafters to finalise new cybersecurity legislation in accordance with drafting instructions
from Cabinet. The legislation wil l establish
structures and standards for the protection of
Government and other critical national entities.
• National Security continues to lead the development of a comprehensive information system risk -management programme, working as
part of the Cross -Ministry Cyber Risk Management Team that includes the IDT Chief Information Officer, the head of the Government privacy programme and other key stakeholders.
The team identifies cyber risks impacting gov-ernment information and systems and develops strategies, policies and standards to ensure the risks are adequately addressed.
• During the 2023/24 budget year, the Ministry
worked with the Chief Information Officer, the
head of the PATI/PIPA unit and other members
of the IT Government Steering Group to support development of IT governance policies,
procedures and terms of reference in support
of the Cybersecurity Programme. The Ministry
658 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly also continued to advise heads of departments
and ministries on cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, policies and good practices.
• During the 2023/24 budget year, detailed job
descriptions and functions were developed for
all posts in the Cybersecurity Unit within National Security, in alignment with the structure
approved by Cabinet in 2022. Recruitment for
these new positions within the Cybersecurity
Unit will begin early in the coming fiscal year.
The Cybersecurity Unit will lead the National
Cyber Incident Response Team and maintain a cybersecurity operation centre that will pro-vide resources and capabilities to help ensure
that Government and private sector critical information infrastructures are adequately prepared for cyberattacks.
• National Security also provided support to Government departments for securing their IT
systems and information, providing guidance
for appropriate planning, design and documentation to comply with approved policies and
standards, and meet security requirements
and define security objectives. Other services provided included: identifying threats to information, IT systems, components and processes; identifying vulnerabilities impacting IT
system designs, architecture, components and data flows; identifying attack vectors and assessing the likelihood and impact of attacks.
This work included providing recommendations for secure design and appropriate administrative, operational and technical safeguards
to meet security requirements for protecting in-formation and IT systems and preventing, detecting, responding to and recovering from cybersecurity incidents.
• The Chief Information and Security Officer and
representatives from the Bermuda Police Service Cyber[security] Unit attended the UK
Overseas Territories Cybersecurity Conference this past February. Attendees had the opportunity to collaborate with their peers in other jurisdictions to better understand the evolving
cyber threat landscape and defences in order
to defend against increasingly sophisticated
cyberattacks. A thorough review of the results
of the National Cyber Risk Assessment completed in March of 2022, was performed. Action
items based on the results and recommendations from a National Cyber Risk Assessment
report have been developed and will be used
to update the Bermuda Cybersecurity Strategy
and prioritise high- risk areas for protection
agains t cyber threats.

Gang Violence Reduction Team
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Gang Violence Reduction Team (or GVRT) has been hard at work on the frontline confronting the multi -faceted challenges posed by gang- related issues in our community.
In the face of persistent economic disparities,
familial disintegration and limited educational and employment opportunities the Gang Violence Reduction
Team has remained steadfast and has resolved to disrupt the cycle of youth involvement in gangs and vi olence.
Mr. Chairman, the Gang Violence Reduction
[Team] as led by Bishop Leroy Bean has worked tirelessly throughout the year to provide several programmes including . . . the mission of the Gang Violence Reduction Team is to
• aid in the transition of at -risk individuals away
from delinquent peer groups and toxic environments to reduce violent crime in Bermuda;
• change the pattern of behaviour of individuals
involved in group and gang violence and reintegrate them into mainstream society;
• prevent preteens and adolescents from joining
gangs and engaging in antisocial behaviour by
re-establishing positive social and familial
bonds;
• create opportunities of employment for young
people and individuals who have previously not
been employable due to antisocial backgrounds;
• connect youth, men and women with the necessary helping agencies that will aid in addressing mental and social health issues; and
• place more focus on fostering and sustaining
positive interpersonal relationships.
Mr. Chairman, the Gang Violence Reduction
Team’s commitment to School Outreach initiatives
stands as a beacon of proactive engagement and support. Acknowledging schools as primary recruiting
grounds for gangs, our team has implemented targeted
interventions to mitigate risks and cultivate a culture of
positivity among students. The Team Outreach support
includes various vital components. Mr. Chairman, I will
list a few:
• Incident management support services. Following incidents, our team provides comprehensive support to schools, including security
meetings, strategy sessions and the creation of
mitigation plans.
• Facilitating multi- agency meetings. Our team
actively collaborates with various government
departments to strategise the development of
violence mitigation plans in response to high
tensions or incidents between students.
• Delivering ongoing restorative sessions
through consistent mediation sessions. We
strive to force the understanding and resolution, promoting peaceful conflict resolution
among students.


Bermuda House of Assembly • Daily school lunch visits in high schools. By
maintaining a daily presence during school
lunch hours, the Gang Violence Reduction
Teams seek to create opportunities for informal
interactions and support, reinforcing positive
relationships with students.
• Delivering individual youth sessions. On a
case -by-case basis, the Gang Violence Reduction Team delivers sessions tailored to the
unique needs of each student. These sessions
provide personalised guidance and support,
empowering individuals to make positiv e
choices and avoid gang involvement and eventually become productive citizens in our community.
• Individual student case management. Students who are identified as needing it, receive a personalised case management ensuring that
their unique challenges and needs are addressed effectively.
• Specialised small group meetings. Targeted
group sessions provide opportunities for peer
support. Skills building and positive reinforcement, strengthening students’ resilience
against negative influences.
• Specialised programmes. On a needs basis in
our high schools or middle schools the team
designs and implements specialised pro-grammes to address specific issues such as
conflict resolution, anger management, and
positive decision- making skills.

Early Intervention Programmes Overview
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Gang Violence Reduction Team recognises the critical im-portance of early intervention in addressing youth in-volvement in gang- related activities. To this end, the
team has implemented two cornerstone programmes. The I AM programme and the G.R.E.A.T., or the Gang Resistance Education and Training programme, or
G.R.E.A.T. for short. These initiatives are specifically
designed to cater to boys enrolled in primary and middle schools.

I AM Programme

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: In partnership with the Minister of Education the Gang Violence Reduction Team
meticulously identified and selected six schools to implement targeted intervention programmes. These
schools were Pervis Primary, Paget Primary, Prospect
Primary, Harrington S ound Primary, Sandys Middle
School and Clearwater Middle Schools. The primary
objective of the I AM programme is to mitigate risk factors, reinforce protective factors and cultivate academic
motivation and personal development among t he participating youth. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to share that the I
AM programme held the first I AM programme youth summit, “Say It Loud.” This landmark event held on
June 24, 2023 brought together 70 young boys from
our weekly programmes, accompanied by 12 dedicated
staff memb ers at the Fun Zone in St. David’s. The summit comprised three enriching workshops facilitated by
esteemed community members focusing on empowerment, leadership and goalsetting. Following the workshops, participants engaged in a plethora of engaging
team g ames and activities throughout the afternoon
fostering comradery and teamwork among the youth.

Gang Resistance Education and Training Programme

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Similarly, the G.R.E.A.T. programme targets boys enrolled in primary and middle schools with guidance from the Minister of Education,
the Gang Violence Reduction Team implements specialised interventions aimed at reducing gang involvement and promoting positive life choices among participants.

The Work Placement and Mentoring Programme
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Work
Placement and Mentoring Programme is a job placement initiative targeting youth who have participated in
high school intervention programmes. In 2023/24, the
Gang Violence Reduction Team successfully executed
another round of this programme with 15 students completing the eight weeks of training. We anticipate another cohort of 15 students in the programme for 2024/25.
Some key achievements of the programme are
as follows:
Work Readiness Workshop completion. Mr.
Chairman, 100 per cent of student completed the Work
Readiness Workshop with 12 out of 15 students finishing the full eight -week programme.
Attendance and engagement. Mr. Chairman,
10 out of the 15 students never missed a scheduled
work date, demonstrating their commitment and dedication. Business partners showed significant engagement with 86 per cent completing weekly evaluations
and coachi ng meetings with students.
Job coaching sessions. The programme manager conducted 123 job coaching sessions providing personalised support and guidance to students.
Business partner satisfaction. Mr. Chairman,
85 per cent of business partners expressed interest in
participating in the programme again highlighting their
satisfaction with the initiative.
Participant satisfaction and growth. All students would recommend the programme to others and
100 per cent of parents noted personal growth in their
children over the eight -week period.
Additional work opportunities. [There were] 10
students who were offered an additional two weeks of
660 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly paid work based on their performance reports and supervisor satisfaction. Five students secured part -time
or full -time positions within the companies after completion demonstrating the programme’s effectiveness
in facilitating employment opportunities.
Support services and crises intervention. The
Gang Violence Reduction Team provided three referrals to additional emotional and social support services
and assisted students through eight crisis incidents, ensuring their well -being and stability throughout the programme.
Behaviour and criminal activity avoidance.
Throughout the programme 100 per cent of students
avoided engaging in antisocial behaviour or criminal
activity reflecting the positive impact of the programme
on participants’ behaviour and choices.
These outcomes reflect the programme’s effectiveness in providing valuable opportunities for
youth to gain work experience, develop essential skills
and achieve positive personal and professional growth.

Community Outreach

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Our Gang Violence Reduction Team [GVRT] has been at the forefront of our community outreach efforts, actively engaging with various
groups and events to address pressing issues such as
violence and gang influence. The GVRT has utilised multiple platforms to spread our message including radio shows where we have reached audiences far and
wide. Additionally, the GVRT organised and hosted the impactful I AM programme “Say It Loud” youth summit
bringing together the 70 enthusiastic young minds from
our primary schools to inspire and empower them.
Partnering with local organisations. We have
sponsored vision- makers scenes , anti -violence outreach and supported events like the “Bikes Up, Guns
Down” community day demonstrating our commitment
to positive change. The Gang Violence Reduction
Team presence at church groups and PTA meetings
has been instrumental in educating indiv iduals about
the nuances of community violence and equipping parents with essential tools to protect their children from
gang involvement.
Collaborating with summer camps. The Gang
Violence Reduction Team has instilled self -worth and
awareness among youth, empowering them to resist negative influences. Moreover, our sponsorship and
partnership with community violence walks, fairs and
youth- focused fun days have allowed us to share our
message effectively. Led by the Gang Violence Reduction Team, our participation in community panels and
events has sparked crucial conversations and forged
connections amplifying our impact and strengthening
community bonds.
Through these collective efforts we have not
only disseminated vital information, but also inspired collective action toward building safer more empowered communities. Coordinated Crisis Response

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The Coordinated Crisis Response Team has coordinated the following crisis re-sponse protocols aimed at restoring peace in the com-munity and assisting family members, relatives or witnesses of violent incidents following violent incidents
such as a shooting or stabbing:
• The Hospital Team was activated 12 times during this last financial year.
• The Community Team was activated two
times.
• The Gang Violence Reduction Team provided eight post -incident support sessions to immediate family members and close friends after violent incidents.
• Street Level Outreach Work and Case Management. The Gang Violence Reduction Team
continues its crucial role in lowering community
tensions with a focused approach on interventions in our neighbourhoods through street
level outreach for 18- to 35 -year-old m en and
women in our community. Our comprehensive
Gang Violence Reduction case management
and outreach services have been instrumental
in supporting hundreds of young men in our
community.

Case Management and Outreach Support

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Some key services provided:
Our client -led strength- based programmes are
tailored to meet with individual needs providing a sense of belonging, consistency and impartial guidance. Clients are paired with dedicated case managers who assist them in securing
housing, food, employment, c ourt support and
making healthy life choices.
• Providing non- traditional counselling sessions
and family group sessions to address underly-ing issues and promote healing within families.
• Client -centred meetings with outside agencies
including the Bermuda Police Service, Court Services, Workforce Development, Financial
Assistance, Department of Child and Family
Services, legal support and more.
• Facilitate collaboration and coordination of ser-vices. There were 85 clients between the ages
of 18 and 35 who have directly benefited from
our case management and outreach services.
• Specialised support services, safe houses.
Providing a safe house and support for individuals in need of immediate assistance.
• Relocation support. Assisting clients in transitioning to safer environments when necessary.
• Prison visits. Maintaining connections through
monthly visits and providing support to incarcerated individuals.


Bermuda House of Assembly • Court advocacy and support. Monitoring court
sessions and providing advocacy support during court proceedings.
• Offering community service opportunities to clients in fulfilling court -mandated community
service hours, promoting accountability and
positive contribution to society.
• Employment support. Assisting clients in developing r ésumés and applying for jobs to facilitate their integration into the workforce connecting clients to jobs and work placement opportunities.
• Mediations and negotiations. Holding quarterly
mediations and negotiations to resolve conflicts and foster positive community relationships.

Pause for minute, please, Minister.
For the benefit of the Members in the House
and the listening public, I would like to remind us that
we are now in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. Minister Michael A. Weeks is giving his presentation on the Ministry of National Security.
Please resume, Minister.
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, as I continue:

Redemption Programme Overview

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The Redemption Programme
is a specialised therapeutic initiative designed for young people. Over the past five years the programme
has successfully supported over 75 trainees in their journey toward personal transformation. In the past
year alone 18 trainees completed the intensive 25week programme benefiting from weekly stipends,
comprehensive case management educational services and post training support. This programme focuses on fostering personal growth and instilling positive b ehavioural patterns and providing participants
with essential tools for a better future. The Gang Violence Reduction Team effectively delivered the programme in 2023/24.

Individual Case Management and Job Coaching
Sessions

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Throughout the year the
team conducted 105 individual case management job
coaching sessions with Redemption programme trainees offering crucial support and guidance.

Crisis Intervention
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The team assisted trainees
through 15 crisis situations ensuring their well -being
and stability during challenging times.

Education and Skill Development Sessions

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The programme hosted 17
sessions covering essential areas such as job readiness skills, life skills, career exposure, goal setting, and
general personal development. These sessions aided
trainees in acquiring vital skills for success in both their persona l and professional lives.

Ongoing Support for Current Trainees

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Currently three trainees are
still in the process of completing the Redemption programme with ongoing support from the team to ensure
their successful completion.

Job Placement and Transition Support

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Eight trainees were offered
full-time or part -time job opportunities during their training placement and have successfully transitioned into
their new roles. Additionally, three current trainees are
actively seeking full -time or part -time employment and
the team is assisting by helping them prepare r ésumés
and apply to various businesses for job opportunities.
Overall, the Redemption programme has
proven to be instrumental in empowering individuals to make positive changes in their lives equipping them
with the skills and support needed to succeed. Through continued dedication and tailored support, the Gang Violence Reduction Team [GVRT] remains committed to
facilitating the transformation and reintegration of programme participants into society.
Mr. Chairman, it is important to understand that
our clients carry life histories marked by poverty, family
violence, marginalisation and intergenerational abuse
and neglect. Many have incarceration experi ences or
have pending charges in cases. The young men we
support face additional challenges presented by institutionalisation, discrimination, community judgment,
major educational gaps, negligible work history, criminal records [and] criminal proceedings which preclude
hopes of employment. For many of our clients, illicit
substances are a way of coping with the perils of gang
involvement, homelessness and mental health issues.
Mr. Chairman, the Gang Violence Reduction
Team will continue to work in our community to reduce gang tensions and provide a way out of gang violence
as well as provide children with alternative life choices
to gang life. We as a community must give this generation and the next generation a viable alternative to
gang violence.

Disaster Reduction Risk Management

662 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Disaster Reduction Risk
Management, DRRM for short. Mr. Chairman, in 2018
the Ministry of National Security formed the Disaster
Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team which I shall refer
to as the “DRRM” Team. It was manned by employees seconded from various government departments. During this fiscal year, Cabinet formerly approved the creation of a substantive DRRM unit and during the coming year we shall start the recruiting process to fill those
posts. I am pleased to report that we ar e now in the
process of recruitment for the post of Disaster Coordinator.
The mission statement of the team is to build
national disaster risk reduction and mitigation capaci-ties with our community, partners and stakeholders by
identifying and reducing the underlying drivers of risk in
order to save lives and protect property.
Disasters are the result of natural occurrences,
human intent, error or as a result of failed systems.
They can be divided into categories such as terrorism,
technological hazards, environmental incidents, epi-demics and transportation hazards. The DRRM team
functions as the coordinating body between first responder agencies, governmental agencies, non- governmental agencies and other organisations.
The goal of the team is to prevent new disaster
risks and to reduce those that already exist. The team
does this through the implementation of integrated and inclusive measures that prevent and reduce hazard
exposure and vulnerability to disaster, increas e preparedness for response and recovery and thus
strengthen Bermuda’s resilience in preparation for natural and man- made disasters.
The DRRM team is responsible for harmonising the national disaster plans and ensuring that all
agencies and government departments are aware of
these plans. The team is engaged and fully committed to continuously updating their plans, training their staff
in the execution of those plans and ensuring that when the need arises the plans are effective. Many departments do not have business continuity plans, and the
DRRM team is an integral part of the Bermuda Government’s commitment to ensuring that there are adequate mitigation measures in place to address identified risk, whether they be man- made or natural.
The key accomplishments of the Disaster Risk
Reduction Mitigation team for this current budget year
include [the following]:
Hurricane season 2023 saw another active
season with storms, including Hurricane Lee and Trop-ical Storms Idalia and Philippe. The DRRM team prepared public messaging in addition to checking with
hardware stores to check on the status of supplies. In
light of the instability of the 2023 storms, a debrief was
completed at the end of the season to review our standard approach to ensure future decisions are con-sistent.
The team continues to be responsible for the
operation of the EMO [Emergency Measures Organisation] Operations Centre, which is currently lo-cated at the Hamilton Fire Station. This serves as the multi -agency coordinating centre during any major incident.
The team continues to work with Skyport Corporation on training required for the airport emergency
plan. Small exercise modules are planned each year
with a large live exercise every three years, the last
being in November 2021.
The team continues to facilitate tabletop exercises in several Government and non- governmental
stakeholders in preparation of securing our ports, both
air and sea. This past year saw the DRRM team conduct the following tabletop exercises: Several seaport
exercises in collaboration with the cruise liners that
visit our ports.
The team facilitated a tabletop exercise with
several Government and partner agencies in December 2023 to discuss a joint response to illegally registered aircraft and aircraft from sanctioned nations
should they land in Bermuda. This will develop into further exercises both tabletop and partly live multi -
agency exercises in 2024. These exercises allow for
pertinent discussions toward the updates of several
agencies’ plans. All these supporting agencies must
add additional sections within their plans to fac ilitate
the comprehensive emergency response required.
Some of the requirements include addressing potential
immigration challenges. These are requirements, et
cetera; accommodation; transportation and psychological assistance.
A memorandum of understanding [MOU] has
been signed between the Bermuda Government and the Bermuda Airport Authority represented by the Bermuda Weather Service to deliver official reports and
updates as it relates to weather disturbances that will
affect t he community. These reports are generally delivered during, but not limited to, the defined hurricane season. With the upcoming tsunami exercise, the Bermuda Weather Service will highlight one of their major
responsibilities in alerting the Government, et cetera.
The team continues to chair the monthly supply
chain meetings with stakeholders including government departments and the private sector since the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic. The meetings
have proven to be very informative and important. The
collect ed data provided an understanding of the global
supply chain challenges to local businesses that have
impacted prices on imported goods such as
• regional conflicts both in Ukraine and the Middle East;
• shipping rate hikes due to actual long journeys
around continents and ports of call delays;
• drought in Panama bringing the canal operations almost to a standstill;
• maritime policy changes, shipping requirements of electric vehicle batteries;
• US suppliers prioritising the domestic market
over export;


Bermuda House of Assembly • shrinking post COVID -19 pandemic market for
overseas suppliers;
• orders on some imported goods not being
100 per cent fulfilled;
• the continuing shortage and availability of 20foot shipping containers.
Along with the global challenges, our local
challenges have affected supplies due to the following:
Record rainfall in Bermuda caused delays in harvest and crops to some local crop production; and continu-ous bad weather slowing local fishing catches. This information is vital to the Government to assess the availability of resources; food and other essential items including emergency supplies.
For tsunami exercises Bermuda will again participate in this annual event in March 2024. This exercise is organised by UNESCO under the umbrella of
the United Nations and NOAA , and is a regional multi -
country tsunami exercise involving approximately 30
countries.
Mr. Chairman, the event coordination occurred
this past year for the following events where agency
contingency planning was coordinated by the DRRM
team:
• Bermuda Triangle Challenge, January 2024;
• Bermuda Day activities, May 2023;
• Heroes weekend, June 2023;
• Cup Match, St. George’s, July 2023;
• PRIDE events, August 2023;
• Rugby Classic, October 2023;
• PGA Tour Event, October 2023;
Mr. Chairman, in keeping with our mission of
working together to keep you safe, we will for the next
financial year achieve the following:

Cybersecurity

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The cybersecurity plans for
2024/25 in addition to the legislation already mentioned will include the chief information security officer working closely with the IDT chief information officer and head
of the PATI/PIPA unit to improve the Government’s
ability to identify, protect, detect, respond and recover
from cyber threats. Two additional posts will be filled within the cybersecurity unit to assist Government de-partments with implementing security plans for IT systems, including the identification of threats, vulnerabilities, and appropriate safeguards to identify and protect
against, detect and respond to and recover from cyberattacks.
The Cybersecurity Unit will establish the Bermuda National Cybersecurity Incident Response Team [or CIRT] and implement and operate a cybersecurity operation centre to monitor for cyber threats
to Bermuda and our critical national information infrastructures.
National Security will also continue to work with
the Cybersecurity Governance Board supporting the
ongoing development and implementation of the Bermuda Cybersecurity Strategy. Critical national infrastructure planning for all key locations on the Island and conducting the next national [cybersecurity] risk
assessment to be completed in 2024.

Gang Violence Reduction Team in 2024/25
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Gang Violence Reduction Team [GVRT] will continue to work in our community to reduce gang tensions and provide
a way out of gang life, as well as provide children with alternative life choices to gang life. We must give this
generation a nd the next one a viable alternative to the
laws of gang life.
Mr. Chairman, the GVRT will
• support the development and coordination of the National Violence Reduction Strategic
Plan;
• continue the “Stop the Violence” campaign;
• continue outreach services;
• continue targeted school support services including individual student case management;
mentoring check -ins; specialised small groups;
specialised programmes; mediation and negotiation and incident management support services;
• continue to provide the Safe House programme;
• continue to provide the Redemption pro-gramme, a 25- week therapeutic incentivised
programme for the next group of 15 trainees;
• continue the sixth cohort of the Work Place-ment and Mentoring programme, a structured
10-week paid work experience providing selected young men and women who have participated in our high school intervention programme with opportunities for career exploration and skills.
The GVRT will extend the I AM programme
from 10 to 12 targeted primary and middle school
groups around the Island. The programme is built up of
a specialised eight -session experiential curriculum
which is unique to each 15- student cohort. The initiative
was designed to reduce risk factors, enhance protec-tive factors, increase academic motivation and increase developmental factors in the young people participating.

Disaster Reduction Risk Management
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in 2024/25 the
team will continue to assist government ministries in
developing business continuity policies and plans for
implementation post impact of a disaster. The team
through the Emergency Measures Organisation will coordinate the Gov ernment’s response to a disaster
(whether natural or man- made) where the local community has been impacted greatly.
664 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly This will require the team to meet with both
government ministries and external stakeholders in developing and exercising emergency plans such as:
• hurricane planning;
• cruise ship incident planning;
• airport emergency plans;
• major event safety and security plans; and
• critical national infrastructure planning.
Mr. Chairman, the team will continue to facilitate tabletop and live exercises in the planning and
preparation process some of which include the following:

Cruise Ship Planning
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: With the cruise ship for 2023
schedule to be over 220 cruise ship visits (a record for Bermuda) the team in coordination with the port agencies, Marine and Ports, the cruise ship agents and
multi -agency stakeholders, will host multi -agency tabletop exerci ses with regular callers to test and develop
contingency planning. There are several types of sce-narios that the team helps to coordinate planning for.

Airport Exercise Planning

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: For airport exercise planning,
the team will assist all the airport agencies in 2024/25
with tabletop and live modular exercises that are required by the Bermuda Civil Aviation Administration.
The next large- scale live airport exercise will be scheduled f or November 2024.

Major Incident Planning

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The team will hold training for
major incident commanders which may be incorporated into exercises or held separately. The team will liaise
with the Bermuda Hospitals Board to assist in coordinating the multi -agency mass casualty exercise to be
held in 2024. The team will continue developing the
evacuation plans in vulnerable areas that are exposed
to natural and man- made risk.
Mr. Chairman, the team will continue to work
with event organisers in developing their event safety plans for large and/or complex local and international
spectator events, as follows:
• Agricultural Show in April;
• Bermuda Day and weekend activities in May;
• Our Kappa Classic;
• Heroes or Carnival Weekend events in June;
• Cup Match in [Somerset] in August;
• Rugby Classic in October;
• PGA Golf in November;
• International Race Weekend next January; and
• International Triathlon in April 2024.
In addition, SailGP for 2024 is still waiting to be
announced. This involves key stakeholders such as Bermuda Police Service, Bermuda Fire and Rescue
Services, Medical —

[No audio]

For the benefit of the listening audience and Honourable Members in the Chamber, we
are now in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for
the year 2024/25. We have Honourable Minister Michael A. Weeks, JP , MP presenting for the Ministry of
National Security.
You may proceed, Minister.
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, as I was stating, in addition
SailGP for 2024 is still waiting to be announced. This involves key stakeholders such as Bermuda Police
Service, Bermuda Fire and Rescue Services, Medical,
such as Bermuda Hospitals Board and St. John Ambulance, and, subject to type of event, other government
entities meeting with the organisers to ensure that they are in compliance with the applicable legislation and
regulations.

Uniform Services Training Programme

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Uniform
Services have been challenged with filling entry level officer posts with Bermudians. With the assistance of
the Uniform Services, the Ministry will embark on a Uniform Service Training Programme aimed to prepare
Bermudians for f uture recruitment exercises. The programme will provide academics, familiarisation with
legislation as it pertains to departments, department -
led courses focusing on operation and a fitness programme. The cohort will also have the opportunity to rotate throughout the departments to obtain hands -on
experience and will also provide insight into their career of choice. It is intended that the initial programme will
train 10 candidates with the aim to expand the programme in 2025/26.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the staff at the Ministry of National
Security Headquarters for their hard work and dedica-tion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I will now move on to Head 6, which is Defence.
[Pause]
HEAD 6 —DEFENCE
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased
to present the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Head 6, Defence, which can be found on pages B -
266 through B -270 of the Current Account Estimates
Book.

Mission Statement and Objective



Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the mission of
the Department of Defence, more commonly known as
the Royal Bermuda Regiment, is to Protect Bermuda’s
Interests.
Mr. Chairman, their objectives include the following:
a. Force Protection. [These are the] measures
and means to minimise the vulnerability of personnel, resources and activities from threats
and hazards.
b. Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief. [This is]
the organised response to alleviate the results
of a catastrophe, the consequences of which
put lives and livelihoods at risk. And exceeds
the responsible agencies’ ability to cope using
its resources.
c. State Ceremonial. Provide state ceremonial
and musical support for the Government and to
promote Bermuda through ceremonial parades, national events and musical displays.
d. International Assistance. Upon request, the
Regiment will provide military skills and resources to assist the UN, NATO, regional or international Peace Support Operations or training thereby enhancing Bermuda’s reputation in the international community.
e. Enhancing Bermudian Society. The Regiment will continue to provide an important role in
supporting the integration and development of
Bermudian society.
f. Coast Guard. [The Coast Guard will] secure
Bermuda’s territorial waters out to 12 nautical
miles and eventually to defend the EEZ up to
200 nautical miles.
Mr. Chairman, Head 6 comprises the Defence
Department and the Royal Bermuda Regiment (or the Regiment as we refer to it). The Regiment’s irreplacea-ble role is to provide operational and [surge] capacity to
support Bermuda, the Government and its people in
routine matters or in terms of emergency.

Mandate
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, under the authority of the Defence Act 1965, the Royal Bermuda
Regiment’s mandate is to be a military force maintaining the necessary standards of manpower, training and
equipment to enable it to protect Bermuda’s interest at
home and overseas.
The Regiment conducts its training and operations whilst also acting as a centre of excellence for all Bermudians and residents to be able to personally and
professionally develop while serving their country.

Current Account Funding

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Regiment’s budget allocation for 2024/25 as compared to 2023/24 is as follows, which I will further explain on
page B -268.
The original estimate for 2023/24 was
$8,558,000. The estimate for 2024/25 is $8,827,000.
This is an increase of $269,000, or a 3 per cent change.

General Summary
(Page B -268)

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the original
budget for 2023/24 was $8,558,000. The Royal Bermuda Regiment was able to maintain the original
budget throughout the financial year. The budget estimate for 2024/25 is $8,827,000 which is an increase of
$269,000 or a 3 per cent increase. The increase is attributable to an increase in full -time staff salaries, part -
time wages, and transport, travel and operational ex-penses. This increase will allow the Royal Bermuda
Regiment to return to its original full -time equivalent
and allow the Regiment to support the aforementioned
training and operations in accordance with the commanding officer’s directive.

Business Unit 16000, Finance: $343,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The Finance cost centre covers the Defence Department which holds the civilian
full-time staff and the accounting function for the Regiment. The 2024/25 budget estimate is $343,000. This
is an increase of $30,000 or 10 per cent. This is attributed to the negotiated cost of living increase for unionised BPSU [Bermuda Public Services Union] BIU
[Bermuda Industrial Union] staff.
Business Unit 16005, Recruitment: $115,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Recruitment cost centre covers the advertising, promotion and local training expenses. The 2024/25 budget estimate
is $115,000, which is an increase of $2,000, or 2 per
cent over the 2023/24 financial year. The sole contrib-utor to this i ncrease is part -time pay for soldiers acting
as recruiters.

Business Unit 16010, Regimental Headquarters:
$4,455,000
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Regimental Headquarters cost centre covers all of the Regiment
full-time equivalents for Defence, Head 6, as well as liabilities such as employee -related expenses, marine
fleet, vehicle fleet and public liability insurances. The
2024/25 budget estimate is $4,455,000 which is an increase of $320,000, or 8 per cent, over the 2023/24 financial year. This increase is to account for an increase
in full- time equivalent salaries, rising insurance costs
and increases to medi cal costs for the full -time equivalent staff.

666 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Business unit 16020, Quartermaster Headquarters:
$1,512,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the quartermaster cost centre overs all the operational and logistical services for the Royal Bermuda Regiment in relation to facilities for land and sea forces. The 2024/25
budget estimate is $1,512,000, which is an increase of
$11,000 or 1 per cent over the 2023/24 financial year.
This is due to an increase in the wages for part -time
staff and increases to the supply chain costs.

Business Unit 16030, Ceremonial: $288,000.
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Ceremonial cost centre covers the ceremonial and the Human-itarian and Disaster Relief [HADR] training expenses. The 2024/25 budget estimate is $288,000, and remains
unchanged from fiscal year 2023/24.

Business unit 16040, Internal Security: $225,000.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Internal
Security cost centre covers the training expenses related to internal security and Military Aid to Civil Author-ity [MACA]. The 2024/25 budget estimate is $225,000,
which is an increase of $14,000, or 7 per cent, over the
2023/24 financial year. This is due to an increase in the
part-time soldiers’ wages plus an increased number of
troops within the unit.

Business Unit 16060, Bermuda Cadet Corp Junior
Leaders Programme: $52,000.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Cadet Corp programme cost centre covers the training and youth engagement of the Junior Leaders pro-gramme. As part of the curriculum, staff of the Royal
Bermuda Regiment facilitate adventure training, drill,
camp craft and similar military activities to young Bermudians below the age of military enlistment. The main
aim is to enhance the leadership and decision- making
skills of school -age cadets in order to make them better
citizens. The programme runs weekly throughout the
school year and incorporates meetings, weekend
camps and an annual exercise. The 2024/25 budget
estimate is $52,000, which remains unchanged from
the 2023/24 financial year.

Business Unit 16075, Overseas Camp: $695,000.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, this year the
overseas camp will take place in North Carolina in April
2024. Since the formation of the unit, the two- week
overseas camp has been the culmination of the annual training cycle and remains a mandated requirement by the Governor . The exercise provides tangible evidence
that the Royal Bermuda Regiment is fit for its role and
able to operate at the scale and intensity required to complete its mission and tasks. The complexity and
range of activities conducted on land and at sea are not
possible to achieve within the confines of Bermuda. Therefore it is essential that the camp is conducted
abroad. It is also a primary component in the retention of Royal Bermuda Regiment personnel. The 2024/25
budget estimate is $695,000, a $125,000, or 15 per
cent, decrease over the 2023/24 financial year. This
decrease is attributed to a cheaper charter flight cost
as this year’s overseas camp will be in North Carolina
rather than the camp being held in Guyana in 2023.


Business Unit 16080, Training and Validation:
$535,000.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Training
and Validation cost centre covers the expenses related
to the training of recruits and promotion courses. To ensure our military personnel are current, qualified and
competent it is essential that the selection and training
system provides development and assessment opportunities at all levels , for all specialisms. The Training
and Validation budget ensures these courses and qualifications are delivered in the most appropriate and cost-effective way possible , only seeking external instruction when it is not possible through local resources. All routine training exercises subscribe to the
UK Armed Forces recognised assurance system, the
Defence System Approach to Training, to ensure safety
and consistency. The 2024/25 budget estimate is
$535,000, which is an increase of $4,000, or 1 per cent,
to account for an uplift in the part -time soldiers’ wages.

Business Unit 16085, Marine Operations: $607,000.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, moving along,
the Marine Operations cost centre covers the costs as-sociated with the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast
Guard’s operating expenses and part -time wages. The
unit has 12 full - time soldiers and two officers. They are
supported by par t-time staff who train and operate on
weekends and public holidays in order to provide safety and security on and in Bermuda’s waters 24 hours a
day throughout the year. In 2024/25 the budget esti-mate is $607,000, which is an increase of $12,000, or
2 per cent, from the 2023/24 financial year. This is due
to an increase demand for part -time staff and an uplift
in part -time soldiers’ wages.

Subjective Analysis
Current Account Estimates
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I would like
now to address page B -269 of the Current Account Estimates. This page includes the Subjective Analysis of
Current Account Estimates and the employee numbers
or full -time equivalents. Mr. Chairman, 10 of the object
codes see no change in estimates for financial year


Bermuda House of Assembly 2024/25 over the original budget of 2023/24. I will therefore limit my comments to the other five that have been
changed.
Salaries increased by $343,000, or 9.0 per
cent, to reflect a 6.75 per cent salary uplift for two years
retroactive pay and for the 2024/25 financial year, and
filling of four full -time staff.
Wages increased by $68,000, or 3 per cent,
which also reflected an uplift in wages for part -time soldiers. Please note that the full -time and part -time staff
of the Royal Bermuda Regiment have not received this
cost of living uplift and retroactive pay as the other unionised staff have already received. The Royal Bermuda Regiment mirrors its pay increase with the Bermuda Police Service who are currently in negotiations.
It is expected that they will receive this uplift in budget
year 2024/25, hence the incr ease to salaries and
wages.
Mr. Chairman, the following object codes have
been reduced in order to help meet the funding need for salaries and wages. Transport was reduced by $9,000, or 20 per cent, and represents a reduction in
maintenance cost of the Royal Bermuda Regiment vehicle fleet. Travel has been reduced by $116,000, or
22 per cent. This is in anticipation of a lower cost for
this year’s charter flight for the Royal Bermuda Regiment overseas camp in North Carolina as the travel distance is shorter and will use less fuel.
Clothing, uniforms and laundry has been reduced by $25,000, or 12 per cent. The Royal Bermuda
Regiment will look to prioritise its procurement process and defer orders to the next financial year.
Materials and Supplies has increased by
$5,000, or 1 per cent, to assist in ongoing maintenance
costs of the facilities.
Employee numbers. Mr. Chairman, the Regiment currently employs 39 full -time staff and four civilians. This brings the total full -time equivalents to 43
which is reflected on budget page B -269. The Regiment has successfully filled all Coast Guard full -time
equivalents. A difficult decision has been made to re-move the training officer and orderly room clerk in order
to meet budget ceilings for 2024/25. In addition to the full-time staff, the Regiment’s part -time strength is 258.
This brings the total numbers to 298.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to invite you to turn
your attention to page C -7, Capital Development and
page C -15, Capital Acquisitions.

Capital Development and Capital Acquisitions

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The Regiment’s 2023/24
Capital Development and Acquisitions and 2024/25 allocations are as follows:
In 2023/24, for Development we had $350,000.
For Acquisitions in 2023/24 it was $191,000. For the upcoming fiscal year of 2024/25, our [Capital] Development will be $750,000 and our Capital Acquisitions will
be $229,000. Mr. Chairman, the Capital Development plan
for 2023/24 on page C -7, saw the renovation and collaboration with the Works and Engineering of the warrant officers and sergeants mess bathrooms with the
addition of a female bathroom inclusive of showers.
With regard to the acquisition plan for 2023/24,
on page C -15, $164,000 is being used to start the replacement of outmoded shelter systems. This replace-ment is required to ensure emergency preparedness.
The remaining $27,000 is being used for the replacement of the residential equipment.
Mr. Chairman, the Capital Development plan
for 2024/25 on page C -7 of $750,000 is allocated to
start construction of the Coast Guard maintenance shed and classroom. This facility will assist the Regiment Coast Guard team to maintain all water assets as
well as provide a facility to carry out classroom training.
The [Capital] Acquisition plan for 2024/25 on page C -
15 of $200,000 will see the completion of the replacement of shelter systems. A further $29,000 is allocated
for the replacement of boat equipment.

Mission and Roles
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, under direction of the Governor as Commander in Chief and in
consultation with the Minister of National Security, the Regiment’s finances are used to execute its mission of
protecting Bermuda’s interests. The Regiment
achieves this mission t hrough mandated tasks and services as follows:

Coast Guard

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased
to report that the World Bermuda Regiment Coast
Guard has completed three successful years of operations. The Coast Guard represents a continued commitment by the Government to provide safety and security on and in Bermuda’s wat ers for recreational users and those who depend on our blue economy. Dur-ing the last 12 months the Coast Guard conducted
1,066 patrols, observed over 14,356 vessels, conducted 91 search and rescue missions, and enforced
environmental protection laws. These are significant
achievements from a relatively small resource. Working
with local and international partners, including the US
Coast Guard, HMS Coast Guard, and the Royal Navy,
the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard continues to prov ide the following services:
• search and rescue, or recovery;
• interdiction or illegal maritime operations;
• deterring criminal activity on the water;
• enforcement of natural resource regulations;
• enforcing regulations in relation to maritime border and port security.
Mr. Chairman, the Regiment is also mandated
to conduct the following duties:
668 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Force Protection. These are the means and
measures to minimise the vulnerability of people, infrastructure and high- value assets from threats and hazards. This ranges from military security and public order to explosive ordnance disposal.
Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief. This is
the organised military response to alleviate the results
of a man- made or natural catastrophe, the consequences of which put lives and livelihoods at risk. Ranging from hurricanes to oil spills and fires, the priorities are saving life, relieving suffering, limiting dam-age, restoring essential services and setting the conditions for recovery.
Ceremonial. The Regiment provides the only
local professional standard military band and accompanying troops to conduct national ceremonial and civic
events.
International Assistance. Upon request, the
Regiment can provide military skills and resources to
assist the UN, NATO and regional Peace Support Operations or training which enhances Bermuda’s reputa-tion in the international community.
Enhancing Bermudian Society. Since its inception, the Royal Bermuda Regiment has provided an im-portant role by supporting the integration and develop-ment of Bermudian society in the form of the following:
• a common military experience for volunteers
from across Bermuda’s society;
• the opportunity to enhance life and vocational
skills through direct provision of training or
providing funding support for specific qualifications;
• involvement in regimental and wider commu-nity sporting and social activities;
• youth engagement through Junior Leaders,
and in particular in partnership with the Ber-muda Police Service, the facilitation of the Outward Bound Adventure Training Centre.
Mr. Chairman, the Regiment conducts the majority of these tasks in partnership with or in support of
other Government departments, specifically, the Emergency Measures Organisation [EMO], Maritime Operations Centre, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Customs, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team, the Bermuda Police Service, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, and the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

Output Measures and Objectives
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Regiment
received 13 volunteers in the July 2023 recruit camp.
From February 11 through 23, Mr. Chairman, 18 volunteers successfully underwent the first recruit camp of
2024. There will be an additional recruit camp in summer of 2024 when the Regiment will aim to bring in an
additional 25 new volunteer recruits.
In July 2023, the Regiment sent a contingent of
120 soldiers to Guyana to represent Bermuda in Exercise Tradewinds 2023. In February 2024, they dis-patched a training team to deliver sub- lethal Public Order training to the seven- nation Regional Security Service based in Barbados.

Major Achievements in 2023/24
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in addition to
its public roles including the continued development of the Coast Guard, the Royal Bermuda Regiment has
• actively pursued the Government’s commitment to Blue Shield;
• implemented recommendations from thirdparty assurance of their Coast Guard by the UK
Ministry of Defence;
• paraded in London as part of the Royal Coro-nation in May 2023;
• assessed all personnel on acceptable behaviours as part of an annual training cycle;
• hosted the British Overseas Territories Com-manding Officers Conference in May 2023.

2024/25 Goals and Plans

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, looking forward to 2024/25 the Royal Bermuda Regiment is looking to do the following:
• On the 14
th of April 2024 the Regiment will be
sending up to 160 soldiers to North Carolina for their annual overseas camp to develop advance soldiering and technical skills alongside
other Overseas Territories Regiments.
• Send an attachment to Barbados to attend Exercise Tradewinds 2024 as mentors for Public
Order and Explosive Ordinance Disposal [EOD] training.
• In June 2024, the Royal Bermuda Regiment
will be hosting another chainsaw training module delivered by Kingswood, a UK -based company. This training will not only benefit the Regiment but will also assist the Department of
Parks who certify chainsaw operators.
• Participate in the Birmingham [International]
Tattoo in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Regiment Band has been invited to participate in
the Tattoo which has been running for the past
30 years. Participation will put Bermuda and the Royal Bermuda Regiment and Band on the
world stage as the Tattoo will see 6,000 various
supporters, spectators at each performance.
• Maximise recruiting efforts toward 360 or more
personnel and explore other long- term recruiting options such as expending Junior Leaders
or reintroducing the Cadet programme.
• Increase the number of passes of all annual
training tests by 10 per cent. As part of the retention and development plan of its full -time
and part -time staff, the Royal Bermuda


Bermuda House of Assembly Regiment will be sending soldiers on the following courses which will assist them with their
military career and advancement: Commissioning course; advance drill course; all -arms
drill course; intermediate command staff
course; advance command staff course; explosive ordinance disposal; physical training instructor course; live fire technical training; urban operators instructors’ course.

Closing Remarks

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, this past year
has showcased our Regiment as a force of professionalism, reliability, and adaptability both ashore and afloat
within Bermuda and alongside Caribbean allies. They have notably enhanced the Coast Guard unit’s opera-tional capabilities while offering substantial personal
and professional growth opportunities for our soldiers.
The year has reaffirmed the Royal Bermuda
Regiment stature as a steadfast, honourable and
skilled entity delivering critical services to Bermuda in
regular periods and emergencies on both land and sea.
Continuing a 125- year military tradition, our Regiment
stands as a key pillar within our community and a
source of collective pride for all of us.
Mr. Chairman, I am thankful to the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Beasley, who is due to retire from the military at the end of May, as
well as the entire team at the Royal Bermuda Regiment
for their commitment and dedication.
Mr. Chairman, I now look to move on to Head
7, the Bermuda Police Service.

Good afternoon, Members. Good afternoon, members of the listening public. We are in the Committee of Supply for the Estimates of Revenue and
Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The debate on today
is in relation to the budget for the Ministry of National
Security for which there are six heads, Heads 83, 6, 7,
12, 25 and 45.
We are currently in the hands of Minister Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security who has
concluded Heads 83 and [6] of his presentation and he
will now go on to Head 7 in relation to the police.
Minister, you have the floor.

HEAD 7 —BERMUDA POLICE SERVICE
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman,
and good afternoon.
Mr. Chairman, I move on to Head 7, the Bermuda Police Service.
Mr. Chairman, Honourable Members, I am
pleased to present the current account estimate for the
Bermuda Police Service, Head 7, which can be found
on pages B -271 through B -275 of the E stimates of Revenue and E xpenditure book. Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Police Service’s mission is Making Bermuda
safer .
The objectives of the service are to
• maintain the confidence of the community;
• treat all persons fairly, with dignity and respect;
• protect vulnerable victims;
• reduce crime, particularly focusing on serious
crime and gang- related criminality;
• reduce antisocial behaviour; and
• enhance road safety.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Police Service
[BPS] carries out its objectives by aligning its
670 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly organisational structure to maintain its community
safety agenda and the prevention of criminal risk (locally and internationally) through a funded establishment of 4 73 employees. (That is on page B -274.) This
represents a decrease of 19 police officers (full -time
equivalents) over the original budget for 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, the BPS continues to advance
its 2021– 2026 Strategic and Operational Plan. This will
allow several key initiatives to progress.
The B ermuda Police Service Gang Targeting
Team continues to work with the Ministry of National
Security’s Gang Violence Reduction Team to reduce
the threat in this area and seek s to divert persons from
gang- related criminality. However, significant risk to the
community remains from gun/gang- related violence
and the BPS continues to strive to deter such acts
through effective use of intelligence and specialist policing.
Staffing of the previous marine section, on a
temporary basis, continues to support the Coast Guard
as it journeys toward its full complement of staff.
The BPS continues its work regarding standards of professional behaviour and anti -corruption policy and procedure to which relevant best practice is utilised by the National Anti -Corruption Committee in support of other government departments and the United
Nations Anti -Corruption Self -Assessment for Bermuda.
The BPS also continues its work in support of
the National Anti -Money Laundering Committee
(NAMLC) to prevent financial crime, money laundering
and counter -terrorism funding, with a strategic focus to
maintain its excellent Caribbean Financial Action Task
Force [CFATF] grading.
The BPS further continues its work in support
of the National Cybersecurity Governance Board to
prevent and respond to cybersecurity matters and
maintain Bermuda’s reputation as a premier interna-tional financial jurisdiction.
The BPS is working to implement a framework
for greater multi -agency collaboration on the problem
of domestic abuse. We seek to enhance communica-tion and improve training with a view to improving service and reducing victimisation.

Expenditure Overview

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I will now draw
your attention to the current account estimates for
Head 7, which can be found on page B -272. A total of
$64,838,000 has been allocated for Head 7 for the financial year 2024/25. This represents an increase of
$2,238,000, a 4 per cent increase, over the budget for
the previous financial year. Mr. Chairman, in order to
meet its responsibilities and mandate, the Bermuda Police Service operates six programmes:
• Programme 0701—Commissioner’s Office;
• Programme 0702 —Corporate Services Division; • Programme 0703—Community Policing Division;
• Programme 0704— Support Services Division;
• Programme 0708— Serious Crime Division;
and
• Programme 0710— Bermuda Reserve Police.
Mr. Chairman, I will now address each programme and business unit as set out on page B -272.

Programme 0701: Commissioner’s Office

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Commissioner’s Office is in Business Unit 17000 and has an
estimate for the fiscal year 2024/25 of $50,161,000.
This represents an increase of $3,011,000, a 6 per cent
increase, from the fiscal year 2023/24. The increase was required to meet salary and wage increases that
came into effect during the 2023/24 financial year as
well as further salary and wage increases expected in
the 2024/25 financial year. Despite a 6 per cent increase in this budget, it was necessary to severely reduce the overtime budget to accommodate a necessary increase in police officers. As there is a direct correlation between manpower and overtime, it is our mission to make the cuts work with no diminishment of operational effectiveness.

Programme 0702: Corporate Services Division

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Corporate
Services Division has an estimate for the fiscal year
2024/25 of $6,505,000. This represents a decrease of
$402,000, or 6 per cent decrease from the fiscal year
2023/24. The budget decrease in this division is a compilation of decreases in:
• Business Unit 17010, Human Resources, a decrease of $46,000;
• Business Unit 17020, Finance and Administra-tion, a decrease of $51,000;
• Business Unit 17025, Information Management Services, a decrease of $214,000;
• Business Unit 17190, Training and Development, a decrease of $41,000; and
• Business Unit 17310, Uniform Stores, a de-crease of $50,000.

Programme 0703: Community Policing Division
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Community Policing Division has an estimate for the fiscal year
2024/25 of $2,161,000. This represents an immaterial
decrease of $4,000. Of interest, however, is that Eastern Area Command and Western Area Command are
merged into the Community Policing Unit. This change
was made to reflect policing operations more accurately as one Business Unit.

Programme 0704: Support Services Division



Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Support
Services Division has an estimate for the fiscal year
2024/25 of $3,305,000. This represents a decrease of
$183,000, or 5 per cent, from the original budget for fiscal year 2023/24.

Programme 0708: Serious Crime Division

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Serious
Crime Division has an estimate for the fiscal year 2024/25 of $2,424,000. This represents a decrease of $159,000, or 6 per cent, from the 2023/24 original
budget.

Programme 0710: Bermuda Police Reserves
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Police Reserves has an estimate for the fiscal year
2024/25 of $282,000, down $50,000 based on the original 2023/24 budget but no change from the revised
budget which was effective from the 1
st of April 2023.
The Police Reserves support frontline officers
on watches, working both full day and full night shifts to
support Bermuda Police Service delivery. They are
equipped at the same level as career officers and trained in most aspects of patrol response duties.
Given the current staffing levels on the career side of the BPS, without the Reserves, the BPS would struggle
to keep up with the patrol and response policing aspects of its service delivery. The Police Reserves are
to be commended for their dedication and commitment to making Bermuda safer, particularly as they are a volunteer organisation with each of their members having full-time jobs.

Subjective Analysis
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I would now
like to address page B -273 of the current account estimates. This page includes the subjective analysis of
current account estimates and revenue summary.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, salaries constitute 77 per cent of the Bermuda Police Service
budget with the bulk attributed to police officers. This fiscal year, we have seen a $3,432,000,
or 7 per cent increase, bringing the salaries budget to
$50,207,000. The increase in the salaries budget is due to arise from bargaining agreements which cover salaries, benefits and overtime —the latter being t he most
significant cost driver. Overtime expenses, largely due
to maintaining the minimum staffing levels required on
public holidays, have been cut and the Bermuda Police
Service has reallocated these savings to support overall salary expenses. The BPS w ill continue to look for
avenues to innovatively reduce overtime costs further.
This financial strategy requires a critical re- evaluation to ensure efficient use of resources while maintaining
high standards of safety and service.

Revenue Summary

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, largely from
vetting applications, security guard and firearms licens-ing fees, the Bermuda Police Service has estimated
that it will collect $698,000, in line with the 2023/24 orig-inal estimate. There is no increase in revenue generating fees for the 2024/25 financial year.

Employee Numbers (Full -Time Equivalents)
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the funded
employee numbers, or full -time equivalents, decreased
by 19 over the original amount from 2023/24 to 473. Despite active recruitment during the 2023/24 financial
year, the BPS did not achieve its recruitment goal.
Compounding this problem, natural attrition has further
contributed to low police numbers. Nevertheless, the BPS is determined to boost policing numbers in our efforts to ensure the BPS has sufficient funded posts to
meet current demands.
As of February 2024, the BPS was staffed by
360 police officers (the lowest number in more than 30
years) and 62 support staff. The BPS is 40 police officers below the agreed funded establishment. This shortfall significantly impacts policing activity in response to
crime, as well as the welfare of officers who deliver the
service. This Government is committed to raising the
number of police officers and has approved another re-cruitment drive for 2024. Recruitment efforts are ex-pected to yield about 25 off icers this financial year.
However, we anticipate that attrition (largely due to retirement age) will reduce the number of officers by 32,
for a net loss of 7 officers.
I take this opportunity to encourage Bermudians to really consider an exciting career in the Bermuda
Police Service. There will always be room for suitably
qualified Bermudians to join our Police Service.

2023/24 Accomplishments

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I will now
speak to some of the accomplishments the Bermuda
Police Service had in 2023/24.

Operation Vega
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, since the inception of Operation Vega on the 1
st of July 2021, the
Bermuda Police Service has issued over 12,144 traffic
tickets and 2,781 Motorist Advice Notices. Additionally, the Bermuda Police Service has increased its communications with the public around road safety through
mainstream media and social media platforms. The department looks forward to seeing how this level of
672 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly engagement will positively affect driver behaviour and
ultimately reduce the number of collisions on our roads.

New Recruit Foundation Course

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in the 2023/24
financial year, 17 new officers started their careers with
the Bermuda Police Service. These new officers
brought much needed resources to the ranks of the
BPS and enhanced our operational capacity to meet
our mandate.
Mr. Chairman, I will now provide this Honourable House with some sobering statistics on what the
Bermuda Police Service dealt with over the calendar
year January to December 2023.

Thank you, Minister .
The Minister is just taking a quick pause during
his presentation and will be continuing in a moment on
Head 7 in relation to the Police. And for those following
in the bundle, in the Budget Book, we were [on page] B-273.
Minister, when you are ready to continue,
please do so.
Thank you, Minister Michael Weeks.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, as I started to say, we will . . .
the police will give some sobering statistics over the last
calendar year.
Mr. Chairman, in making Bermuda safer, between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023, the
BPS responded to 13,171 events or incidents. Included
in that figure, the BPS responded to an average of twenty 911 calls every day.
Mr. Chairman, there were 2,078 arrests during
the period. Notably, 264, or 13 per cent, involved the
arrest of an impaired driver. Mr. Chairman, 3,584
crimes were recorded and investigated, including four
murders, three of which were committed using a firearm.
Mr. Chairman, the BPS dealt with 1,106 road
traffic collisions, of which 13 were fatalities and 113 involved serious injury. In the last 10 years, Mr. Chairman, 118 persons have died on our roads and 1,017
have been seriously injured. Mr. Chairman, 7,342 traffic
tickets were issued, with 1,834 tickets issued for speed. Of note is that 443 of the speeding tickets were issued
for persons driving more than 70 kilometres per hour,
or double the speed limit . . . 7,342 traffic tickets were
issued; 1,834 tickets issued for speed.
Mr. Chairman, Stop and Search is a powerful
tool that allows Police Officers to stop, question and if required search persons for weapons. The tool is used
proportionately as and when tensions, particularly gang
tensions, increase. The BPS issued 1,133 Stop and Search forms in an effort to reduce opportunities for violence.
Gang Violence
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Police Service is the law enforcement entity responsi-ble for preventing and detecting crime and have adopted a robust approach to tackling gang and gun
violence. As early as 2009 the Bermuda Police Service
recognised the signific ant challenge of tackling gangs
and guns and that it required high levels of community engagement, as enforcement alone could not address
the systemic issues. Since 2009 the BPS has made several adjustments in response to the gun and gang
problem and conti nues to evolve with a focus on leveraging community support and technology to assist in
bringing offenders to justice.
Mr. Chairman, the BPS continues to deliver its
Gang Violence Reduction Strategy with a core focus on partnership. It consists of three pillars:
• Prevent and Deter (which is Education and
Awareness);
• Catch and Convict (which is targeting and sup-pression); and
• Resettlement and Rehabilitation (which is collaboration).
Mr. Chairman, the pillar of prevent and deter is
to stop young offenders escalating into prolific offenders and to prevent children and young people from be-coming involved in criminality in the first place. The
BPS deploys a school resource officer, primar ily to the
senior schools, who meets with school guidance counsellors, teachers and students to build relationships
and share information that is used to ease tensions.
Additionally, opportunities to mediate disputes and model effective problem- solving are implemented.
Mr. Chairman, with Catch and Convict, the
BPS deploys a Police Support Unit and a Gang Targeting Unit that are primarily focused on disruption and enforcement activity, specifically as it relates to those involved with gangs. This year has seen several large
scale drug seizures, the street value of which exceeds
$30 million. All that revenue was destined for criminals who are often engaged with violent crime and might
have used the proceeds of the drug sales to purchase
firearms. Further, the approach with our partners is to
focus on the same key groups of offenders who are
causing the most crime. The BPS chairs the inter -
agency gang enforcement team that provides an opportunity for information- sharing and collaborative enforcement efforts.
Mr. Chairman, with Rehabilitate and Resettle,
the BPS chairs the multi -agency offender management
team that provides ongoing assessment and supervision for high- risk offenders. The aim is to encourage
effective rehabilitation and resettlement of persons
leaving the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Mr. Chairman, the BPS continues to adapt and
evolve in tackling the issues of gangs with the necessary emphasis on an evidence- based approach to policing. This includes the use of information, intelligence


Bermuda House of Assembly and lessons learned. This has resulted in multiple arrests for murder and firearms -related offences, as well
as significant seizures of firearms.

Murder Investigation of Note

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Police Service has a very robust investigative unit, one
that is faced with having to solve many problematic
murders. One case in particular was that of Ms.
Chavelle Dillon Burgess, whose case began as a miss-ing person report and led to a murder inquiry. Despite
the absence of the victim’s body, the investigation
never waivered and a conviction was eventually obtained for her murder.
Of note, Mr. Chairman, is that the relentless
pursuit of justice in this case should inspire hope for all in abusive relationships. This case serves as a poignant reminder that the Bermuda Police Service is deeply
invested in ensuring justice is served, even in the most
challenging circumstances. Furthermore, it sends a clear warning to those who engage in violence particularly against vulnerable persons, that they will be tenaciously pursu ed and brought to justice.

2024/25 Plans

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in keeping
with our mission statement of Making Bermuda safer ,
the Bermuda Police Service will engage in the following during the next fiscal year:

Policing Issues for 2024/25
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the scourge of
gang and gun violence continues to play out in our com-munity. Sadly, we have seen males and females as young as 14 involved in violent exchanges, often using
knives to resolve their disputes. The Bermuda Police
Service is currently and will continue to temporarily divert resources from community policing to bolster its enforcement efforts to catch and convict those involved
in these crimes. However, this cannot be sustained.
Until we as a community examine and act on the issues that would cause our young people to think that arming
themselves, stabbing or shooting another person is an
appropriate way to solve a dispute, we will continue to
experience tragic and unnecessary violence and death
in our community.
Mr. Chairman, the summer months will bring
challenges to community safety across the Island as residents and visitors seek to socialise in larger numbers on beaches, at sports events, on the water and
within bars and restaurants. These challenges will include, but are not limited to, increased tensions and
risks between gangs, antisocial behaviour, residential
and beach parties and drink driving. Additionally, Mr.
Chairman, vagrancy and its associated crime is having
an impact on the look and feel of Bermuda , particularly in the City of Hamilton. Business owners and the com-munity in general have indeed made several complaints about how this behaviour affects them. They
speak of lost revenue, intimidation, and the safety of
unaccompanied women in particular. While the roots of
this complex social problem are well beyond the capability of policing alone to address, the Bermuda Police
Service is committed to dealing with the crimes that are
reported, while working with our partners to pursue
longer term solutions.

New Initiatives in the [Police] Service
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Police Service has a Strategic and Operational Plan for the period 2021 –2026 with five key priorities:
• reducing serious crime;
• protecting vulnerable persons;
• raising confidence in the police;
• reducing harm on our roads; and
• developing digital policing. Additionally, seven Strategic Ambitions have
been set to support members of the BPS in achieving
their full potential and assisting their professional development. The plan will be governed by the Bermuda
Police Service Strategic Executive Group. The seven
strategic ambitions include:
• A revised performance development record
(PDR) structure enabling greater self -development and professional progress in the BPS.
• A revised Culture Board structure. Introduction
of “champions” across the service representing
key groups and departments to reflect and de-velop organisational culture.
• A new staff well -being board to address absenteeism and improve organisational health and safety. Increased focus and support towards
issues of well -being including mental health;
• Introduction of a new Recognition and Reward
framework, focusing on committed performance, leadership and going that extra step in
acts of public service.
• The introduction of new leadership and self -development training programmes.
• The introduction of an Equality and Fairness
Board to ensure an open and inclusive BPS,
accountable for decisions and a forum for issues to be raised and acted upon.
• A program of social, sporting and other events across the calendar year to bring colleagues
together.

Capital Projects

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I now move to
page C -7 and Capital Development.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Police Service has
been given $1,124,000 to develop the old Headquarters building in Prospect, Devonshire. Work has been
674 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly carried out on this building on an ad hoc basis over the
last few years. It is our hope to complete these works
and move persons currently housed in rented offices in
Hamilton back to their original office spaces in Prospect. In addition, it is anticipated that senior managers
of the BPS will also be returning to the Prospect Headquarters.
Mr. Chairman, I now move to page C -15, Capital Acquisitions. The budget for 2024/25 is $549,000
for capital acquisitions. The capital acquisition budget
has been allocated as follows:
• $149,000 for the capital project of replacing all
the network switches, most of which are more
than 15 years old. Without these switches, the
BPS network will cease to function, and operations will be critically impacted. Additionally,
due to their age, th ey are vulnerable to cyberattacks.
• $370,000 will allow the replacement of ageing
fleet vehicles. The fleet provides service 24
hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the Is-land. These vehicles experience a tremendous
amount of wear and tear in a short span of
time. This year’s funding will a llow for some of
the uniformed patrol vehicles to be replaced.
• $30,000 is allocated for the ongoing updating
and/or replacing of all the servers and desktop
computers that are used by the 460 persons in
the BPS and who make Bermuda safer.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the current and
capital accounts estimates for Head 7, and I will now
move to Head 12, which is Customs.

While the Minister is just grabbing himself some water, this is the debate of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. We are
currently in the eight hours of scheduled debate for the
Ministry of National Security, and you are hearing from
Minister Mich ael Weeks.
Minister , please continue when ready.

HEAD 12 —CUSTOMS

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, Honourable Members, I am
pleased to present the current account estimate for the Customs Department, Head 12, which can be found on
pages B -276 through B -279 of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure book.
Mr. Chairman, the Customs Department’s mission is Protecting Bermuda’s border and promoting
economic development . The objectives of the department are
• to assess and collect customs duty and fees on
imported goods; • to enforce customs laws and administer other
statutes controlling the international movement of goods and people;
• to prevent the smuggling of drugs and other il-legal commodities, enforcing international conventions for environmental protection and
money laundering, and agency work for Immigration, Health, Transport Control and Environment; and
• to provide information and assistance to the public regarding customs laws and regulations.
Mr. Chairman, the Customs Department’s vision is to be a modern, effective and efficient customs
administration offering professional service to all stakeholders, using international best practices, maximising
revenue collection and protecting the borders of Bermuda. Mr. Chairman, to make this vision a reality, stra-tegic goals have been set for Customs.

Strategic Goal 1: Staffing, Stability and Training

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in order for the
Customs Department to carry out its mission, the department will continue to provide an environment that
supports the highest level of integrity. Enhancing the
department’s integrity as a respected law enforcement
arm of the government is vital to performing our enforcement functions and will continue to be improved
by ongoing training and officer development.

Strategic Goal 2: Legislation and Operation

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, to advance
Customs’ mandate of facilitating legitimate trade, assessing and collecting the government’s revenue and
interdicting drugs and other contraband, the department will continue to review existing legislation and propose enhancements that will progress Customs’ capability to fulfil its mandate in a rapidly changing environ-ment.

Strategic Goal 3: Policy, Procedures and Future
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the department’s Policies and Procedures are a vital portion of its
foundation, and the ongoing programme of updating
these enables continuous improvement and further enhance the department’s already positive work culture
and continues its r esponsiveness to an ever -evolving
environment. Revision of the memorandums of understanding with the department’s law enforcement counterparts will build upon the shared understanding of the
department’s comparable duties, aims and objectives.

Expenditure Overview

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I will now draw
your attention to the current account estimates for
Head 12, which can be found on page B -276. A total of


Bermuda House of Assembly $18,372,000 has been allocated for Head 12 for the financial year 2024/25. This represents an increase of
$676,000, or a 4 per cent increase, over the original
budget for the financial year 2023/24. Mr. Chairman, the Customs Department operates one programme listed as 1201, General, with seven business units. Mr.
Chairman, I will now address the business units as set
out on page B -276.

Business Unit 22030, Airport Arrivals/Travellers

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Airport Arrivals/Travellers has an estimate of $5,112,000. This
represents an increase of $491,000, or 11 per cent.
This increase pertains entirely to staff costs. The amount provided for base salaries has increased by
$387,000. The amount provided for other staff costs (that is overtime and other contractually agreed allowances) has increased by the remaining $104,000.
Much of the cost of the increase is due to two
pay increases which were agreed to since the preparation of the previous budget. The combined effect of
these two pay raises is an increase in expenditure of
4.6 per cent, which expressed in dollar terms accounts
to $213,000. The remaining $278,000, or 5.0 per cent
increase, is primarily attributable to the planned staff increase within this unit of three officers which can be
seen by referring to the employee numbers on page B -
277. Due to an increase in the provision for overtime, it
has become necessary to increase the overtime provisions as air traffic levels have increased since the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Business Unit 22050, Investigations/Audit

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Investigations/Audit has an estimate of $1,069,000. This repre-sents an increase of $146,000, or 16 per cent. Again,
the increase is entirely attributable to staff costs. Forty -
two thousand dollars is caused by pay raises. The remaining $104, 000 is due to a planned increase in staff
by one officer to supplement the post audit unit and an
increase in overtime provision.

Business Unit 22070, Hamilton
Commercial Operations
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Hamilton
Commercial Operations has an estimate of $1,329,000. This represents an increase of $314,000, or 31 per
cent. Forty -seven thousand dollars is caused by pay
raises and the other $267,000 is due to a planned increase in staff by five officers to supplement the post
audit unit in collaboration with the investigation audit
section and with the intent of working on the introduction of export control.

Business Unit 22080, Administration
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Administration
has an estimate of $5,109,000. This represents an in-crease of $26,000, or 1 per cent. The Administration
business unit is deemed the headquarters of the de-partment, and a majority of the operational budget is allocated to this unit. For brevity and to avoid repetition,
I will elaborate upon all of the notable budget changes
during my presentation on page B -277; however, I will
briefly mention that the provision for staff costs in this section decreased by $124,000. This is due to the elimination of manual data input with respect to Bermuda
customs declaration and a reduction in three staff as a
result.

Business Unit 22090, Vessel Clearance

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Vessel Clearance has an estimate of $1,805,000. This represents
an increase of $786,000, or 77 per cent. The significant
increase is merely an administrative one with no underlying changes to the operations. To explain, for several
years betw een 10 and 12 officers assigned to work with
the cruise ships and cargo ships clearance have been
recorded as part of the interdiction section. The Customs Department believes that it is more appropriate to
record and report on these staff under the Vessel Clearance. Functionally, however, there have been no adjustments to how these officers perform their duties as
a direct result of this financial reporting change. In essence, all elements of marine operations interdiction
work are now reported under the Vessel Clearance
business unit.

Business Unit 22100, Interdiction

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Interdiction
has an estimate of $2,781,000. This represents a decrease of $1,213,000, or 30 per cent. The decrease is
mainly due to a redeployment in staff. I have already spoken regarding the on- paper transfer of 10 officers to
the Vessel C learance section. A further five officers
were transferred to the Hamilton Commercial Operations section. In prior years, the courier and post units
which fell under the auspices of the Interdiction section had a two- fold role.
Firstly, they reviewed the Customs declarations and, secondly, they physically inspected the contents of the courier and postal packages. This approach
was both effective and an efficient deployment of re-sources when declarations were submitted in paper
form. Given that all declarations are now submitted
electronically and can therefore be reviewed by officers
stationed anywhere, the Customs Department has
taken the view that it is more sensible to have all documentation reviews conducted by the Commercial Operations section. This allows the courier unit more time to
focus exclusively on the physical inspection of arriving
packages.
676 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The significant increase in volume of declarations for the Commercial Operations section to review,
however, requires that some staff be redeployed from
the courier unit. A further three staff were deployed to
the Airport section and one to the Investigati ons/Audit
section.

Business Unit 22110, Seaport Enforcement Team

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Seaport Enforcement Team has an estimate of $1,167,000. This
represents an increase of $126,000, or 12 per cent.
Aside from the pay raises, the increase is a result of a
planned earlier recruitment in 2024/25 than in 2023/24.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, turning to
page B -277, on the table headed Subjective Analysis
of Current Account Estimates, we see how the allo-cated funds are intended to be spent. [A total of] 84 per cent of the budget, $15,372,000, has been allocated to
pay for salaries , and a further $193,000—

[No audio]

For the benefit of the members of the
listening public, we are now in the Committee of Supply for the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the budget year 2024/25. This is a scheduled eight -hour
debate for the Ministry of National Security, and you have been hearing the submissions by the Minister for National Security, Michael Weeks, in relation to Heads
83, 6, 7, 12, 25 and 45.
Minister , when you are ready to continue,
please continue.
You have the floor. Thank you.
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I mentioned earlier, this increase is due to two
pay raises which were agreed to since the preparation
of the previous budget. The combined effect of these
two pay raises is an increase in expenditure of 4.6 per
cent. If we momentarily turn our attention to the table
headed Employee Numbers Full -Time Equivalents, we
observe a reduction in the number of estimated Customs staff from the 2023/24 original of 184 to the
2024/25 estimate of 180. However, it should be noted
that only 174 positions had full budget ary funding in
2022/23, a difference of 10 full -time equivalents. This
difference was due to the planned recruitments ex-pected to commence partway through the financial year
thereby reducing the planned funding required. As of February 2023, the Customs Department
had 166 staff members due to retirements, resignations
and death and therefore has a need to recruit additional
officers, especially as we move further from the height
of the pandemic and we see an increase in tr avellers
crossing our borders, which inevitably leads to the increased likelihood of legitimate imports as well as attempted smuggling activity.
Mr. Chairman, of the remaining expense lines
the more significant changes are as follows:
Other Personnel Costs are estimated to be
$193,000, an increase of $2,000, or 1 per cent. The
Other Personnel Costs in question are primarily allow-ances provided for customs officers being on- call and
called out . As you will be aware, the Customs Department has to be prepared to respond around the clock
to provide its border control service. From time to time, unscheduled flights and vessels arrive into Bermuda,
and therefore the Customs Department pays an on- call
allowance to retain a skeleton crew to resp ond to emergency out -of-hours calls.
Training costs are estimated to be $13,000, an
increase of $7,000, or 117 per cent. The increase represents additional funding for training to be provided by
an association of certified anti -money laundering specialists. This is in connection with the Cust oms Department’s increasing role in combating cross -border
movements of funds derived from or used to finance
illicit activities.
Travel Costs —

[Crosstalk]

Members, can you please let us hear
the Minister speaking. Thank you.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Travel costs are estimated to be $33,000, an
increase of $19,000, or 136 per cent. One of the impacts of the pandemic has been the reduced ability to
travel. It is anticipated that [travel costs] will increase
during the upcoming financial year as Bermuda Customs participates in the World Customs Organization and Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council
conferences as well as attending overseas training. The department plans to represent Bermuda at the UK
Overseas Territories Sanctions Forum. In previous
years, these trips have been financed by Government
House. However, the department is now expected to
pay for these trips.
Communications costs are estimated to be
$126,000, an increase of $2,000, or 2 per cent. These
costs represent telephone and Internet costs and are not expected to rise significantly above the rate of inflation.
Professional Services are estimated to be
$368,000, an increase of $36,000, or 11 per cent. The
main driver of this increase is due to the expanded use
of retired customs officers to perform immigration


Bermuda House of Assembly primary functions. These support officers have the
training and years of experience but are employed at a
reduced cost rate and on a part -time basis. As a result,
this allows the department to work more efficiently as it frees full -time customs officers fr om performing some
immigration functions and allows them to focus on the
core aspects of the customs officer role.
Rentals are estimated to be $610,000, an increase of $29,000, or 5 per cent. This expense line covers rent for buildings ($595,000) and equipment
($10,000). The Customs Department occupies two buildings for which it pays rent. The first is Customs
House at 131 Front Street which houses its headquarters, administration, commercial operations, investigations and audit sections. During the 2023/24 financial
year, the five- year lease for this facility reached the end
of its term. Consequently, the Estates Depar tment of
Public Works negotiated a new 10- year lease for the
same space. The increase in the rental cost under the new lease is $26,000. Building 110 at Southside is a
replacement for the training and administration space that Customs formerly occupied wit hin the old airport
building. At the airport, Customs only paid $700 per
month for a storage room; however, during the 2022/23
financial year, the department was directed to vacate the airport space as its ongoing operation was costing
the Government .
Repair and Maintenance is estimated to be
$1,202,000, an increase of $58,000, or 5 per cent. This
heading includes software costs and the increase is
due to an additional software maintenance fee. The software in question is a subscription that will allow the
Customs Department access to passenger name record (PNR) data. PNR data is utilised by the Customs Intelligence Unit to expand its traveller risk profiles
which, in turn, allows the department to target its searches and investigations with greater effi cacy.
Energy is estimated to be $130,000, a decrease of $16,000, or 11 per cent. Oil prices during
2022/23 and 2023/24 were unstable and reached new
peaks. It is hoped that fuel costs will remain stable during 2024/25.
Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry are estimated
at $120,000, an increase of $45,000, or 60 per cent. In
recent years, the department has been impacted by
supply chain issues with respect to sourcing uniform
supplies. In 2024/25, there is a pressing need to replenish the inventory of uniform supplies.
Materials and Supplies are estimated at
$204,000, a decrease of $10,000, or 5 per cent. This
category of expense is broad and diverse and includes
office supplies, cleaning supplies, personal protective
equipment, food and supplies for canines, computer
supplies, consumables for detection equipment and
other miscellaneous items. The estimate is reflective of the actual expenditure in the preceding financial period.

2023/24 Accomplishments
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, during
2023/24, the Government of Bermuda was the victim of
a cyberattack. It is worth noting that Bermuda ’s supply
chain and Customs clearance times were minimally im-pacted by last year’s cyberattack. Customs quickly adapted to the outage by implementing a simplified
manual declaration and release system. Normal electronic declaration submission and release i s fully restored.

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Yes. Nothing like it.
During 2023, we have seen a further increase
in the level of travellers arriving into Bermuda. The Customs department processed a total of 348,741 air arrivals during 2023 compared to 273,616, an increase of 75,125 people, or 27 per cent, above the year 2022. A
total of 735 yachts arrived during the year 2023 carrying a total of 3,610 crew. In 2022, 838 yachts and 4,896
crew arrived which can be attributed to a number of regattas.
Protecting our borders requires the Customs
Department to work well with a number of other agencies domestically and internationally. Customs [GIU]
continues to engage in an ad hoc inter -agency working
group initiated for the sharing of targeting- and-seizu re
intelligence data. The working group includes repre-sentatives from the US Drug Enforcement Agency
[DEA], UK National Crime Agency [NCA], Bermuda Police Service, the Canada Border Services Agency
[CBSA], the Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP],
and Homeland Security Investigations [HSI/ ICE]. This group has further improved the response time for foreign requests received and the sharing of information
as it relates to [Immediate Outcome] 2 [IO2].
In June 2023, on invitation of the National Anti -
Money Laundering Committee (NAMLC), two representatives of the Customs Department commenced
participation on the Road to Pipa webinar series hosted
by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. The six -
month road to privacy compliance programme introduced the competent authorities to Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA). PIPA received royal
assent on 27 July 2016 and will come into full implementation on 1 January 2025. [From] September 12
through 14, [2023], on invitation of NAMLC, several
members of the Customs Department attended the
Cryptocurrencies [and] AML compliance training webi-nar presented by Basel Institute on Gover nance. During the fourth quarter of 2023, Customs completed re-search and supplied import data to support the important work of the Bermuda Drug Information Network
(BerDIN). The data was shared with attendees to the 3
November 2023 conference which was held in person
at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. The
conference focused on drug trends, street values, addiction and treatment .

678 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Sanctions Working Group

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: A Customs representative attended a sanctions forum hosted by Government House Bermuda at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), 6 March 2022. The forum
brought together the Overseas Territories and the
Crown Dependencies to learn information and discuss
mutual interest. Whilst most of the materials surrounded the ongoing sanctions related to the Russia
and Ukraine conflict, the UK non- Russia sanctions regimes were also highlighted. In regard to customs matters, there were presentations on asset seizure, information sharing via legal gateways, maritime sanctions
and suspicious activity reporting. Networking with other
Customs officials was very impactful. In addition, there
was an agenda item focusing on technical comp liance
and effectiveness under the FATA standards. Overall,
the knowledge gained assists the Customs Department
to better understand the constantly changing sanctions’
landscape.

Initiatives for 2024/25
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in harmony
with the Customs Department’s strategic goals, the following initiatives are planned:
With respect to Strategic Goal 1, Staffing, Stability and Training, as mentioned earlier the Customs
Department intends to complete promotions and a recruitment exercise during 2024/25. This will bolster the activities across the department, but with parti cular focus being placed on enhancing marine and airport op-erations. The department will continue to utilise the ex-cellent training modules developed by the World Customs Organization, which are provided as part of Ber-muda’s membership. Additionally, Custo ms will engage
with the UK Home Office for strategic planning and
training opportunities.
With respect to Strategic Goal 2, Legislation
and Operational, the Bill in relation to Advance Passenger Name Record [PNR] data is a high priority in the
importance of cross -border movements and security.
Work has already started, and progress on drafting instructions will advance in the coming year. Operation-ally, the department will continue to move toward a
trusted trader programme, where recurring legitimate
importers with a good track record of Customs compliance will benefit from a reduced clearance t ime following a reduced upfront review which will be substituted
with a post -clearance audit.
With respect to Strategic Goal 3, Policy, Procedures and Future, during 2024/25 it is our intention to continue to work to provide support to the National Anti -
Money Laundering Committee in its important work of preventing money laundering and terrorist fi nancing.
Customs plays a highly important role in this area as
the enforcement body responsible for the cross -border
movement of cash and goods. As mentioned earlier, it is also our intention to develop an export control pro-cess which will further mitigate the risk to our reputation
and society arising from money laundering.
The department also worked on three MOUs.
One, Customs signed off on a revised MOU with Immigration this month. Customs is currently preparing a
new MOU with the US Border Control and Bermuda.
And three, the Department is in discussions with the
Director of Registrar preparing a MOU for trade marks
and intellectual property rights.
The department will collaborate with Skyport in
the redevelopment of the Air Cargo Terminal to ensure
that Bermuda has a first -rate, efficient and secure facility to receive air importations. Customs will continue to
meet with developers with the intention of providing
Customs clearance for air passengers using smart phone technology.
Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank the Collector of
Customs, Ms. Lucinda Pearman, and her team for their
continued service to Bermuda. Mr. Chairman, this concludes the current and capital estimates for Head 12,
and I will now move to Head 25, the Department of Corrections.

Thank you, Minister .
This is the Committee of Supply for Estimates
of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. This is an eight -hour debate in relation to the budget for the
Ministry of National Security which is due to conclude
at 8:15 this evening. We have been hearing from the
Honourable Minister Michael Weeks in relation to
Heads 83, 6, 7, 12 and 25. And I believe the Minister is
now going to move on to . . . in fact, now he is going to
move on to [Head] 25. Is that right, Minister?
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Yes, sir.

Thank you. Please continue.
[Pause]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I
just had to get a bit of water.

HEAD 25 —DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to present fiscal [year] 2024/25 estimates of expenditure for Head 25—the Department of Corrections, which are found on pages B -280 through B -283 of the
approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure book. The Department of Correction’s mission is To protect
the public and provide rehabilitative services . The department objectives are to
• strive to maintain high standards of security, as this is essential to the safe operation of our facilities;
• provide a humane but demanding regime
aimed at reducing re- offending by presenting


Bermuda House of Assembly inmates with a range of opportunities in which
reward is linked to effort, incentives and earned
privileges to prepare for life after release; and
• aim to have robust and disciplined regimes and systems in place in order to achieve operation efficiency at all levels.
The department carries out its objectives by
providing rehabilitative services across its three inmate facilities, employing a high level of security to ensure
the safety of its staff, inmates and the community.
Mr. Chairman, the current account estimates
for Head 25 begin on page B -280. A total of
$25,727,000 has been allocated for Head 25 for fiscal year 2024/25. This represents an increase of $835,000,
or 3 per cent, over the original budget for fiscal year
2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, at present there are 174 full -
time staff. The 2024/25 estimate of 256 full -time equivalents is incorrect and should reflect 230 full -time
equivalents which will be funded in the 2024/25 fiscal year. The variances are due to retirements, promo tions
and resignations. In addition to full -time employees, the
budget will fund facilitators and teachers for inmate programmes. The 2023/24 revised full -time equivalents reflects the actual number of employees at the commencement of the 2023/24 fiscal ye ar and should reflect 223 full -time equivalents that funding was allocated for during this fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, the employee number of full -
time equivalents for 2024/25 found on page B -282 is
actually 230, an increase of seven full -time equivalents
when compared to 2023/24. Due to an internal oversight, that will be rectified imminently. The number of
full-time equivalents is incorrect in the Budget Book.

Thank you very much. Please continue
when you are ready, Minister .
You have the floor.
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Corrections
faced challenges during fiscal year 2023/24. Recruitment of officers to fill vacant posts have not met target numbers, resulting in a shortage of staff. The department has made every effort to maintain a normal r egime but on occasions there have been necessary adjustments based on the staffing levels.
Mr. Chairman, the facilities occupied by the department are ageing and require significant maintenance and repair. The department continues to prioritise finding solutions to address the repairs required as
the state of our facilities does not only impact staff but
those who are in the custody of Corrections.
Mr. Chairman, fiscal year 2023/24 saw the
commencement of the recruitment process for the
basic officers to fill vacant posts. Nine officers were
successfully recruited during this fiscal year. In addition
to basic officer recruitment, the department also recruited for and hired one education officer, two nursing officers and one forensic psychologist post, notably
filled by a Bermudian, one canteen statistical officer,
one facility manager, one accounts administrator and
one principal purchasing officer.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Corrections
continues to maintain a high level of security at its facilities. In fiscal year 2023/24, the department completed
upgrades to the CCTV systems at the Farm, Westgate
and Co- Ed Facilities with funding from capital acquisitions. Razor wire was installed and repaired at West-gate and Co- Ed. Upgrades to the facilities’ Black Creek
Security System were carried out to ensure that officers
are able to maintain internal communications and operate the internal security syst em.
Mr. Chairman, there were some operational efficiencies created in fiscal year 2023/24. The Animal
and Garden programme at the Farm and Co- Ed facility
produced eggs and produced for consumption within the facilities, resulting in a reduction in food purchas es.
Mr. Chairman, physical plant upgrades over
the 2023/24 fiscal year included a continuation of refurbishments and repairs to one of the housing units at the
Westgate Facility. Repairs and replacements have also
been made to the air -conditioner units at West gate. Replacement of cell and security doors at the Co- Ed
680 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly [facility] has been completed, whilst the replacement of
cell and security doors at Westgate is ongoing.
Mr. Chairman, I would now like to draw your
attention to page B -280 of the approved Estimates of
Revenue and Expenditure book, which sets out the current account estimates for 2024/25. Here, under the
General Summary, you will note that there are 12 business units within the Department of Corrections. Those
business units with variances from fiscal [year] 2023/24
will be addressed in turn.

Headquarters [and OTS]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35000, Headquarters and OTS, is $19,757,000, an increase of $926,000, or 5 per cent,
over the 2023/24 budget allocation. This Business Unit
is 77 per cent of the department’s budget allocation.
The allocation w ill fund salaries and operating expenses for Corrections Headquarters and all custody staff. This includes the uplift in salaries due to agreed changes to the respective union collective bargaining
agreements. In fiscal year 2023/24, the Department of
Corrections engaged in a very aggressive training programme both locally and overseas. These training op-portunities saw
• forty-seven staff members complete CPR/First
Aid/AED training;
• certification of two Use of Force instructors
who participated in training held in the Cayman
Islands which was overseen by the UK Ministry of Justice Overseas Territories Prison programme;
• two staff members completed the Administrative Professional Development course;
• four staff members participated in the Joint Agency Training, Mass Casualty Training hosted by the Bermuda Hospitals Board;
• three staff members received training at Black Creek Integrated Systems Corporation in the
Black Creek security system;
• two staff members attended overseas conferences. The conferences included the National
Organisation for Treatment of Abuse, the Na-tional Commission on Correctional Health
Care;
• ten staff members achieved certification in Use
of Force;
• twelve weeks of recruit training was held for nine new recruits.
Mr. Chairman, as part of succession planning,
staff development training was held to prepare officers
for senior officer promotions which will take place during the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25. This training included eight promotion qualifying exam prepar ation
sessions, leadership classes, interview training and
budget training. Staff development will be encouraged
and supported as opportunities arise. Mr. Chairman, in the fiscal year 2024/25 training will continue for all staff; however, the department
is excited to collaborate with the Bermuda College
PACE division to offer a management and leadership training programme that will be facilitated by Profiles of Bermuda. This training will conclude with successful
participants receiving certificates of completion from
the Bermuda College PACE divi sion. Other training initiatives include recruit training; fire marshal training; in-cident command training; U se of Force certification/recertification and Use of Force Instructor certification/re -
certification; and CPR/First Aid/AED certification/re -
certification.

Farm Facility

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35020, Farm Facility, is $441,000.
This represents a $4,000, or 1 per cent, increase when
compared to the 2023/24 fiscal budget.
The Farm Facility is an adult male minimum security facility with a capacity to house 90 inmates. Inmates must have completed their core sentence plan
requirements and be classified as a minimum to low
risk to be housed at this facility.
Mr. Chairman, in the fiscal year 2023/24, despite challenges with the tractor which has now been repaired, the Farm Facility gardens still managed to
produce a variety of vegetables including corn, beans,
pumpkin, butternut squash, lettuce, mustard greens,
onions, beets, spinach, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes
and turnips (no strawberries). The Animal Programme
was also successful, producing nearly 3,382 eggs for consumption which equates to a savings of $2,087.
During the 2024/25 fiscal year, we are looking t o increase the number of chickens with an aim of supplying
all facilities with eggs.
Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2023/24, the Work
Release programme continued with seven inmates par-ticipating. Following their completion of the programme,
all seven participants secured employment with various
employers before their release. The diverse emp loyment placements showcase the success of the Work Release programme in connecting individuals to various employment opportunities.
Mr. Chairman, with the recent addition of a carpentry instructor, inmates are actively engaged in classes to further develop their carpentry skills. The carpentry shop remains a key part of the Farm Facility’s internal activities providing inmates with a space to apply their learned skills.

Co-Educational Facility
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35030, Co- Educational Facility, is
$305,000. This represents an increase of $5,000 or a
2 per cent increase when compared to 2023/24 fiscal
budget.


Bermuda House of Assembly This facility, with a capacity of 56 cells, has
separate and distinct provisions to house 40 adult females and six young male offenders between the ages
of 16 to 21. In addition, Co- Ed houses the department’s
residential substance abuse treatment programme/therapeutic community, the Right Living
House. Educational and vocational programmes are offered based on the needs of the inmates and trainees
who are identified through the case management process.
Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2023/24, the CoEd Facility offered carpentry classes to male and female inmates. The aim of this programme is to ensure
that persons who are interested are taught a trade
which will increase their employability prospects.
The chicken programme that was previously
established at the Co- Ed Facility continues to be a success and provides a form of therapy for those inmates
who care for the chickens. The Right Living House Residential Substance Abuse Treatment programme continues to provide core treatment interventions/service
elements.
The Cisco [Networking Academy] computer
programme that was introduced at Westgate Correc-tional Facility was extended to the Co- Ed Facility during
the 2023/24 fiscal year. This programme allows inmates to engage in computer -based programmes in a
variety of discipline and the opportunity to obtain certified courses and diplomas.
Due to delays beyond the department’s control, specifically related to the cyberattack, the transition of the Right Living House to the Department of Corrections did not take place in fiscal year 2023/24. However,
plans are actively in place to have the pr ogramme fully
managed by the Department of Corrections commencing July 2024.
Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2024/25, the
CoEd/Right Living House facility intends to initiate the
following:
• Gardening Initiative—to have the inmates grow
their own food and also provide landscaping
which will help to provide training in horticulture
and landscaping.
• Furniture Making—create furniture from pallets. This will allow inmates to learn new skills
and also increase an inmate’s employability.
• Expand the Animal Programme at the Co- Ed
Educational Facility to include other animals.
• Animal Therapy.

Westgate Correctional Facility

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35060, Westgate Correctional Facility, is $1,136,000. This represents an increase of
$16,000 or 1 per cent when compared to the 2023/24
budget. Westgate Correctional Facility is an adult male
establishment with the capacity —
[Pause]

Thank you. The Minister is just taking
a break for water. He is currently addressing Head 25, the Department of Corrections. And by way of re-minder, this is the debate on National Security which is
scheduled for an eight -hour debate to finish at 8:15 pm.
This is the second to last head and the Minister Michael
Weeks has the floor.
Minister, when you are ready, please. Thank
you.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year
2023/24, Westgate Facility continued to have challenges as a result of COVID -19 which impacted the facility due to varying degrees of staff absences and lim-ited access by the programme’s vendors at various times, which limited both service delivery and the opportunity for [inmates] to continue their case plan recommendations. This was compounded by staffing levels which were not at full strength, impacting the department’s ability to consistently operate t he facility’s
normal regime.
Mr. Chairman, in spite of our challenges, the
Westgate Facility was able to relax some of the COVID -
19 restrictions and allowed the facility to return to some
normal operations. In- person visits, the inmate external
work programme and special escorts have all recommenced. The department has secured a computer lab
instructor to bolster the experience and accessibility of
the computer lab, allowing inmates to gain access to
additional online educational and technological programmes. This also benefits inmates who require addi-tional support in an alternative style of educational
learning. Inmates who are seeking employment as part
of their discharge planning can now be given a monitored personal email address allowing them to communicate with potential employers.
Mr. Chairman, an organised Fathers Christmas
Event was again held this year in the visits area. The
event allowed inmates and their children to have an extended period of time to bond and reflect and provided
the children with gifts donated by the Prison Fellowship
outreach programme. On 1 December 2023, inmates
enjoyed an Inmate Fun Day featuring a football match
between the housing units with the winner playing and
defeating the Bermuda Regiment team 7- 1. The inmates then enjoyed a Christmas meal prepared from
donatio ns from the community and staff.
Mr. Chairman, Westgate Facility intends to undertake the following initiatives for the 2024/25 fiscal year:
• Increase the number of inmates involved in
work and projects within the facility through the
introduction of a job application form [and] in-terview process which will highlight their work
skills and/or experience or aspiration to learn a
new skill.
682 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Under the instruction of a local horticulturalist
and farmer, expand on the horticultural programme structured to teach inmates the art
and science of horticulture, arboriculture and
agriculture with associated sustainable prac-tices.
• Introducing a chicken farm which would help
reduce the cost of purchasing eggs.
• Continue to offer online intellectual instruction and inspirational video platforms such as the
MasterClass.

Therapeutic Community Centre
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35090, Therapeutic Community Cen-tre, is $785,000, which represents a decrease of $251,000 or 24 per cent when compared to the budget
allocation for the fiscal year 2023/24. This reduction is
related to the programme being transitioned to the
management of the Department of Corrections result-ing in a reduction in operational costs.
The Therapeutic Community Centre, also
known as the Right Living House, is located at the Co-Educational Facility. The Right Living House is a sub-stance abuse rehabilitation programme that is segregated from the remaining prison population. The programme has the capacity to house 18 adult male of-fenders with a history of substance abuse and associated criminality. The programme aims to transition residents to the broader community with an increased po-tential for a life free of drug abuse and criminal activit y
through providing tools and opportunities for change. The budget allocation funds staffing, operational costs and the inmate programme.

Psychological Services

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35105, Psychological Services, is
$344,000. This represents an increase of $7,000 or
2 per cent when compared to the 2023/24 fiscal
budget.
This funding provides for salaries for two psychologists who provide psychological services to offenders at each of the three facilities. The psychologists
complete various assessments on offenders including
assessments of criminogenic need, areas of risk associated with offending, emotional well -being and adjustment personality factors and cognitive functioning.
In addition to assessments, psychologists focus on the provision of evidence- based interventions to
meet offender needs. This can be both group and indi-vidually based. Interventions can include but are not
limited to:
• substance misuse programmes, such as drug
and alcohol education;
• drug and alcohol treatment and relapse prevention; • violence reduction programme; and
• sexual offender programme.
Mr. Chairman, in the 2024/25 fiscal year, Psychological Services will provide the violence reduction
group therapy programmes Life Minus Violence and Healthier Sexual Behaviours at Westgate Facility.

Social Services and Case Management

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35106, Social Services and Case Management is $579,000. This represents an increase
of $26,000 or 5 per cent when compared to the 2023/24
fiscal budget. This budget allocation provides for staffing of one socia l worker and four case managers/assessment officers and contracted specific service pro-viders.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s social worker
is a member of the department’s Multi -Disciplinary
Team and assists inmates and trainees with offence-specific associated problems in order to address behavioural, social and financial problems. The Social
Work Team provides a variety of services to the inmates and trainees, including the following:
• Thinking for a Change;
• Parenting Programmes (Fathers/Mothers and Children Together);
• Grief Counselling; and
• Risk Assessments.
The social worker also assists inmates in securing employment and housing prior to their release.
Additionally, the social worker facilitates family support
and intervention meetings. Four case managers/as-sessment officers provide proper assessments and
classification for the inmate population. They are responsible for the development of a case plan which
drives the rehabilitation process for all inmates. Assist-ing them in developing risk reduction as well as critical
thinking tools to address criminogenic thoughts and behaviours.

Minister , you are going to have to have
a word with that PS about putting those difficult words in there for you. Right?

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Most definitely.

[Laughter]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: I will take your advice, Mr.
Chairman.

Health Services

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35107, Health Services, is $1,563,000. This represents a $94,000 or 6 per cent increase when compared to the 2023/24 fiscal budget.
This increase is related to the number of inmates


Bermuda House of Assembly requiring health care services. This budget allocation
will provide funding for nursing staff and health care
services for inmates. When fully staffed, Health Services is managed by a senior nurse and five registered
nurses responsible for providing servic es to the inmate
population at all facilities.

Vocational Services

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimate
for Business Unit 35109, Vocational Services, is
$424,000. This represents a $5,000 or 1 per cent increase. This increase in funding will provide funding for
the continued development of an Inmate Co- operative
Programme (a Thron e Speech initiative), resumption of
the National Center for Construction, Education and
Research (NCCER) training and trade classes.

For the benefit of the members of the
listening public, we are in the Committee of Supply for
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. [We are] looking at the budget for the Ministry
of National Security. Currently presenting his present ation on the budget is Minister Michael Weeks who is on
his second to last head, Head 25 concerning the De-partment of Corrections. This is an eight -hour debate,
and it is scheduled to end at 8:15 pm.
Please continue, Minister . You have the floor.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I would like to
draw your attention to page B -281 of the approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure book, which is the subjective analysis of the current account estimates. I will briefly comment on those items which have a notable variance from the original estimates from the
2023/24 fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, salaries have increased by
$1,441,000, or 8 per cent. This represents the increase
in salaries for seven corrections officers’ posts. Addi-tionally, it includes the uplift in salaries emanating from agreed salary increases that were negotiated by the
Government of Bermuda and various unions.
Mr. Chairman, professional services has decreased by $698,000, or 28 per cent. This decrease
can be partially contributed to the transition of the man-agement of Right Living House to the Department of Corrections as well as a reduction in the number of contractors required as the services are not needed.
Mr. Chairman, rentals has decreased by
$129,000, or 89 per cent. This represents a decrease
in rent, as Corrections Headquarters has now relocated
to Westgate. Materials and supplies has increased by $64,000, or 4 per cent. This increase represents materials and supplies that will be needed for to effect minor
repairs through the facilities due to ageing. Mr. Chairman, the employee number, or full -time equivalents, for 2024/25 is 256, an increase of 33 full -time
equivalents when compared to 2023/24.

Performance Measures

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I would now
like to draw your attention to page B -283 which outlines
the Performance Measures of the Department of Corrections. The forecast for 2024/25 is as follows:
1. The average daily inmate population is forecasted at 129, with 39 of the admissions estimated to be first -time offenders who received
custodial sentences.
2. The number of inmates projected to be released on parole is forecasted to be seven.
3. In the fiscal year 2023/24, Mr. Chairman,
58 per cent of eligible inmates enrolled in development and treatment programmes aimed
to address the offending behaviours, address
educational and vocational needs and improve
skills development. The department has a target enrolment of 61 per cent for 2024/25/
4. The Department of Corrections calculates its recidivism rates according to internationally accepted practices. Based on these standards,
the rates include persons who have a conviction for a new offence within one, two and three
years of their release. The actual outcome for
2023/24 was 16 per cent.

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Excellent, Mr. Chairman.

Capital Development and Acquisition

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I will now
move to page C -7 and capital development. The Estimate for 2024/25 is $1,003,000. The allocation will be
used for the continuation of the refurbishment of the inmate housing units at Westgate and the repairs to the
facilities as necessary. Page C -15 shows the 2024/25
estimate for capital acquisition as [$1,114,000]. The de-partment will commence procurement for an Inmate Management System (Phase 1), which was delayed in
the 2023/24 fiscal year due to the cyberattack on the
Governmen t of Bermuda network. The allocation will
also fund the replacement of two ageing vehicles and a
much needed continued upgrade of the Black Cat
Creek security system in order to make it compatible
with other electronic systems.

2024/25 Plans

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I will briefly set
out some of the priorities of the Department of Correc-tions for fiscal year 2024/25.
684 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • The department will continue with recruitment
to fill various vacant posts which are mainly
custodial staff. Recruitment of custodial staff
has been a challenge during this fiscal year.
• The department will work with Ministry headquarters and other uniformed services to introduce the uniformed services training programme which is a Throne Speech initiative in
an effort to recruit suitable qualified candidates
and fill the needed vacancies.
• As a safety and health priority, the department
will work with the Ministry of Public Works to
effect repairs and replacements on ageing facility structures and equipment.
• As part of a plan to engage the community, the department will partner with community stakeholders to support the successful reintegration of inmates into the community. The Department of Corrections will also work with community partners to develop projec ts that can benefit both the inmates and the wider community.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN
HOUSE VISITOR

Minister , when you are ready to continue, please do so.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Finally, the department will continue to work
with other government agencies on Criminal
Justice related initiatives. Examples include
the Child Safeguarding Committee, the Anti -
Corruption Committee and the Offender High
Risk Management Team.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the Commissioner Joell -Benjamin and her staff who have,
throughout many challenges beyond their control, provided exemplary service and delivered on their mission
to protect the public and provide rehabilitative services .
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks on
Head 25. I will now move on to Head 45, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service [BFRS].

Forgive me. Let me start again.
The Minister is taking a very quick break, and
we are in the Committee of Supply for the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The debate is on the Ministry of National Security, and we
are now moving to the final of six heads which is Head
45, Fire Services. This is an eight -hour debate, and it is
scheduled to conclude at 8:15 pm.
Honourable Minister Michael Weeks is presenting the budget and is now going to take us to Head
45, Fire Services.
Minister , when you are ready, you have the
floor.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Head 45, the
Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service which can be found
on pages B -284 through B -286 of the current account
estimates book.

HEAD 45 —BERMUDA FIRE AND
RESCUE SERVICE
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the mission of
the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service is To provide fire
protection to life and property through the delivery of
fire prevention, airport fire rescue, and emergency
medical services to the community. We will deliver this
through the dedicated and professional service of our
uniform and civilian staff in collaboration with our community partners .
The department’s objectives are to
• implement a maintenance competence scheme;
• implement a computer -based learning management system;
• continue professional accreditation for incident
commanders, middle and senior managers,
airport firefighters, fire dispatchers, and emer-gency medical technicians;
• continue with the assimilation of the UK Na-tional Operational Guidance standards for Professional Firefighting Practices;
• provide the community with access to fire
safety education and information; and
• procure specialised vehicles to support emergency response to the community.

General Summary

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the total
budget estimate for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service for the 2024/25 financial year is $16,825,000. This
reflects an increase of $1,945,000, or 13 per cent over
the 2023/24 financial year. Mr. Chairman, to accurately
align the full -time equivalent with the organisational
structure, several business units were changed which
caused reductions and increases in the budget alloca-tions.
Mr. Chairman, I will now address the main business units which can be found on page B -284.


Bermuda House of Assembly Business Unit 55030, Fire Prevention: $16,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The fire prevention unit is responsible for public education, consultation and en-forcement of the Fire Safety Act 2014. This unit has a budget estimate of $16,000 which represents a decrease of $6,000, or 27 per cent as a result of consolidating the training portion of the budget into the services core training package. To date, during this financial year, the fire prevention division has conducted 400
inspections on commercial and licensed properties. The division also delivered fire safety education programmes to schools through outreach visits and in- station visits.

Business Unit 55060, Central Emergency
Fire Service: $6,066,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The Central Emergency Fire
Service covers the provision of Fire and Emergency
Services from the Hamilton, Eastern, and Western Fire Stations. These stations respond to fires, road traffic
accidents, emergency medical incidents and hazardous material incide nts when required. This business
unit has a budget allocation of $6,066,000, which is an
increase of $73,000, 1 per cent over the financial year
2023/24. This increase is associated with the new col-lective bargaining agreement between the Fire Service Association and the Bermuda Government .

Business Unit 55080, Other Services Central:
$873,000
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, Other Services Central contains the Vehicle Repair services and
Engineering personnel. This unit has a budget estimate of $873,000, which represents an increase of $56,000, or 7 per cent from the 2023/24 financial year. This increase is attr ibuted to the cost of specialised parts to
maintain the vehicle fleet.

Business Unit 55090, St. George’s Emergency Fire
Service: $104,000
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: The St. George’s Emergency
Fire Services covers the provision of fire and emergency medical services for the Clearwater Fire Station
located at Southside, St. David’s. This station responds
to emergency, medical, fire and hazardous material incident, as w ell as provides support to the airport operations division of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service
for aircraft incidents. Funding for this unit provides operational preparedness and ongoing associated costs
to support the facility’s f unctioning. This unit has a
budget estimate of $104,000, which represents a de-crease of $3,000, or 3 per cent. This decrease in funding will be offset by consolidating similar supplies in
Central Emergency Fire under Business Unit [55170].
Business Unit 55100, Emergency Medical Services: $0

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Emergency Medical Services is responsible for equipment and supplies associated with the department’s Emer-gency Medical Response throughout the Island. The
funding for this business unit has been reduced by
$150,000, which is a decrease of 100 per cent from the
2023/24 financial year. The department will continue to use internal supplies and reallocate cost savings within
the department and/or Ministry.
Business Unit 55120, West End Emergency Fire
Services: $60,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the West End
Emergency Fire Service covers the provision of Fire
and Emergency Medical Services for the Port Royal
Fire Station located at Middle Road, Southampton. This
station responds to emergency medical, fire and hazardous material calls and provides support to the Hamilton and Clearwater Stations for emergencies when re-quired.

Good afternoon, Honourable Members. Thank you, Honourable Member from constituency 22.
We are now in Committee of Supply for further
consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. Honourable Minister
[Michael] A. Weeks, JP, MP is presenting for the Ministry of National Security.
You have the floor again, Minister.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Good afternoon, Mr. new
Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I was moving on to business unit
55150.

Business Unit 55150, Training: $838,000
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the responsibility of the Training Section is to create an educational schedule that will ensure emergency medical training
and certification. Structural firefighting training, certification and leadership training courses are in line with
local and international standards. This unit has a
budget estimate of $838,000.

Thank you. Thank you, Ministe r.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, training for the 2023/24 financial
year included the following:
• Airport firefighters’ revalidation (overseas);
• Skills for Justice awards levels 3, 4 and 6;
• Incident Command certification courses for all supervisors (local);
• Aircraft Crew Commander certification (overseas);
• Twenty -three firefighters completed the foundation aircraft rescue firefighter certification (overseas);
• Emergency driving courses (local);
• Emergency medical technician certification course (local);
• National registered emergency medical technicians certification;
• Emergency medical technicians allied health
recertification;
• CPR recertification; and
• Breathing apparatus repair technician training;

Business Unit 55170, General Administration:
$3,797,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the General
Administration is responsible for the funding and support services of the department. The budget estimate
for this unit is $3,797,000, which is an increase of
$672,000, or 22 per cent, from 2023/24.
This increase can be attributed to the realignment of seven full -time equivalent and 2.25 per cent
uplift received for 2023/24 and a 2.25 per cent salary
uplift to be included in 2024/25.

Business Unit 55190, Emergency Dispatch: $942,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Emergency Dispatch cost centre is responsible for answering both fire and medical 911 calls from the community
and dispatch the appropriate fire and medical resources. The budget estimate for this business unit is
$942,000, a decrease of $28,000, or 3 per cent as a result of consolidating the training budget into the ser-vices core training package 55150. During the 2023/24
financial year, the emergency dispatch answered approximately 11,096 calls, which comprised of 6,456
calls for emergency medical services and 4,646 calls for fire related calls.
Mr. Chairman, emergency medical dispatchers
coordinate resources required for firefighting opera-tions and provide life- saving medical instructions to the
community during a 911 call. The emergency dispatch is operated by a team of eight highly skilled emergency medical dispatchers. They are the voice of calm and
reassurance when a person is experiencing an extreme
event.

Business Unit 55200, Airport Fire Rescue: $4,129,000

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, this business
unit provides Aircraft Emergency Rescue and Fire
Fighting Services at the L. F. Wade International Airport, as prescribed by the Overseas Territories Aviation
Requirements (OTAR) Part 140. The L. F. Wade International Airport operates as a Category 9 airport. The
category of an airport determines the maximum size of
aircraft that lands at the airport, the manpower requirements for the airport fire rescue, the equipment requirements for the airport fire resc ue and the extinguishing
media used by the airport fire rescue.
Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for this unit
is $4,129,000, an increase of $1,581,000, or 62.0 per
cent. This increase is attributable to the funding of 24
additional full -time equivalents and a 2.25 per cent salary uplift for filled posts during the 2023/24 financial
year and an additional 2.25 per cent uplift for the
2024/25 financial year.

Subject Analysis of Current Account Estimates
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, I will now provide the subjective analysis of current account estimates which is found on page B -285.

Salaries

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the funding allocation for salaries for the financial year 2024/25 is
$13,667,000, an increase of $2,231,000, or 20 per cent
from the financial year 2023/24. This increase is attributed to the funding of the salaries for the 24 full -time
equivalents to comply with the local airport regulatory requirements to provide fire protection for the L. F.
Wade International Airport. Cabinet approved the increase of full -time equivalents assigned to the Airport
Fire Rescue from exi sting vacant posts to comply with
the airport audit.
Due to time constraints and the urgency to man
the section, the department had to onboard Canadian
overseas firefighters after the finalisation of the
2023/24 budget. Cost savings will be identified


Bermuda House of Assembly throughout the Minist ry before requesting a supplemental. This has resulted in a shortfall in other key areas of the available PIDs for the structure division
which may lead to an increase in overtime in the divi-sion. To this end, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service has engaged management consultant services to
conduct a manpower review of the organisation. Further contributing factors included funding required to
support salary increases in line with new collective bargaining agreements between the respect ive unions and
the Bermuda Government .

Other Personnel Costs

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, funding allocation for other personnel costs is $239,000 for the 2024/25 financial year. This represents an increase of $104,000, or 77 per cent, from the financial year
2023/24. This increase is attributed to costs associated
with the new collective bargaining agreement between
the Fire Services Association and the Bermuda Government . The collective bargaining agreement includes
new benefits and increases, pre- existing benefits relating to emergency on duty pay, telephone allowances, specialist skills pay, standby pay and shift premiums.

Communications
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the funding allocation for communications is $322,000 which repre-sents an increase of $28,000, or 10 per cent, from the
financial year 2023/24. This is a result of incremental
increases for desk telephones, mobile and data lines
that support the operations of the emergency dispatch.

Repair and Maintenance
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the funding allocation for repair and maintenance is $657,000. This
represents an increase of $28,000, or 4 per cent, from
the financial year 2023/24. This is a result of funding
required to maintain the ageing vehicle fleet, air conditioning and infrastr ucture- related building maintenance
and cleaning services.

Insurance

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the funding allocation for insurance is $354,000 for the 2024/25 financial year. This is an increase of $31,000, or 10 per
cent, from the financial year 2023/24 and is a result of
increases in insurance premiums.

Budget Reductions

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, to align the
budget allocation for the 2024/25 financial year, funding
[for] the following line items have been reduced when
compared to the 2023/24 financial year. Training allocation of $844,000 is a decrease
of $145,000, or 15 per cent. As previously stated, cost
savings will be the result of deferring noncritical courses to the 2025/26 financial year.
The travel allocation for noncritical airfare,
such as conferences and subsistence, has decreased
by $74,000, or a 100 per cent decrease.
Energy allocation of $386,000 is a decrease of
$43,000, or 10 per cent. The department will identify
energy reduction measures and if required identify cost
savings to fund this cost centre.
Clothing, uniforms and laundry allocation of
zero dollars is a decrease of $173,000, or 100 per cent.
Expenditure analysis will identify opportunities for fund-ing reallocation from existing cost centres during the
2024/25 financial year.
Materials and Supplies allocation of $278,000
is a decrease of $55,000, or 17 per cent. The introduction of Office 365 will help the organisation realise sav-ings through paperless initiatives through collaborative
workspaces.

Revenue—Fire Protection and Airport Operation
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the estimates
for the service can also be found on page B -285. The
revenue estimate for the 2024/25 financial year is esti-mated at $165,000, a decrease of $155,000, or 48 per
cent. The department has three revenue streams and
will be address ed individually.

Cost Centre 8457: License General

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, all commercial
buildings and large residential properties undergo Fire
and Life Safety Risk Assessment and apply for a fire
certificate. Fire certificates are valid for one to five years
based on the risk level. Relicensing inspections occur
over the life span of a building. The projected revenue for licences is $35,000, a decrease of $11,000, or
24 per cent. The decrease is attributed to a reduction
in the number of fire certificate renewals/inspections
due to multi -year validity periods granted for buildings.

Cost Centre 8461: Application Fees

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, this cost centre is related to the administrative costs associated with
the application renewal, transfer and issuing of a fire certificate. The projected revenue for licences is
$80,000, a decrease of $44,000 or 35 per cent. The decrease is attributed to a reduction in the number of fire
certificate renewals/inspections due to multi -year validity periods granted for buildings.

Cost Centre 8877: Reimbursements

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, revenue generated from airport operations providing fire protection
688 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly to after -hour aviation flights at the L. F. Wade International Airport. This includes general and critical care air
ambulance flights. Revenue for the 2023/24 financial
year was budgeted at $150,000, a decrease of
$100,000, or 67 per cent. The decrease is attributed to
less demand for service due to the majority of these
operations taking place during normal operating hours.

Employee Numbers (Full -Time Equivalents)

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the employee
numbers or full -time equivalents can be found on page
B-285 and reflects an increase of 10, from 156 in the
financial year 2023/24 to 166 in the financial year 2024/25. This increase fills all establishment funded
and unfunded vacant posts. The reassignment of PID s
from [Business Units] 55060 and 55170 was necessary to more accurately reflect the business activities of the
respective units thus allowing for more accurate recording.

Capital Acquisition Funding
Page C -15

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman the Ministry of
National Security has budgeted $3,603,000 of capital
acquisition funding for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue
Service. This funding will allow the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service to complete the procurement of four
new major foam v ehicles to provide fire protection at
the L. F. Wade International Airport. This procurement
project was initiated during the 2023/24 financial year.
Delivery of the vehicles is expected to take between 12
to 18 months.

2024/25 Goals
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Fire and Rescue Service is in discussion with the De-partment of Lands and Buildings regarding the current
and future needs of the Clearwater/Airport [Operation]
Division’s buildings due to the increase of personnel
and to house the new major foam vehicles . The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service will revisit its strategic
plans to establish a fit -for-purpose multi -purpose training simulator to be located on a designated parcel of
land inside the aerodrome. A local training facility will
permit fire fighters to practice core competencies without having to travel abroad annually resulting in cost
savings for the Government .

Community Risk Management Plan
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Chairman, to address the
risks associated with private residences and commer-cial buildings, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service
will begin work on a community risk management plan.
This plan will help to identify critical infrastructure and
assess all the current and future risks facing our community. The plan will influence how priorities are
set and help us determine which specific projects need
to be implemented to address the identified risk. The
plan will consider the views and needs of our communities and our partners. The research and data will help to understand who and what is most at risk from fire
and other incidents and when and where they may happen. The data gathered will help us better determine
our levels of respons e to different types of incidents.
Mr. Chairman, I would also like to thank Chief
Fire Officer, Dana Lovell and his team for their service to the community. They continue to remain in the frontline providing exemplary service in protecting Bermuda .
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my submission
for the Ministry of National Security, Heads 83, 6, 7, 12,
25 and 45.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Honourable Minister Michael A. Weeks, JP, MP.
For the listening audience and the Honourable
Member s, we are now in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The Honourable Minister Weeks has concluded his presentation of heads for
the Ministry of National Security and now the . . . sorry,
the Shadow Minister for National Security Michael
A. [sic] Dunkley of Devonshire shall present —

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman .
That should be Michael H. Dunkley.
[Laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: The Honourable Minister of
Education asked me what the “A” stands for and I was
. . .
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Mr. Chairman, thank you for
the opportunity to speak to the National Security heads this afternoon. And I thank the Honourable Minister for
his presentation. Last year, we allocated five hours of
time and the Minister spoke for about four hours and
forty minutes. So this year, I tried to determine if he
could stand on his feet for eight hours and it was clear
that he could not. So now . . . we are sure that we will
have adequate time to debate the Ministry.
As usual, the staff within the Ministry (the PS
and all the heads of department) have compiled a comprehensive brief going through all the line items, and it
certainly is appreciated.
Mr. Chairman, we are pleased to see the increase in funding this year, and to some extent last year
as well, after a couple of years of austerity measures. I
do note, Mr. Chairman, that some of the increase in
funding, and in particular areas it is a majority of the


Bermuda House of Assembly increase in funding, is a result of the fact that there have
been uplifts for wage negotiations that have taken
place after a period of time. It is critical that we examine
just what the programmes and policies are for their effectiveness.
I want to commence my comments by again
echoing what the Minister said and thanking all personnel. Obviously, the Ministry of National Security is one
of those gruelling, very critical and important ministries
within government. It has issues that certainly are entrenched in our community, some of them more than others as we try to eliminate them or reduce them, such
as violence, such as antisocial behaviour, breakdown
of the family units, noise in our communities. As the
Minister mentioned, vagrancy . . . road safety is a critical problem. Emergency personnel are at the frontline of all the duties they do day in and day out, the respond-ing personnel. Customs are critical to border responsibility. Corrections . . . a lot of their work is behind the
scenes, but it is critical to making sure that the sentences imposed by the courts are carried out and also
those who are incarcerated have the opportunity to reform and rehabilitate themselves.
The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, Mr.
Chairman, they have the critical responsibility of taking
care of emergencies at the airport and throughout the Island. The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, Mr.
Chairman, is broken down into two critical areas: airport
safety and structural safety.

Honourable Member , it is questions
now. We have already had the general debate.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: You are correct, Mr. Chairman, but as I have done for many years and . . . people
do for the debate, they give an overview of what is tak-ing place and what the Minister said. And I am not going
to be here long, but I have to set the context for some
of the things we are going to talk about. But I appreciate
your direction, Mr. Chairman.
As I was saying, and this is the last point on
that, Mr. Chairman, the Royal Bermuda Regiment now
has the extended responsibility over the past couple of years of the Coast Guard initiative which started back
probably six or seven years ago and now the Regiment
has grown into that with a . . . as the Honourable Minister said during the debate, has grown into that with a
full complement of staff that is required for that operation.
Mr. Chairman, this Minist ry is quite rightly so
one of the largest ministries within Government because of the importance of it and the various heads in
there. It is the fourth largest Ministry which accounts for
13 per cent of the Government expenditure at the present time. And that is a . . . it is a significant amount.
But when you look at Police, Customs, Corrections, Fire Service, it is critical that they do have the funding
that is required. And it is also . . .
it is critical that we
look at where the funding has been spent and how the funding has not been spent as well. When I looked at
the budget for this year, Mr. Chairman, because I think
all Members of this Honourable Chamber are aware
that when the Budget Book comes out for the nex t financial year, you see revised numbers for this financial
year and actual numbers for the last financial year. All
of those sets of numbers, and there are four sets of
numbers, are important to look at. The simple fact, Mr.
Chairman, is that if you see an actual number for
2022/23 and it is the first time you have seen that num-ber and it is higher than our estimate for 2024/25, there is something in there that made that happen—

Honourable Member , I am the Chair. I
am the Chair.
I said to you earlier that we are here for questions. You then proceeded with a preamble. You then
continued with a preamble. So I am asking you again
to respect the Chair’s direction to get to the questions.
That is all I am simply asking you.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Honourable Chairman, I do
respect you and the Chair.

Okay. Thank you very much.

690 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I will get to the questions
and I will try to . . . I will try to limit the dialogue around
the questions. But if I do not explain the questions . . .
and you laugh . . . I am not laughing because this is a
serious subject. We talk about the budget that is put to
this House. This is the people’s money and so I will try
to keep it very tight under your guidance.

Yes, you can assure yourself on that.
And if the situation was reversed, I know you will do the same.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I hardly think so, Mr. Chairman.
[Laughter]
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Because it has be put in
context . . . and I have been in this House for 27 years
and I have seen this Budget Debate for 27 years. And I have seen a lot that goes on and I think I have learned a little bit around it.
So, the first question to the Honourable Minister then, if you want questions here. Last year, Honourable Minister, in your budget, you said that there would
be . . . and I counted as I went through every single
head with the Minister last year. The Honourable Minister said there would be at least 87 new hires within the Ministry. I have counted them up and there are only 51. Can the Honourable Minister give some explanation of why the Ministry did not meet that goal of hiring
87 new p eople?
Mr. Chairman, last year I stated that I did not
think it would ever happen . . . for a number of reasons.
And the reason why I start out with asking that question,
Mr. Chairman, is because this year littered through
every single one of those Ministry heads, we find the
commitment again to recruit. If it could not happen last year, I think the people of Bermuda deserve some understanding on how it will actually take place this year. So that is the first question to the Honourable Minister.
The Honourable Minister also talked in detail,
Mr. Chairman, about cybersecurity last year. And he
talked in detail about cybersecurity this year. So, I ask
the question to the Honourable Minister, In light of the fact that it appears that the cybersecurity initiatives for last year have not been met, how can we be sure that
we will meet those commitments this year?
Mr. Chairman, I think we all recognise that in
September last year, and the Minister referred to it in
his comments, there was a hack in September 2023.

1 Official Hansard Report , 3 March 2023 Ministry of National Security, beginning on page 672. Now, if you refer to the 1Hansard from last year’s debate, Mr. Chairman, you will see on at least four occasions where the Minister spoke about the importance of
cybersecurity and what was going to be done to main-tain adequate security.
Now I know you don’t want me to give much of
a preamble, so I will not even ask for your permission to read some of the various parts of the Hansard. But I draw people’s comments to the Hansard and in there it is very clear about the importance that Government
gave to cybersecurity as the Minister spent a lot of time
on it. And there were commitments made. But here we
are a year later, and we had a major hack. Quite interesting, Mr. Chairman, that that’s the case. Since that is
the case and you want some questions, I have got a number of questions for you, Mr. Chairman, directed at
the Minister (and I am sure the Minister has got his
technical staff ready to write down some of these questions).
First question in regard to cybersecurity. How
much is being spent in the next financial year in dealing
with cybercrime and cybersecurity? Please break it out from the heads where it is put in there.
Next question to the Honourable Minister. How
much was budgeted to be spent in the current financial year on cybercrime and cybersecurity?
Further question. How much was actually
spent in this current financial year on cybercrime and cybersecurity?
Another question, Mr. Chairman. Other than
the attack in September of 2023, how many other at-tacks on government systems have there been in the
past year?
Mr. Chairman, next question. If there were any
other attacks, have they been fully rectified?
In regard to the attack in September 2023,
what remains outstanding to rectify all government sys-tems as of this point?
Mr. Chairman, another question in regard to
cybersecurity and cybercrime. Has Government at any
time paid any ransom for any attacks on our system to get it up and running or to get information back?
Next question, Mr. Chairman . Is there any outstanding information that the Government is still trying
to get back from the hack in September 2023?
Next question, Mr. Chairman . With all the work
being done and all the commitments that have been made by the Government , how can the public feel confident that we are in a relatively safe position when it comes to cybercrime?
Now, remember, in the Honourable Minister’s
presentations. The Honourable Minister talked extensively about it, and he also talked about DRRM being
involved in that. And the new hiring of the disaster risk management position. Can the Bermuda public feel
somewhat comfortable that we are in a relatively safe


Bermuda House of Assembly position? And I know the Minister alluded to an attack
today on the US health system, and I am well aware
that attacks happen all the time. But we have to put ourselves in a position of relative comfort. And I am sure
that everyone is on edge after last year not knowing if all of the information is recovered or if confidential information was recovered and what position we are in.
A further question in regard to cybercrime, Mr.
Chairman. What outside agencies are assisting with it
at the present time in helping the Bermuda Government , and what are the terms of their contracts?
And the last question I have at this time, Mr.
Chairman, is how many employees are there in the cybercrime space within the Ministry? I do not believe the
Minister broke those down when he gave us the employee numbers. So those are a start of the questions on cybercrime, Mr. Chairman.
Changing course slightly. Last year in the
budget brief, there was a commitment for a Cybersecu-rity and Cybercrime Act and the same for legislation. This year the Honourable Minister says that it is in the
drafting stages. Can the Honourable Minister please
provide a backdrop or timeframe of when we believe
that . . . when the Government believes that those
pieces (the Act and the legislation) might actually make
it to the floor of the House of Assembly? Because obviously they appear to be critical pieces for us. They ap-pear to . . . would appear to allow more strengthening
of our firewalls within this big challenge (which is only going to get bigger as time goes on). And so the sooner they come here in a comprehensive way, the sooner
that we can fortify th e structure that we need to deal
with our business here within the Bermuda Government .
Mr. Chairman, another question to the Honourable Minister . Last year, the Honourable Minister talked
extensively about a national strategic plan on commu-nity and violence in Bermuda after a conference that I
believe was held in September 2022 at the Hamilton
Princess Hotel. There has not been much talk about it
at this time, so I ask the question for the Honourable
Minister of National Security, When will that national
strategic plan on community and violence in Bermuda
be tabled in this House and become a public document?
Mr. Chairman, Head 83 on [page] B -263. The
Minister went through a number of those . . . went
through all of those line items. And I had a couple of questions in regard to some of those line items, Mr. Chairman.
Administration, he explained the increase. And
that was for the salary uplifts. The Parole Board, the Honourable Minister said that those changes were because . . . that it was anticipated to be more frequent
meetings in the next financial year. So a ques tion to the
Honourable Minister. I have looked at government re-ports and laws online and, Honourable Minister , the last
parole board report I can find is in 2020. So I believe we are outstanding for at least three parole board re-ports. Perhaps somebody can clarify if those reports
have been done and if they have been tabled in this
Honourable House.
Mr. Chairman, the Minister also mentioned, on
line item 93004, that there will be additional money for
meetings . . . and that is the Police Complaints Authority, as you follow in the Budget Book, Mr. Chairman . In
regard to that, a question to the Honourable Minister.
There has been some concern recently in regard to the
Police Complaints Authority, information that has now been made public about them, and the efficiency of the
work that the Authority does (and I am not going to get
into the details of it) . But in light of the fact that the Minister, I am sure, is aware of these concerns that people
in the community have had, and in light of the fact that
this is the case, can the Minister please assure this
Honourable House and the people of Bermuda that the
additional allocation for additional meetings is going to
mean that those concerns will be taken away and there
will be more substance to some of the results from
those meetings, Mr. Chairman? Obviously, there were
concerns raised over a number of different times by
people.
I believe the Police Complaints Authority can
be an important independent body for resolving issues
within the police. And if we are going to have that body,
I think we need to make sure that it is effective. So,
while $31,000 in the stretch of things is not a lot of
money, and I believe that $31,000 only pays for fees for
the members who sit on the board, the question to the
Honourable Minister is, Can the Honourable Minister
please ensure this House that he is comfortable that this body is effective, or c an the Minister . . . well, no.
Can the Minister please provide any information that he
can if Government is currently reviewing the responsibility and the mandate of the Bermuda . . . the Police
Complaints Authority on 93004?
Mr. Chairman, staying on page B -263, 93007,
Disaster Risk Reduction Mitigation. You will see in
2022/23, the budget was $26,000 then it went to
$12,000 after having no budget for the financial year
and then it has jumped up to $190,000. The Honourable Minister I believe stated that this was specifically
. . . that most of that funding was for hiring of the individual that was coming on to manage that area. Question to the Honourable Minister, In the past, is my assessment correct that up to date (and until this new person is hired) staff to manage DRRM and to assist with
EMO (Emergency Measures Organisation) and all the
important functions that they have had up to this date
have been seconded from other parts within the Ministry to make the matter work? And now going forward
there will be one individual responsible and, question to
the Minister , Will people still be seconded as needed to
do the function?
It is clear, Mr. Chairman, that DRRM has over
the past few years grown in areas of responsibility. And
obviously in those areas of responsibility, I think there
692 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly is a critical importance in those areas of responsibility
as well. Can the Honourable Minister please provide
some information to this Honourable House on . . .
other than what he provided today, which I thought was
helpful on the initiatives for the coming year, are there any plans for Government to make this section even
more responsible and give them more commitment to
look at other areas? Because right now it is a significant
responsibility, and, certainly, if the predictors are correct (as far as the hurricane season goes and future
years), they could be facing a very busy time from . . .
you know, when our hurricane season, from June to
November, and ours typically is very compacted in
June to September. We want to make sure that the responsibilities do not come too wide because we still
need to be very specific in certain areas.
Mr. Chairman, the next line item down, 93008
on page B -263. Are you with me, Mr. Chairman ?

I am from Devonshire.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: He is from Devonshire.
The Minister did outline that there was a cut in
that budget of $154,000 and that there was a realloca-tion of that funding to uniform training programme. And
I certainly can understand that . . . that critical need. I
appreciate the overview that the Minister gave this
year, and of course last year as well, in the Gang Violence Reduction Programme. At times I have been critical of the programme because you cannot always gloss over everything and say that it is good. But that
doesn’t mean that I don’t believe that there is some good work taking place in that programme because it is important that we are out there with the committee.
One of the aspects of the Gang Violence Reduction that I was always very keen on (and the Minister did mention it today) was the G.R.E.A.T. programme in the schools. Part of life is being able to
break down barriers. And I find nowadays as we get
more in- tune to our own little world with cell phones that
we forget personal communication and there seems to
be a growing gap between the young and the old because of a lack of communication. So anytime we can
get people together that normally would not be together, I think is critically important. So programmes
like that and some of the other programmes in that are
very important and I still believe at $792,000 there is a
good size budget for those programmes to be conducted.
Question to the Honourable Minister in regard
to 93008, the Gang Violence Reduction Programmes,
Can the Honourable Minister please give a breakdown on how the money is spent on programmes or personnel and outline how the money is spent on those programmes , Mr. Chairman ? I appreciate that. Mr. Chairman, an interesting thing that I did
when I started poring over the numbers . . . and sometimes you pour over the numbers so much so that your
eyes start to lose a little focus, so you have to take a
break. But in looking at the numbers that have just come out for 2022/23 the budget . . . there was an increase of the original budget for National Security in total by $3.5 million. And I will get into that more and ask
questions to the Honourable Minister when I get into
those areas. That is all those increases such as the Fire
Services and the Department of Corrections. A lot of those increases are coming specifically down to my
view because of paying overtime and the lack of recruitment of uniformed officers into those various posts.
A question to the Honourable Minister . I know
there have been significant discussions, and I commend the Government for having those discussions.
With all of those Heads (83, 6, 7, 12, 25 and 45) about
staffing and recruitment, has Government thought of
any other initiatives to try to attract personnel into the
Uniform Services? Because I can reflect back not too
many years where if you did a recruitment advertising
forum, people would flood to them. But that is not the
case anymore. And I think that unles s we start to lead
the horse to water, we are not going to get any benefit
from what we are trying to do.
So, question to the Honourable Minister, Other
than the one that you mentioned in your brief today, are there any other programmes to try to attract people into
those professional roles . . . which I think are roles that
everyone will agree are critical to our community and
they are roles that we all respect and also . . . they are
needed. They are good jobs. They are good jobs. I think
we need to do more to go out and attract people. Perhaps put some courses on in the Bermuda College to
get people to under stand the role— and the Minister of
Education is listening closely and maybe they are think-ing about it already —and to get people to understand
the roles and what is required so we can incentivise people to get involved there. Give bursaries for people
to go on education and those types of courses because
right now we are not . . . right now we are struggling,
and I don’t see that changing much as we go forward.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: And the Minister of Education just interjected about signature schools. I look forward to hearing all about that.
But who would have thought, Mr. Chairman,
that 10 years ago we would struggle to get people in Uniform Services. But that is the case, and the Government knows that is the case, clearly, because two years
ago we had to go get Canadian firefighters to come in
for a short term because we were up against a crunch
of it.
Mr. Chairman, looking through my notes here
. . . and I appreciate the Minister when he made his
presentation going through the objectives and the


Bermuda House of Assembly statements, the mission statements and things like that.
I think those are critical and sometimes we must be reminded of them because sometimes with everyday
challenges that we have in our communities, we can
get pushed off in another direction. Question, generally to the Minister, because
this can apply to this Head 83 on [page] B -264. And I
probably in my time in Parliament I have probably had the answer before, but I need to remember it again.
There are salaries and then there are wages. Salar ies
is the large component of remuneration to people.
Wages is always the smaller component of remuneration to people. Can the Honourable Minister please provide for me what goes in that line item of wages? What
are the items that always go in that line it em, the wages,
that cannot go into salaries? The Honourable Minister did say that on page
B-264 in regard to Training under the increase in
budget of $80,000 or 400 per cent, Mr. Chairman, that
that was due to cyber and disaster training. Can the Honourable Minister please give some understanding on what type of courses there will be and how many
people will be involved in those courses?
Mr. Chairman, staying on the Subject Analysis
of Current Account Estimates on page B -264: Professional Services. There seems to be a bounce all the time in Professional Services. And I understand when
you do accounting that there are some things that you put into a cer tain category because you just cannot list
50 things on a page every time. So, Professional Ser-vices quite often can be a catch category.
In this line item here, Professional Services, in
2022/23 it was $904,000, Mr. Chairman. You will see
that it finished on budget for the current financial year which ends in a month at $1.413 million, Mr. Chairman,
and then it is reduced to $1.305 million, a reduction of $108,000, or 8 per cent. Can the Honourable Minister
please outline specifically what those professional services are this year? And I could have missed it but,
What was the reduction for the last f inancial year of
$108,000 in Professional Services?

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Which head?

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: [Head] 83. Page B -264.
Sorry, Head 83, page B -264.
Mr. Chairman, I did get the correction last night
or the night before on [page] B -264. There was a correction [to the] Budget Book that the Administrative Staffing is only going to increase by two this year and the Disaster Risk Management Staff increasing by one.
So there will only be . . . there will be 10 positions in
there, not what is listed in the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, looking now at the Performance
Measures on page B -265. The first performance measure: Percentage of Information Systems Risk Management Programme Policies approved. It is a high percentage for the current financial year (90 per cent) and
then it is estimated to be 100 per cent for the next financial year. Question to the Honourable Minister, Is this an appropriate performance measure? Because it
really doesn’t say anything other than there was a very
small number of systems that were not appr oved this
year. I would like to see more in regard to why systems
were not approved and what makes systems important
for us to improve.
I have said it before many times in the Budget
Debate. I think performance measures can add a lot to
a debate but sometimes they just . . . they do not mean
anything. Let us save some paper. Take some of those
out that don’t mean anything, put some in tha t actually
can mean something.
Then it goes down to the Gang Violence Reduction Programme: Percentage survey questionnaire
data showing improvement in knowledge and skills de-velopment among at -risk youth participants of prevention programmes . Last year we finished with . . . 85 per
cent of those who were questioned showed improvement of their skills. But if I am reading that right,
shouldn’t we also know the percentage of high- risk, or
at-risk, youth . . . sorry, the number of at -risk youths
that we have and how many participated in the survey?
That would be the more meaningful outcome because right now . . . it is one thing to say that at -risk youth participated in prevention programmes, but if we don’t
know how many didn’t participate in those pro-grammes, then we could be missing a who le significant
number of people that we need to get into those programmes.
It is good to see that 85 per cent of those surveyed showed improvement because that shows that
there is progress in the programme. But I would like to see a survey showing that 95 per cent of at -risk youths
participated in these questionnaires and that really
shows us that we are getting to the bottom of a big challenge we have. We are spending a lot of money on it.
And if we don’t show improvement in this area, we will
continue to have deeper and deeper problems in our
community. Let’s face it, Mr. Chairm an, I am sure the
Minister knows from his work in the Ministry about how
we are losing people to that type of lifestyle. We are
losing people emigrating overseas [due] to that. And it
is becoming generational, because the father was a
gangster, now the son is a gangster, and that becomes the thing to do.
Mr. Chairman, going back up one in the Performance Measures, it says: Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team, contingency plans progressed. This is a question to the Honourable Minister, and I hope I am
not talking too fast for the able team within the Ministry
to get these questions down, but it says Disaster Risk
Reduction and Mitigation Team, contingency plans pro-gressed. For 2023/24 the goal was 100 per cent, revised to be 60 per cent. [For] 2022/23 the outcome was
60 per cent. The target for the next year is 85 per cent.
Now, to me (and the Minister can correct me if
he believes that I am off base here), those numbers
show that a lot of work is not getting done. Well, not a
694 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly lot of work . . . a lot of planning, contingency planning,
is not able to be done. Can the Minister please provide
some insight on that matter? If it is not done in the time
that the Minister and the department commits to getting
it done, is it still being progressed in the next financial
year? And if that is the case, will it hold up plans that
are being talked about for that financial year?
One of the very important things to me, Mr.
Chairman, is that what you have on the agenda today
you got to get it done because if you push it to tomorrow, tomorrow is going to be another important, busy day. So as much as you can, you have got to push
things forward, make decisions and . . . especially
when we talk about disaster risk and cybersecurity, we
have to make decisions because the disasters will happen and there will always be people out there trying to
break into your system. We have to make dec isions to
make sure that we are (as much as possible) staying
ahead of the curve. I think traditionally we, as Bermudians, . . . when it comes to disaster risk . . . even before
we had DRRM, I think we were pretty capable in dealing with the hurricane challenges we had and other disasters we had.
Mr. Chairman, if you will allow me to preamble
just a bit, I see you have candies now, so you have
sweetened up.
[Laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Mr. Chairman, the Minister
did talk about a tsunami exercise this year. When I was
the Minister , I am not sure what year it was, but I think
it was probably like 2016, we were talking about hurri-cane preparedness at that time. And somebody had brought in a copy of a newspaper from either the late
1920s or the early 1930s to show what we were talking
about at that time. But also on the front page, was a reported tsunami in Bermuda and how the water level
had gone up in Flatts. I mean, that was almost 100 years ago. Right? And I thought, man, there has never
been a tsunami in Bermuda . But it was right there.
So, yes, we do need to . . . the first thing is we
need to discuss these things. And I applaud the initia-tive on the tsunami because while we appear to be in a much better position than other remote islands, we still
need to understand it, one, and be prep ared for it as we
can. And, Mr. Chairman, a big part of the understanding
is knowing what you might face and then people will feel more comfortable.
Mr. Chairman, I am still on Head 83, Ministry
Headquarters, National Security. Question to the Hon-ourable Minister. You mentioned it under this head and
I think I missed you a little bit on the last head when you
were talking about the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. You mentioned under this Head 83 training required for airport emergency programmes. And then
under Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service you mentioned looking to develop a training facility down at the
aerodrome for up- to-date training programmes that . . . because our facility (my words, not yours) is somewhat
outdated. Those two are not interconnected, I assume.
So if you could just give more clarity on what specific
training you referred to under Head 83, training for airport emergency programmes.
The Honourable Minister did mention tabletop
exercises for the seaport and for airport and for immigration challenges. I am pleased to see that those exercises continue because when I was the Minister, I
found they were important for everyone involved and
we have become a busy place in the summertime. So it is important to protect our reputation and our name
because we don’t want to be seen on the news by not
handling something in the appropriate way.
Mr. Chairman, I am still on page . . . I am still
on Head 83. Question to the Honourable Minister, in
talking about cyber challenges for 2024/25, the Minister mentioned a Bermuda National Response Team and
Centre. Can the Minister please inform this Honourable
House when that will be set up and if there is any funding for that National Response Team and Centre in the
budget for 2024/25?
When it comes to cybersecurity, the Minister
also mentioned an assessment to be completed in
2024. Can the Honourable Minister give a commitment
when that assessment will be completed and if that will be available for Members of Parliament to review?
The Minister mentioned a Uniform Services
training programme and there were 10 candidates. Can
the Honourable Minister (and I expect there will be
plenty of time at the end of this debate) provide some
more information on what this Uniform Services training
programme involves? My understanding from the com-ments you said in the brief, Honourable Minister ,
speaking through you, Mr. Chairman, it is . . . tried to
put ourselves in a better position to have more people
apply for Uniform Services. So, I would li ke to know
more on how this programme is going to work within National Security or is it going to be a broad- based programme that might touch on education as well.
I did briefly talk about the national crime plan,
Mr. Chairman . That has been talked about for some
time now. I ask the Honourable Minister when it will be
available to be tabled in this Honourable House and to
give an update on how far along it will be, unless it is going to be tabled sometime during this Budget Debate.
The Honourable Minister talked about . . . the
CCTV programme ongoing. And certainly, I am supportive of that programme and my colleagues are. We
are disappointed that we did not make progress in the
last financial year. But now there has been a lot of
movement on the ground bec ause we have seen cameras going up and people have talked about it. Some
questions in regard to that. Mr. Chairman. I think back
in the Budget Book, back on page C -15 under Ministry
Headquarters, Capital Acquisitions (76902), CCTV Systems. There is no money allocated for this year. The
money was allocated in last year’s budget and $1.057


Bermuda House of Assembly million was . . . or has been spent. Can the Honourable
Minister please update and clarify to the House on what
else is involved in the budget to have that system become fully operational? I assume that $1.057 million,
Mr. Chairman, is the purchase cost of the equipment. If
I am wrong, the Minister can correct me. But it is a capital acquisition . . . the Opposition would like to know
what the instalment costs for that would be. He did say
a rough date [for] when it would come online.
The second question to the Honourable Minister . . . I have no idea where the cameras are going to
be located. I have not asked the Minister where the
cameras are going to be located. As a citizen, I really
don’t have too much concern of where the cameras are
going to be located because I believe in having CCTV
to help you. Everyone has got them. People have got
them around their private homes and business and
everything nowadays. But we do need to address one
aspect of it and, Mr. Chairman, it is . . . you know, people either want you to help them out right away —they
want the police right away, they want the Minister there
right away —or they say somebody is watching me .
So, question to the Honourable Minister, Can
the Honourable Minister please ensure this House that
when cameras are taken off the beaten track . . . because right now we have . . . we had about 100 cameras that were all over the Island, but they were on the main roads. And I understand they are being put on some roads that are not considered main roads now
and there have been concerns in the community. All Members’ constituencies, I think, have heard about it. Can the Honourable Minister say how we are working
towards alleviating that? Because I don’t want this tool
to be h eld up in getting complaints about a thing. That
question, I would appreciate getting an answer on it.
And also, Mr. Chairman, can the Minister provide some understanding of what the protocols will be around the use of those cameras? Because obviously
some of those cameras will be able to toggle and
search and move in position. I think that has people
concerned. Some of those cameras might be moveable
cameras to be put up in other areas.
Mr. Chairman, I know that the Minister is listening to me, and he has got a smile on his face so that
means he has got a lot to say.
Sticking with CCTV which is on [page] C -15 in
the Budget Book, Mr. Chairman. Question to the Honourable Minister, Is any of the old system still in place and working at this time?
Mr. Chairman, just looking through my notes
here before I move on to the next head.

For the benefit of the listening audience and Honourable Members, we are now in Com-mittee of Supply for further consideration of the Esti-mates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25. Honourable Minister Michael A. Weeks has
given his presentation on the Ministry for National Security and Shadow Minister Michael H. Dunkley is giv-ing robust questions and preambles.

[Laughter and inaudible interjections ]

As long as they are robust.
[Laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Mr. Chairman , it seems like
every time you and I have a conversation it is robust.
But don’t worry about it. That is what Devonshire people do.
I noticed you have got my favourite candies in
that dish, and you are not throwing one my way, but my
mother . . .

Several Hon. Members: Whoa! Ooh!

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Somerset.

[Laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I almost stumped him, too.
Mr. Chairman, I believe that ends my preamble
and questions for Ministry Headquarters, Head 83. And let me thank the staff and I think this is probably the
PSs first year, so thank Colonel Lamb for his work. I
wonder if it is all that he thought it was cracked up to be
at this point in time, or if he wants to go somewhere else. But certainly, I know Ministers appreciate permanent secretaries that they can build good relationships
with, and I hope Minister Weeks has built a good relationship with Colonel Lamb.
Turning on to the next head, Head 6, Defence.
First off, Mr. Chairman, page B -266. If I can just make
a correction. These department objectives are in here
all the time and they get massaged from time to time.
And that is cool. I think it is good that they are in there.
But if you look at the bottom of page B -266, International Assistance. The second to last line, or the last
line, the last line is a double print. So, if next year we can just correct that to take it out because when I was
reading this one night, I thought that I was seeing double . . . and I was! But it was real.
My first question to the Honourable Minister, on
the next page [B -267] under recruiting it says the Royal
Bermuda Regiment is to recruit and retain a standing
deployable force of up to 420. But the way I see the numbers now, Mr. Chairman, is that the Minister said
696 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly that 360 was what they were shooting for, and 301 was
what we currently have.
[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I am pretty good with words,
but we got to get a better aim then because . . . let us
put the question this way. Are we still capable of a standing deployable force of 420 within the Royal Bermuda Regiment?

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Are you talking about the
Regiment or the Police?
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: No, I have moved on to Defence, Head 6. The next head. Yes. Where the correc-tion is . . . I am on [page] B -267.
So, are we still capable, is it still possible to
have 420? Or is that 420, by the agreement of the commanding officer with the support of Government and
Government House, now 360? And I say that because,
Mr. Chairman, it is obvious that this area (Head 6) is
having recruitment issues as well.
If you go to [page] B -270 in the Budget Book,
Minister , the original outcome for 2022/23 was 50. It
ended up at 26. The original forecast for 2023/24 was 50 and it has ended up at 33. Now the targeted outcome for 2024/25 is 30 and I think the Minister might
have mentioned 25 in the brief. Last year (I believe) we
had two recruitment courses . . . or this current financial
year we had two recruitment courses. And it appears
that we are not getting the numbers to come in the door.
Piggybacking on that is the deployable force. A
question to the Honourable Minister , Is there any concern within Head 6, Defence, that what is happening
right now as far as the numbers that are recruited is going to continue to decrease? And will that put them in a more difficult position?
I know the Honourable Minister did say when
he gave his brief . . . and I am just looking for my notes.
I think the Minister can correct me if I am wrong, but he
mentioned at least one time that part -time wages had
increased for staff at the Regiment. I would hope that this is not because of the fact that there are not enough trained officers on the ground.
The Minister did mention on [page] B -268, that
Finance [line item] 16000) that the 10 per cent increase
was to wage increases. If you look at [line item] 16005,
Mr. Chairman, I want the Minister to provide some feedback because in 2022/23 the final number for recruitment was $69,000 as an expense. In 2023/24 it is supposed to be $113,000 as an expense and the estimate
for the next financial year is going to go up to $115,000,
a 2 per cent increas e. Recruitment is pretty close to
doubling in two years. Can the Minister please provide
some information, some feedback, on how that addi-tional money is being used and what is its purpose? Is
it to try to bolster the numbers or is there other recruitment avenues that they are chasing? Staying on page B -268, line item 16040, Internal Security. If you look at the Budget Book, there has
been a 70 per cent increase in Internal Security over
the past two years. The budget in 2022/23 was $147,000. It moved up to $211,000 last year and it is going to increase by another 7 per cent to $225,000 in
the [2024/25] financial year. Can the Honourable Minister please provide some information on that increase
. . . significant increase two years ago and a smaller increase this year and what that is att ributed to? Is that
to salaries and wages from another line item being put in there? Or is there additional work that has to be
done?
[Going] down two lines, Mr. Chairman, to
16075, Overseas Camp. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate
the Minister ’s explanation about the overseas camp,
and I fully accept that it will be much more expensive to
get a charter for the overseas camp. I don’t know if the
people in Bermuda know, but all the soldiers and recruits and everybody are taken out there on a charter
flight. And I know from my time as Minister that sometimes it was difficult to negotiate these flights. First off, you have to deal with reliable companies. You don’t
want to be shafted at the last minute. The price of charters can vary all over the place and most of the time it
is up. Can the Honourable Minister explain the increase
in the charter . . . the original budget to Guyana last
year was $820,000 and it increased to $860,000 in the revised forecast. North Carolina, we have been there a
number of times and that camp I think is very productive
and effectiv e for us. I know the Regiment likes to go
there. So we will see that charter come down by $125,000. But that $40,000 extra [in the revised estimate], can the Honourable Minister explain what took
place at that time?
Also, Mr. Chairman, in regard to Training and
Validation. The Honourable Minister mentioned the
4 per cent increase in Training and Validation but I
would like to get some understanding on the significant
increase from 2022/23 to 2023/24 from $449,000 to
$531,000 because that is the first time we have seen
that final number. What is the $82,000 increase in
Training and Validation for that year related to?
Mr. Chairman, [line item] 16085, Marine Operations. That is the Coast Guard, as the Minister explained, and now they are down to 12 full -time staff and
two officers and part -time staff supplementing them.
The Bermuda Police Service is still working with the
Coast Guard as the Minister said this year and last year
in helping them get off their . . . get supply to mandate
and make sure the patrols are right.
Question to the Honourable Minister, Is there
any timeframe when the Bermuda Police Service will
not have to assist the Royal Bermuda Regiment anymore with those patrols? And at current, with the Bermuda Police Service still assisting, is the budget for
those police officers out there coming from the police budget or the Royal Bermuda Regiment budget? The
work by the Coast Guard certainly is very important, Mr.


Bermuda House of Assembly Chairman, and so we applaud those who want to get
involved. Certainly being on the water is not nice 365
days a year, so we know it is not easy.
Turning to page C -15, the Capital Acquisitions,
Mr. Chairman. The Minister referred to $29,000 for a
boat or vessel. Can the Honourable Minister please explain what that $29,000 is going to cover? Because if you buy a pretty supercharged motor nowadays it costs
you more than $29,000 so I would like to know what
that is in regard to.
The Minister mentioned shelter systems,
$200,000. And $164,000 was budgeted in the current
financial year and none was spent. Can the Honourable
Minister please provide some understanding of why the
$164,000 was not spent in the current financial year?
Turning to page C -7, Mr. Chairman. And page
C-7, for the listening audience, is Capital Development.
The current financial year (which has a month left) . . .
there was an allocation of $50,000 for a Coast Guard
maintenance shed and $150,000 for the Officers’ mess
and $150,000 for the Coast Guard unit in St. David’s. None of that was spent, Mr. Chairman . Can the Honourable Minister please provide some details why none
of that was spent? And could the Honourable Minister
please explain the $750,000 for Coast Guard maintenance shed? How is that allocated for the [2024/25]
budget?
Another question in relation to that is . . . that
$750,000 is under line item 75362, Defence, Coast
Guard Maintenance Shed. Can the Honourable Minister please provide the location of that shed? Is it up in
Dockyard? Or was it down in St. David’s?

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: It’s a secret.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: The Minister says it’s a secret.

[Laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: But as soon as you build it,
it will not be a secret so you may as well let the cat out
of the bag!

[Laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: But I appreciate your levity
to break up the debate a little bit.
The reason why I ask is because there was
$150,000 allocated for a Coast Guard unit in St. David’s
that for this financial year was not used. And there is no
money for the next financial year. So, can the Honourable Minister please give an update on what are the
plans for the Coast Guard unit in St. David’s? There is
only a spending allocation of $300,000 in total for that
unit. That is not a lot of money . . . $300,000. So, I am
wondering what is going to take place with that base.
The spending is based under the letter “N” which is a
new project, not previously reported. I assume it was reported last year for the first time, but $300,000 nowadays with construction costs . . . hard to build anything. Can the Minister please give an update on the
Coast Guard unit in St. David’s and if that project has
been pushed aside for more important issues (which we could accept)? What are the plans going forward?
Because $300,000 is not going to give a unit . . . I
mean, you coul d not even buy a boat for that, Mr. Chai rman.
Mr. Chairman, on [page] B -269 . . . I am just
scanning [page] B -268. I think I covered everything.
Page B -269, Travel. We see the Travel budget for
2022/23 the actual, $386,000. And then the original for
this current financial year was $524,000 and then it
bumped to $655,000 and now it is down to $408,000.
Can the Minister provide some information detail on the
bump of that? I assume some of it has to be related to
the overseas camp. However, the overseas camp only
went up by $40,000 but that travel budget went up by
over $130,000. Can the Honourable Minister please
provide some feedback on what the case is there? I assume that travel covers not only the travel component
for the overseas camp, but it would cover travel components for officers going for training overseas or all
that type of stuff. So if the Minister can give some more
information on that.
I will finish on that page, page B -269, to once
again just try to get some assurance from the Minister
on what we are going to do about the recruitment numbers, because I don’t like the signs that I am seeing with
those numbers on page B -270 of the Budget Book.
Turning to page B -270, Mr. Chairman, the operational strength of the Regiment as a percentage against the Regiment’s establishment of 365. There are
a lot of numbers that go around in regard to the breadth
of the Regiment. The deployable force of 420; 365 the
Regiment establishment. But thi s number here for the
actual outcome for 2022/23 and 2023/24 original, re-vised, and then the targeted outcome for this current
year [2024/25] is 78 per cent, 75, 77, 75 per cent. So,
can the Minister please provide some information . . . is
the Royal Bermuda Regiment comfortable with a
75 per cent percentage of the Regiment establishment? Is it comfortable that they will be able to fulfil their
mandate across all the areas that they have?
I did not get the chance to ask this question last
year because there were only 17 minutes to talk. That
is why we have eight hours this year so we will not run
out of time. I thought, Mr. Chairman, that after the Minister spoke that I would just say I wanted to see if the
Minister could speak for eight hours. He can’t, so no
questions. But when I saw you in the Chair, I had a lot
of questions come to mind. So I might as well get them
off my chest.
[Inaudible interjections and laughter]

698 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: But this question was not
answered last year, and I would like some help in understanding it.
As a former Minister I know some things. But I
want to know if this business unit, item number 2, Num-ber of Soldiers listed as Long- Term Absentees is even
warranted to be a performance measure, because
number of soldiers listed as long- term absentees . . .
well, the actual outcome from 2022/23 was 77. The original forecast for this financial year was 60, but now
it is going to be 88. And then the target outcome for next year is 25.
Now, 25 seems like an improvement so I will
give them that. But can the Honourable Minister please
explain what is being done to get this number down?
Because performance measures (to me) mean something. Like, Mr. Chairman, you and I . . . if we are going
to be evaluated as Members of Parliament, we would
take those performance measures seriously and want
to improve on them every year. You know? I know we
talk about it. But we want to improve on them because that is how the people feel about us. But I am not understanding this. I am not really understanding or believing these numbers are worthy. So, I need an explanation on what we are doing.
Are we even addressing this? Because if we
are not, we need to clear it up so we can move on to important issues. We have 88 people who are absent this year —absent from what? One training session?
Missed two weeks of training sessions? That number does not tell us anything, Mr. Chairman.
What does tell us something is that if you look
at the next line item, Percentage of Soldiers who
passed their military standard tests , and see that the
original forecast for 2022/23 for the annual personal
weapons test was 95 per cent. Mr. Chairman, it was
95 per cent; it dropped to 65 [per cent] in the final outcome. I am pleased to see that the original forecast for
this year was 65 per cent and they upped it to 85 [per
cent]. That means they made progress. But what I
would like to see for next year is a targeted outcome
with like 90 per cent. Don’t keep it at 65 [per cent]. You
have soldiers who cannot pass an annual weapons
test? I mean, they have plenty of time to go train. Now a lot of people say, What is Dunkley talking about,
teach people how to shoot? But if you are in the Regiment, you need to learn what critical drill is there.
Physical fitness. Personal fitness tests . . .
50 per cent. That is a failure! Because they are not letting people 65 like me in there anymore . . . 66 in June,
Lord give me breath. Fifty per cent. And the outcome
for this year is 60 [per cent] so that is an improvement.
But then the target for next year is 55 [per cent]. Minister, can you ask the commanding officer can we at least
get that up to 80 per cent?
When they come for their training sessions on
Tuesday night/Thursday night they should go out for a run to start. Go for a run and do 50 push ups. Then get
to your stuff. I say that because I believe that when you have training and when you learn things outside the
scope of what you normally do, it enhances and improves your life. But to me, as we talked about on Monday in the health debate, the most critical thing in life is
your health. But yet we see . . . we got people in the
Regiment, personal fitness, 50 per cent. Physical fitness, 50 per cent. Operational fitness test, 50 per cent.
That is not acceptable. And then the numbers do not increase. So can the Honourable Minister please ask
the commanding officer what his intentions are to improve that and h ow we intend to get there.
Mr. Chairman, that brings me to Head 7 the Police. The department objectives are listed on page B -
271 and I support them 100 per cent. But what I am
very concerned about is enhancing road safety. And in
spite of the work by the Bermuda Road Safety Council,
we are faili ng in this regard.

—and preambles, and this debate
commenced at 10:47 am and is due to conclude at
8:23, approximately three more hours of preambles.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Nice.
[Laughter]
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I hear the Whip saying Don’t encourage him!
And I see Colonel Lamb in the back there and I know
Colonel Lamb can give some preamble too.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: No, no. I am going to try
and tighten it down because while this is an important
Ministry, and I could speak for three more hours, I think
it is important that others have an opportunity to speak
and I also think that it is important that the Minister . . .
he cannot address all the questions. But he can address some of the questions and maybe get a commitment to follow up with some answers going forward
from there. Because I think . . . we provide a lot of support to the Government . And some of the things we say


Bermuda House of Assembly are critical. But if they are taken on board, they can
work.
One of the big trumpets last year was recruitment. And it is not happening. And here we are in police, the same thing is happening. The Minister said that
the operational numbers are the lowest they have been
in 30 years. Now, I am not so sure of the veracity of that
statement, but I accept it because we have seen them
gently slide. And the Minister said the overtime budget
is being cut to fund more officers and I applaud that. Obviously, overtime will be more expensive. Overtime will lead to burnout. Overt ime will lead to morale issues.
The question to the Honourable Minister is,
How can we be assured that we are actually going to get the numbers that we want? Another thing about the
Budget Book that I always have some disagreement
with is that . . . take a look at Police on [page] B -274,
Mr. Chairman. The original total number of civilians and
officers for the budget in 2022/23 was 492. Okay? The
revised budget is 435. Right? But when the estimate for
2024/25 comes out, they will always relate the estimate for the next financial year wit h the original for the last
financial year. So you will see in the next line going on,
it is a decrease of 19 officers. But it is not a decrease
of 19 officers. It is a decrease from the original budgeted number, but we never got there. We are finishing
at 435. So, you know, if we keep going that way, it is
going to be the steady slip —the steady creep —backwards. Right?
And here is the challenge. I support the general
increase in the police budget. And the police have managed their budgets quite well over the recent years. You
take a look at them, and you will see the budgets for
the police come in pretty much spot on all the time. I do
not know how they do it. But I guess they are police
officers, so they know how to get things done. One of the biggest issues now within the police is staffing, because if you look at the challenges they face, whether
it be gangs, guns and violence . . . And the Minister
gave an overview of what is taking place there. I ask a
question to the Honourable Minister: How many police
officers actually work in that department? And do they
work in that department full time? Because from what I
under stand, a few years ago a commissioner said,
Okay. We’re going to put all the officers in the Commissioner’s Office. And it took a lot of line items out of the
book, but it gave the Commissioner the flexibility to
move personnel where he needed to depending on the
challenges of the day, Mr. Chairman —Somerset or St.
George’s , depending on the challenges of the day.

[Inaudible interjections and laughter]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: So, with those challenges
of the day, if we do not have sufficient staff and the ket-tle is hot . . . there is a lot going on. You cannot utilise
your staff in those departments. You have to pay overtime to make it happen. And as soon as you start to get
on top of that —as soon as you cool down that kettle, so to speak —then you will pull back on the overtime. But
sometimes you cannot pull back on that overtime because you could be in the summer period when you
have a lot of events on. You have to make certain securities , and I get it. It is tough. The big part of managing a business is you have your staff 365 days a year,
but business changes from one month to the next. So
in the summertime, you have a lot more people in Bermuda. You have a lot more going on. You have cruis e
ships. You have, you know . . . You have everything
happening. You have events. You have carnivals. You have the Cup Match, and it is going to be big this year
because it is up in God’s country in Somerset. St.
George’s people probably will not go up there because
it is a long ride home.

Some Hon. Member s: Without the Cup.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Without the Cup and crying
in their Gatorade or whatever it is, Mr. Chairman.
But seriously, if we do not have people dedicated to those departments, you cannot get the work
done.
Now, the Minister talked about . . . and I am trying to look as I talk. He talked about Operation Vega.
And I support Operation Vega. In fact, you know, two
days ago, they had a truck full of bikes in my driveway
and an officer outside with his gun. And on e of the people who used the driveway called me up and said, Hey.
You should tell him not to be there.
I said, What? Are you crazy? I am not happy
with the way people drive on these roads. All of them
can come in there every day of the week if they want to. Right? Because, you know, we complain about road
safety, but we do not want it to happen to us. You complain about how people drive or how people speed, but
if we break the law, No. I am a good driver. But if we
are serious about that . . .
The Operation Vega statistics show me very
clearly that as a pinpoint operation it does well. But
also, with my experience in life generally, it is clear to
me that it is only a pinpoint operation. So to the Honourable Minister , How much time does the Roads Policing Unit actually spend on the roads? And what other responsibilities do they have? Because I understand that one of their responsibilities —and it might be a new -
found, unfortunate responsibly —is to investigate road
fatalities. Now, somebody has to do it. And there are a
lot of them there who are outstanding. And I do not like to say this, but the fact of the matter is it appears that
when we make progress on an investigation then
something else happens and there is another one to
look at. And the community mourns for a while but then
we forget and then we go driving stupid again and all
that type of stuff.
And so, I ask a question to the Honourable Minister: How much time do these officers spend on the
road and how much time do they spend investigating
fatalities ? And what other [things] do they [spend time
700 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly on]? Because if they are not on the road the majority of
time, we are losing the battle. And people call our road
habits a culture. It is not a culture. It is only a culture in
people’s minds because they have been able to get
away with it. Right? It is a bad habit that is now becom-ing engrained in their lifestyle.
Mr. Chairman, two days ago, I was driving up
Collector’s Hill and a guy came at me from 50 yards away, popping a wheelie downhill , with potholes.

[Inaudible interjection]

An. Hon. Member: That’s a different debate.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: That’s a different debate.
No, but the thing is I thought, If this guy hits a pothole,
he will be in my lap. How many people get injured by
the poor driving habits of themselves and others? So if
we are going to be serious about road traffic enforcement, we must do it. I do not even have time for people
who say, All you want to do is catch speeders and stuff.
No, no. I want our roads to be calm because while we
talk about it, our visitors talk about it. They do not want
to get on a bike anymore because bikes are dangerous.
So Minister, I ask those questions and in addition, Has the Government considered increasing the
road traffic unit to allow them to have more resources
to get more people on the road to do their job? Because while Operation Vega works, you stop and then two
weeks later people are right back to it because t hey
know you are not out there. That is the way it is. And I
understand police have to juggle their resources.
Another thing is the Minister mentioned community policing— the Community Policing Unit. You
look at page B -274 . . . and if I am jumping around too
quickly, Mr. Chairman, just ask me to slow up. But I have not eaten my candy yet, so it is not sugar. Com-munity policing. You know, this is serious business, so
I have to move.
Community policing has seven people allocated for the 2023/24 budget and nobody finished a year in community policing, so they were moved to
other areas. I get that. That is the responsibility of the
Commissioner to do what the Commissioner deems right. Th e Government House and Minister can have a
say in that. But all of a sudden for this current fiscal year
we are going to find 17 police officers going into community policing.
I can tell you right now, Mr. Chairman, it would
be manna from heaven if it happened. I do not think it is going to happen because where are we going to find
17 officers? We cannot be taking them from other duties because we are tight in some of those budg ets already. It is going to be hard to raise people because the
Bermuda Police Service only hired 15 people last year.
I think they tried to do two recruitment courses. It used to be you would get 100 people applying and you would
have to whittle it down t o 15. So how are we going to have community policing be up to 17 [officers] next year from zero? So when
you take it away . . . man, in Devonshire we had a good
community policer officer. You know, we had a good community policer officer for a while. It was always on . . . Minister Rabain knows as well because he was on
the chat that we have going. And he would deal with
stuff, and he would come around and check people out.
That is what we need. You take that away and what do
we have? You have more vagrancy in town. That is
where people drive . . . I had my aunt here recently.
One thing she said to me was, I cannot drive down
Front Street anymore. It makes me cry. I said, Why?
She said, Because of the boarded- up shops and the
vagrancy.
But then you get community issues in your constituency. We all have those trouble spots in our areas
where there is excess noise or people partying all the
time. I know the Minister has it in his constituency because I have one of his good constituents up there who
calls me from time to time. They are all over. But if you
do not have police who are dedicated to that you have
to pull somebody from somewhere else to do it. So can
the Government give assurance to this Honourable
House that this 17 is going to be real? Seven went to
zero so I cannot see how zero is going to 17. It just is not going to happen.
Now, looking at these numbers again, Mr.
Chairman, on page B -274 we started out with 492. We
finished with 435. So that is minus 57. Yes, and I have talked a lot about attrition. When you have a sizeable
number of employees like that, attrition can be as high as 10 per cent a year. Right? So, the Minister mentioned 32 leaving in the next fiscal year. And we are
going to try to recruit 25 so we are dropping another
seven. Where are we dropping the seven from? You
cannot drop them from community policing bec ause
there is no one there. If you are going to take them from
court liaison, you cannot take them from there. You
cannot take them from the workshop because they
have to fix the vehicles. So where are you going to take
them from?
But when we look at the 2024/25 estimate, we
have 473 staff, so we are only going to be 19 now from
next year, but because the current number is 435, we say we are going to have 473. Mercy sakes. Where are
we going to come up with 48 officers in one year? I
mean, we have to be real. I do not think it is going to
happen. So can the Honourable Minister tell me how that will happen? Because we are going in the wrong
way. And if we continue to use overtime, as I said, it will
burn out morale and it is expensive. So forget where
we were going to be at the end of this year , 492, and
where we are [going] , 473. We are at 435. You said we
were going to get to 473. Right? Thirty -eight officers ?
Where are we going to get 38 from and train them and
get them on the street?
The other thing I want to say about this, Mr.
Chairman, and this is a question going to the Minister:


Bermuda House of Assembly How are we going to improve on the human resources
function? And I am asking it in Police , but it is germane
to the whole area because, you know, I think Bermuda is struggling because people have emigrated, so we
have less people looking for jobs. I am not going to get into that , but in the private sector their human resources
are much more nimble. They know that if they do not
grab somebody quickly and make sure they fit for them, they are going to lose them.
One of the challenges we had in Corrections
when I was the Minister was psychologists. And I will get to that. But you know, we hired a psychologist one
time but by the time we got him approved and everything through immigration . . . blah blah, blah. Oh,
sorry. I got another job. We had to start all over again. So we have to make sure that we can do something
about this because a lack of officers impacts pro-grammes and impacts overtime, and we cannot continue to allow that to happen.
I dealt with gangs, guns and violence earlier. I
asked how many people are in that unit . And it is important. And I would like the Minister to assure us that
the police work closely with the team within the Ministry
of National Security Headquarters to deal with those
challenges.
I have questions in regard to retirement. And I
will ask it in regard to Police. But, Mr. Chairman, I think it can fall into all the services because their retirement age is 55. I would have to estimate, Mr. Chairman, that
. . . I know the Police are bringing people past retirement age— people over 55 —back. They keep their seniority, and they conduct operations as they are directed
to. But I would have to guesstimate based on what I
knew a few years ago about the Police, probably a quarter of the service could be 55- plus.
Could the Minister please inform us what that
number is? I ask for that number because when we get there we are really treading water to try to get to a better
position. You cannot tread water for too long unless you
are, you know, Michael Phelps. So in regard to that,
Minister, has ther e been any discussion about changing the retirement age throughout Uniform Services ,
and certainly Police as well , to 60? Because while that
option does have some challenges faced with it, I think
it is worthy of discussion because we have to get to a
better position other than what we are in at the present
time.
I cannot imagine that there have not been one
or two police officers , or people in other services , who
have left early because they are tired and burned out
and all that type of stuff. So this retirement at 55, bringing officers back and the majority . . . the amount that
are in the service is an issue. Looking at changing that
policy is certainly an issue.
Also, if we operate like that, Mr. Chairman, one
of the most important things in these services , and certainly in the police , is promotions to make sure you
have qualified and effective people in promotions. Continuing on like this is going to impact our ability to have strong leadership going forward, and I want to be assured that we are going to deal with that. The Minister
did mention professional standards and what is being
done with that. I can appreciate and understand that
when you are looking at that it can be a very challeng-ing task at times because some of the changes can be
starkly different from what officers are used to dealing
with. So I will ask the Minister a question to hear from
the Commissioner , How has that impacted morale in
the service? And do they believe they are making adequate progress in these professional standards (which are important but they have to be implemented in the
right way)?
I have another question to the Honourable Minister. Going to page C -7 in the Budget Book, Mr. Chairman. The M inister did refer to the Police Headquarters
in Prospect. And one of the interesting things about all
these numbers that we look at in the back, there is a
code established to them on the side. So the Police
Headquarters in Prospect has the code of “D,” which,
Mr. Chairman, as you know, is an order of cost based on preliminary costs. Now, these can change from time
to time based on the scope of the project as it becomes
more clearly defined.
So, the first question to the Honourable Minister is , Has that project been more clearly defined? Is it
intended for that budget of $70 million to be in the ballpark for what is taking place? And the Minister talked
about $1.124 million being allocated for this current financial year to move some officers back up there. I
know it is quite a large building, so I imagine there is a significant amount of work to be done up there. And I
assume, because of the work being done . . . you talked
about moving people out of renting spaces. Will they be
able to continue their duties in the appropriate fashion
if construction continues around them? I have always
been a big supporter of having that compound maintained and used properly. Capital development is always the hardest thing, especially when you get into
difficult positions with government budgets. But I would
like to know more about what the plans are further past
this year and how they will be done. Can the Minister
explain what the work entails in there?
Mr. Chairman, I am on page C -15 now. I have
questions for the Honourable Minister. I am pleased to see there is continued funding for police vehicles —
$370,000 this year. Obviously, you know, there has to
be continued funding for it because of the amount of wear and tear they take and the amount of time they are on the roads. The Honourable Minister did say that
the network servers were pushed off from the current
fiscal year to the next fiscal year . But he did go on to
talk about the poor condition they were in and the criti-cal need there is for them. Can the Minister assure that
we will get the work done this year and we will not have
any issues because the work was pushed off for one
financial year?
Then in the next line item down, the Minister
mentioned on [line item] 76505, Police Computer
702 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly System Update. There was, Mr. Chairman, $719,000 in
the budget for the current financial year. It was not used
at all, and there is no budget for the next financial year.
So can the Honourable Minister please give an update
to this Honourable House on what is taking place in that regard?
Mr. Chairman, a few more questions before I
move on. I am just looking at my notes. Backtracking to road safety , I have a question in regard to road safety.
Has there been any representation by the Bermuda Po-lice Service to the Government to discuss legislation changes in regard to searches to stop and check ones
to see if they have been drinking? The Minister mentioned some statistics from the last year, and those
numbers are startling. And those numbers really are
not going to change because when you adv ertise
where you are going to be and when you will be there, a lot of people pay attention to it. I hear people talking
all the time. They are going to be out tonight. So we
need to be careful and need to do this. But you know,
no one tells you when they are going to get drunk and
jump in a vehicle, so why should we tell them when we
are going to stop and search?
I remember very clearly that we started these
discussions when we were in the Government and
there was an element of the discussions that said, Well,
you know, there is a constitutional responsibility to do
these types of things. And while I can understand that,
I do not accept that this has to be the way. Look , the
Minister talked about stop and search and how it is an important key. And remember when it was put in under the PLP —I think it was about 2009 or 2010— under
Minister Perinchief. There was a big k ickback about it.
And quite rightly, the PLP kept it and the One Bermuda Alliance kept it. Because when things heat up, you have
to be able to do those type s of things. And if the police
abuse their authority, then we have things that should stop that. But here we have an issue with drunk driving.
I am sorry to see somebody walk into . . . I am not going
to name any place , but they walk into a place, buy a
six-pack of beer and get in their truck at ten o’clock in
the morning. It has to stop. So why should w e tell people that we are going to be out checking you tonight? If
somebody is moving all over the road, they should be stopped and they should be breathalysed.
We need to be serious about this challenge we
face because right now people take it as just a slap on the wrist. We are being warned. They are going to do
something for this weekend, or , you know, whatever
like that. It does not work. So I ask the question, Are
the police comfortable with the current approach to doing checks for sobriety? And has the Government given
any consideration to some changes about it? Because
I would certainly support it and I think my colleagues in
the Opposition would support it.
And while we do that, I have a question to the
Honourable Minister , Have the police made any representation to Government as we put this new CCTV system in about changing some of the fixed penalty legislation ? It is $50 if you run a red light. That is crazy.
People are running red lights all the time. People do not
care about a fine. It’s $100 with no driver’s licence.
There are people driving around . . . I do not want people to say, You know, Dunkley, when things are tough,
you do not want to fine people. But it has to mean
something. If you break the law, the penalty has to mean something. Or you know what? We do not have
a job up here. We let people do what they want to do
and we forget about it.
But it is part of the broken window theory that I
talked about. We have to uphold the law. And sometimes you can push too far. Sometimes you do not push
hard enough, and you get the challenges we face with
drunk driving and people running stop lights. So n ow
that we have these new cameras in, warn people how they are going to work, what they are going to be look-ing for. And you know what? If I go through a red light,
I will pay that ticket. I have no problem paying that ticket
because I broke the law. And y ou know, breaking the
law does not make you a bad person. We all have let -
downs, man. You know, I will not tell you any stories
but . . . how many people do not pay parking tickets?
They put them in their car when they get a parking
ticket. They put them in their glove compartment and
forget about it, and then when they go to clean their car,
they find the parking ticket. I am just making this theory
up, Mr. Chairman, you know.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: They say , MP Richardson.
So, you know, we need to get serious about
this. I want to know the conversations . . . not “know”
the conversations, but I want to be informed if we are
having conversations about how we improve some of
the things Bermudians are talking about. They are ta lking about these types of things, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, performance measures for the
Police. I am sure that the Commissioner is listening to
this debate. Or I do not know if the Commissioner is in
the back of the room, but the Minister and the PS can
tell him. Please do something about page B -275. It is a
waste of paper. It does not say anything. We do not have a revised forecast. We do not have any target out-come. So take it off there.
Put some performance measures back in
there. Let’s hold them to account , because they come
up with achievements and objectives. But let’s . . . even
if they are easy . . . even if they are easy -to-tick box.
Percent change in the public’s perception of safety about Bermuda’s roads. I like that. But why? It is 55 per
cent. Why are we dropping it? Because it is 35 [per
cent] now? And it is not all the Police’s fault. We are all
in this together. Right? So let’s do something. Can the
Minister show me that we ar e going to do something
about it —not wasting paper —and have some proper
performance measures?


Bermuda House of Assembly Honourable Minister, has there been any discussion with the police about confiscated assets funds?
We have a confiscated assets fund and quite often
money will go into it, probably not often enough. But I
think that those departments that are helping interdict this stuff . . . we should ring- fence a certain amount of
that money to be put into their budgets to allow them to
have that ability to use those monies to improve their
services. So have there been any discussions about
that? Or is a confiscated assets fund going to be continued to be used for programmes and things we have
done in the past? The Police, Customs —they work
hard. They should be able to share in some of their success rather than take a picture on the front page of the
paper and say what they have done.
I think the last thing I will ask on this, Mr. Chairman, is , Can the Honourable Minister please provide
an answer to how many police officers are currently on
suspension and how many of those are on full pay?
And how long will it take to resolve those issues? And
can the Honourable Minster please provide any infor-mation if anybody is on any long- term sick leave? I
would say long- term sick leave for a major injury or
something like that, not if you are recovering from the flu for a couple of weeks or whatev er.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I go to Customs. I
think in some of these departments, we are going to have to see supplementaries come in shortly, Mr. Chairman, because if you look in the Budget Book for
Customs, you will see that for 2022/23, the original
budget was $16,575,000. It has risen now to $17,473,000. I got that $16,575,000 from last year’s
Budget Book. So, you know, it is an $899,000 increase.
I am sure there will be a supplementary that comes for
that. And it looks like those supplementaries —those increased costs —are to cover shortage of staffing as has
been recognised by the Honourable Minster during the debate. And I think this department has the issue as
well of over-55 staffing.
And you know, if you need it to hit you on your
forehead any more than it is now, look at HM C ustoms
where we can see on page B -277 the original forecast
for total officers was 184. We finish at 166. No, I think
you said 168. The B udget Book was correct. So, we
finish at 168. And we are going to finish this next financial year at 180. Now, that cannot be right.
Another thing that is not right . . . and I just recognised this. That is why I paused, Mr. Chairman. If you look at the head for employee numbers, it should not
be “2021/22. ” It should be “2022/23. ” It should not be
“2022/23. ” It should be “ 2023/24. ” It should not be
“2023/24. ” It should be “ 2024/25. ” So, we are one year
wrong, but I know what they are doing here. Those numbers apply to those years that I just listed. But in
the Budget Book, the titles are wrong. Are you with me,
Mr. Chairman? Page B -277.
[Inaudible interjection] Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes. But you are with me
where I [said there need to be] changes. Yes. So we
need to correct that for next year.
So, we are short by 16 from where we are allocated to be. But next year we are going to get 180,
which is 12 more than we currently have. But in this
financial year they have only managed to recruit 4 Customs officers. So can the Honourable Minister assure or provide some detail as to how we are going to go
from 4 to get the required 12 officers that we need?
I appreciate the Minister’s explanation of the interdiction numbers and Hamilton commercial ops, and
the airport arrivals -travellers. That makes sense. But I
need to know that we are actually going to get somewhere in this because if we do not, we are going to be
in a more difficult time.
Now, I appreciate retired officers coming back
and working, and they are paid being part -time use. But
that is going to become more and more and more. And that is going to hurt our budget and it is going to lead to
burn out of officers. And as we get busier (and I hope
this year is busier than we expect), these are frontline
people —frontline people who greet our cruise ships,
greet people at the airport, have to interdict things. And clearly, the community has to have confidence in what
they do. So we need to make sure that they can get it
done in the right way.
I am staying on page B -277, Mr. Chairman, because I would just like a breakdown from the Honourable Minister on professional services. The Honourable
Minister did say the professional services line was for
retired officers being used, and maybe the answer is solely in that , because if you look at the original budget
for professional services in 2022/23, it was $86,000. It
finished at $231,000. Then this current financial year is
$332[,000] and then it is $368[,000]. To the Honourable
Minister , Is that the only item covered in professional
services, the overtime for retired officers?
I am staying there, going down to line item
Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry. The Minister did explain about some of the challenges with that area. But
I find it hard to believe that in two years the allocation
for clothing, uniforms and laundry has doubled from
$65,000 to $120,000. So can the Minister please provide some understanding other than what he did? Do we think we are going to continue to see increases like
that in future years? And I have to applaud the way our
Uniform Services look. They always l ook smart —all of
them. They always look smart. And that is important ,
because I cannot say that about some other places that
I have been.
Turning the page, Mr. Chairman. First, I am going to look at page C-15, Capital Acquisitions. Customs
only had $20,000 last year. It was not used. So can the Minister please provide some understanding to that?
Mr. Chairman, I recall the Honourable Minster
said in the last year’s budget that the X -ray scanner at
the docks was going to be improving—new equipment
for it. So can the Honourable Minster please give an
704 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly update on that piece of equipment? And can the Honourable Minister please also update what is going to be
done with the structure that houses it? Because it does
not look like it belongs on the dock and it does look like
with the first blow we get in the h urricane season it will
come down. So, that piece of equipment is critical for
the operation down there. I think it helps Customs do
their job. It has probably paid for itself. So we need to
reinvest in that so not only does it work well but it does
not lo ok like an eyesore on the docks, Mr. Chairman. It
is referred to in the performance measure and I am
pleased to see that the number of containers that are
scanned on the Hamilton Docks through the gantry is
staying at high levels, and they are going to push for
90 per cent for this next financial year. That piece of
equipment work ed well, so let’s make sure it keeps
working for us.
Mr. Chairman, I am turning now to Head 25,
Department of Corrections. I certainly applaud the department for the work they do, but they are up against
some real challenges. You know, I believe we are going to have supplementaries in this department as wel l. Because if you take a look at the 2022/23 numbers on
page B -280, it is $23,360,000 final for then. But the
original budget was $19,411,000. So that is an increase
of $3,949,000 we are seeing this year. And a lot of that
is within headquarters and within the farm facility. And
that is a significant increase, and I am sure it is down to
overtime. So can the Minister confirm if overtime was a
challenge at that time and will we be seeing supplementaries come during this B udget Debate to deal with
that?
Mr. Chairman, I have another question for the
Honourable Minister then. If that final number for Cor-rections in 2022/23 was $23,360,000, and we now
budget $22,424,000 for Corrections —about $900,000
less than two years ago—taking in mind . . . I assume
there has been some uplift to salaries, how can Government feel comfortable that we will actually be within
budget for this financial year? That is a simple question,
and it is going to lead me to my next questions, Mr.
Chairman.
If you turn the page to B -282, you will see that
the original number of staff for 2023/24 is 223 and we finish at 185. The Minister says with the change in the
Budget Book we will be at 230 for this year . So the Minister says there will be a change in seven staff for the
financial year. But when you look at it, if we only have
185, that means you actually have to get 45 staff to get
back where you are. And when you put attrition in there, even 45 is going to pull you back. So what does that
mean? You know?
I have a question for the Honourable Minister.
Can the Honourable Minister please inform this Hon-ourable House what the overtime budget for the current
financial year is , 2024/25? What was paid in overtime
for the financial year 2022/23 and what was paid in
overtime for the financial year 2023/24? Mr. Chairman, there is no way we are going to
make those numbers. We are fishing from the same
pool, and we are going to continue to go backwards.
And what scares me about all this, Mr. Chairman is that
. . . simplify what happens at Corrections just for the
sake of this development here. Corrections do two
things. They house people who were sentenced, and
they try to rehabilitate and reform people. So if you are
falling short in resources, something has to give. And I
have to believe that where we are str uggling is with programmes. And to me, just to take somebody and lock
them up . . . yes, it is important based on our laws and
what needs to be done. But locking up a man or woman
without giving them an opportunity to do better for
themselves creates a har der, more bitter person. We
need to do better than that.
If you look at the Therapeutic Community Centre . . . what? We did not have a programme last year
because we did not have any people working in it?
Right? You know, programmes get no credit in the facility, but programmes are the most important things.
Right? And that is why I asked questions about par ole
when it came under Ministry Headquarters because if
the parole board cannot get reports to review inmates
for release, they push them back three, six, nine
months, whatever.
I was a M inister. I sat on the parole board meetings. I understand how it works. Nothing is more crush-ing for a person than when they do what you ask them
to do and then you push them back. So, while we say
we are going to get levels up to 230, first off, you are
setting a bar that you cannot jump over. You are going
to walk under. So can the Minister assure me we are going to get there and how we are going to get there?
Can the Minister . . . because there was very little talk
about programmes in there. Can the Minister give
some assurance that these programmes are effective and working ? Critical programmes that people need.
Also, I appreciate the update from the Minister
on the work that is taking place at Corrections. And it is
an ageing facility. But one thing that was not mentioned
was . . . and I know Public Works is busy. Can the Minister provide information to the House that when Public
Works cannot do the job, then Corrections can go out
and get a bid to get work done rather than wait ? I know
there are places in the facility where there are leaks in
the roof and you can see the stars. If you do not have
a secure facility to keep stuff out and to make sure that
you do not get rot within your facility, you are going to struggle with that. So, there is a dysfunctionality to this
process in how we are going about it. And unfortu-nately, the corrections officers are on the frontline, and
I do not see any help coming to them at the present
time because the numbers are just not going to j uggle
there.
So I have been pretty straight to the Honourable Minster on that. There is a lack of officers. They have had two recruitment classes and only have nine
officers. So nine officers , they worked hard to get them


Bermuda House of Assembly last year and were supposed to get 45 in the next year .
And it is not going to happen. Can the Honourable Minister . . . based on seniority and the over 55- year-olds,
we have had a number of recent retirements. At least
two very senior positions recently retired. Two others are going to retire. Can the Honourabl e Minister please
give some understanding of succession planning and
how we are going to get experienced, capable people
to fill those positions ? Because as the Minister knows ,
and as you know, Mr. C hairman, leadership in any organisation is very important.
Mr. Chairman, the Minister did mention last
year about a strategic plan. And I believe the Minster
did say that management services are reviewing the organisation at the present time. So I have a question for
the Honourable Minster , What happened to the original
strategic plan? Why the change to have management
services review it? And when will the management services report be available ? And will it be shared in the
House?
I understand the management services report
is much more confined on what is best for the department going forward. I would have thought that we would
have a more strategic plan —not only what is best but
some of the challenges that we face and how we are
going to deal with them. So I appreciate the Honourable
Minister answering those questions in relation to this strategic plan.
It is good to see that based on changes that we
made as legislat ors and changes that have been made
in the courts that the numbers are coming down within Corrections. And you are getting people up there who
(my words) deserve to be up there. Some probably do
not think they do. But they deserve to be up there. So, looking at the performance measures, this first one, the
Average total cost of incarceration per inmate per annum based on maximum capacity , is 372. It does not
do anything for me. It just tells m e that the costs keep
going up every year, not substantially , but that type of
number does not do anything. Now, the numbers of
daily inmates and admissions and discharges . . . those
things are good. They are very good. Corrections has
been good with recidivism. That is one positive about
the numbers as we go forward.
Mr. Chairman, being cogni sant of time and
staying with Corrections and shortening up on the preamble ( which I appreciate your levity), the final question
to the Honourable Member on Corrections is , Can the
Honourable Minster please provide how many corrections officers are currently on leave for disciplinary is-sues?
Okay. Head 45 (before I finish with my preamble, Mr. Chairman), Bermuda Fire Rescue Service. Mr.
Chairman, some of what I said before applies to the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. And as we know,
Fire Rescue has two important parts —the airport and
the structural division. And to some degree in the past
couple of years, the Government has concentrated on
the airport because of necessity with OTAR [Overseas Territories Aviation Requirements] and all of that stuff.
And this year, if you take a look at page B-217 [sic],
Capital Acquisitions . . . page B -215 [sic], Mr. Chairman, Capital Acquisitions, you will see that Bermuda
Fire and Rescue Service has $3.6 million—

You might want to say that clearly be-cause somebody might have misinterpreted that.

Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: So the Minister did talk
about the $3.6 million that is allocated to appliances,
and those will be for appliances at the airport. There
was $1.381 million allocated this year that was not
spent. So obviously we need to make sure that the airport is staffed in the appropriate way. But also, I think
we need to remember that the structural part of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service also has some needs
that need to be taken care of as well. So, there is no
allocation for appliances for the structural side of it. And
I know some of those appliances must get up in ag e.
So can the Honourable Minister please give some indication on Government’s thinking going forward as far
as the structural side of it and their need to update some of their equipment, Mr. Chairman?
We should not forget, Mr. Chairman, that we
are blessed because our building codes are pretty tough, and rightly so. That helps remediate against fires
and things like that. But when we do have major inci-dents (and we can all remember), it is a 5- alarm fire.
You need to get [appliances] there. Like the most recent two would be the one down at the boat sl ip and the
one down at the dump. Now, can the Minister assure
me that the firefighting capabilities for both of those incidents were up to par? Because in my knowledge,
whether limited or not, it would appear to me that there must have been some appliance problems or pumping
problems for those two incidents to go on for the length
of time that they needed to go on. So can the Minister
give some assurance that both of those incidents were
handled in an appropriate and in a timely way to deal
with those challenges?
Mr. Chairman, if you take a look at the B udget
Book again, you will see where the budget process has
not been operating very well for us because the budget for the current financial year is $16.8 million, but the final numbers for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue service in 2022/23 was $16.7 million. So, with the salary uplifts
and all of that, we are only budgeting $110,000 extra.
But if you go back and look at 2022/23, the original
706 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly budget was $3.2 million, so there was an increase
through the year of $2.5 million, and that increase is
largely put down to overtime because obviously, you
know, in the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, you
have to man your stations. You cannot send out a truck with two people. You have to man your stations in the
appropriate way.

[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Well, I was a volunteer fireman, Mr. Chairman. In the days when . . . See? He
leads me into the preamble.

You walked right into it.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: We walk right into it. But in
the days when you had the beepers, I was working the
early morning shift in the company. I was the first guy
to crawl through that back fence to get on the second
truck. And I appreciate what they do. I do not know enough thou gh. But take a look at the numbers again,
you know , $156,000 for 2023/24 and that is $24[ ,000]
at the airport, so the Government filled the airport. I am not going to get into whether it was done timely. But they filled it. We had to do it. And we are in a much
better position.
But through that period the structural service
has suffered because, you know, the Bermuda Fire and
Rescue Service hired (and this question the Honourable Minister answered for me earlier this week) 23 people. They all went to the airport . So the structural services side of things continue to struggle with those peo-ple. And now with everyone fishing from the same pool, how are we going to get those numbers up to where we
expect them to be? We are not only asking for 10 as the Budget Book says. There are 140 who are currently
employed there, so we are asking for 26. You add up
all those numbers and you are well over 100 this year.
So last year, it was 87. Remember where I
started. It was 87. Now we are over 100. The pool is
getting smaller, but the water level is rising. We are in
a more difficult position. And you know, with frontline
people, burnout happens quite quickly . And it is important that we pay some attention to the structural division. Let me rephrase that. Give them some love.
Right? Because they are frontline people that Bermudians will see when they come around for something.
And you know, if we do not deal with person nel, if we
do not deal with vehicles, the public could feel the consequences of not dealing with that.
Now, I am pleased to see that the Minister reinstated the ambulance service when there were
changes that were not talked about much in the budget
last year, and there were some changes to it. And it
came back on April 1, I think after being withdrawn for
some time. The fire service has a frontline role in that.
And I would have thought that at least you would have
seen vehicles in relation to the structural part of it but also with ambulances. Because we are critically short
of ambulances on this Island. Yo u know, somebody is
borrowing from St. John’s and somebody is borrowing
this and somebody . . . you know. It certainly does not
bode well for what we have to do because . . . we do a
good job at getting to emergencies in a timely basis .
Let’s make sure that this can continue.
Now, having said that about the structural division, the Honourable Minister did say that last year there was going to be a comprehensive review of the
Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. Now, I would like to know what happened to that comprehensive review. Or
did it fall to an internal review by management services
instead (because no one likes to be reviewed)? But
when we are going through some of the challenges that we currently have, I think it is important that we do have
the review because that can help us believe those challenges and that can help us provide a way of going forward.
Now, the Minister talked about hiring overseas.
So, this applies to all the heads in this debate. Can the
Minister give us some understanding of how the hiring
overseas is going to take place —in any Ministry —
whether we are going to be hiring experienced officers in those ministries or we are taking advertisements for
people who want to work and we are going to train
them? Because time is not on our side, Mr. Chairman. Time waits for no one, and time never loses, so it is not
on our side. And the 55 age limit applies to this department again. So I think we need to deal with that.
I would like to give my thanks to Chief Fire Officer Lovell. I served in the volunteers with him, and now
it is good to see him leading the organisation. He is a good, honest man. And I think he will do well as long as
he understands the challenges that t hey face and does
not let it get to him too much.
I have a couple of questions on costs before I
go into my preamble, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on
page B -285, Training. In 2022/23, it was $262,000. It
went up to $989,000 in the current year and $844,000
this year. Can the Honourable Minister please giv e
some understanding as to the large increase in training
last year and continuing this year? I have my assumptions, but I would rather not assume. I would rather
know more clearly.
Mr. Chairman, I might have missed it in the
presentation. But Repair and Maintenance on the same
page was $389,000 in 2022/23. It jumped to $629,000
and it goes up another 4 per cent to $657,000 this year.
Can the Honourable Minister please give an overview
of why there was a large increase last year and the continued large number for this year?
Mr. Chairman, in Customs we had in clothing
and uniform as a pretty large expenditure for this year.
But in the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, we have
Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry at $41,000 in 2022/23,
$173,000 for the current financial year , and nothing for
this financial year. I cannot believe that nothing is going
to be spent. And I think if something is going to be


Bermuda House of Assembly spent, it should be shown now rather than vired from
another department. But I know Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service purchased some stuff on the Island here,
and they have to [send] some stuff over here, but I cannot believe nothing will be sent. And if that is the case, why would it jump from $41,000 to $173,000 last year?
Why that big increase? And why is it down again to a
very low level?
Mr. Chairman, with that, I will thank you for allowing me this opportunity to speak. And thank s to the
Minister for his brief. And I appreciate his help in answering those questions. And again, I want to say to all
those in these services to keep your head up in spite of
us politicians going back and forth. We want the best
for you, and we will try to do our best for you as we can
hopefully work together.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Honourable Member.
To the listening audience and my fellow Honourable Members, we are now in Committee of Supply
for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue
and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. Honourable
Member Michael H. Dunkley has finished his questions
and preambles.
Would anyone else like to speak to this?
The floor recognises Honourable Ben Smith
from constituency 8, Smith’s South.
And with that, I take leave of [the Chair] and
hand over to Honourable Scott Pearman, my batting
partner for today, from constituency 22.
Thank you.
[Mr. Scott Pearman, Chairman]

Good evening, Members.
As you have just heard from the Honourable
Member for constituency 11 who was just in the Chair
for the last two hours, this is the Committee of Supply
for the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for
2024/25. And we are listening to the debate on the Ministry of National Security, which debate was listed for
eight hours. And the Honourable Shadow Minister, Minister . . . MP for constituency 10, Michael Dunkley, has
just taken his seat after lots of preamble and post -amble.
We now are to hear from the Honourable Member from constituency 8. So MP Smith, you have the
floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I am going to start on page B -
265 for Head 83. My focus is on [business unit] 93008, Gang Violence Reduction Progra mme.
Honourable MP Dunkley was mentioning some
of the target outcomes that were written on this page and how we do not have a lot of information to really
hone in on what the progress is and how we are helping
our young people who are at risk. So, I have a few questions in this area. My first question is about the number of youths who are actually in this category of
at-risk. How do we measure young people who are at
risk and what is the number presently that we have that are in this at -risk category? And if the Minister could
provide to us whether that number has increased or decreased over the last year.
In this statement for this Gang [Violence] R eduction Programme, it mentions the percentage survey
questionnaire data. So my question is , Is there any
other way to gauge the progress of these at -risk youths
who are going through these programmes and devel-oping skills? Because a survey has been taken, and we
do not know presently how many people are participating in this survey. Is this the only way that we can gauge
progress on whether the systems that have been put in
place by this group who work with our at -risk youth are
actually working in the way that we intend it to? So if
the Minister can let us know whether there is any other
way being utilised for us to gauge the progress of this
particular Gang Violence Reduction Programme.
Mr. Chairman, I have a couple of questions under Head 7, page B -274 and it is [line item] 17040,
Community Policing Unit. So, in the Minister’s brief, he mentioned that there was going to be some focus on
community policing, but as MP Dunkley mentioned,
there were only seven people who ar e responsible for
community policing presently. Could the Minister please explain to us what areas the community policing
group are responsible for presently? And the reason I
ask that specifically is because of the situat ion that is
happening in Hamilton. As Hamilton is the hub of our international business community, it is also the frontline of what happens when our tourists come here, specifically if you are going to have cruise boats that are going
to line up on our Front Street. Presently, what happens
for a lot of those people, the first thing they are going to
be greeted with is some of the vagrants that are kind of
populating specifically on Front Street, but we have
seen an increase in our community over an extended
period of time.
We understand that there are significant issues
with homelessness that are being addressed. But when
it comes to this being the hub of our community when
it comes to international business and tourism, is there a specific goal in place to increase the community policing in order to give the support to the city to move
people along so that we do not have loitering, public
urination, open drinking, aggressive begging? These are all issues that the community is presently dealing
with.
Mr. Chairman, earlier today MP Cannonier and
I actually took a walk in that area to specifically see
what it is that I am referring to today. And the greeting
that you are getting on Front Street, this main area for
Bermuda, is a strong smell of urine acr oss our Front
Street. That is where we are presently. We have to have a way to tackle it, and if it is going to mean that
we need to increase the police presence there to help
708 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly them move along . . . or can the Minister tell us whether
there is another plan in place in order to move the group
of people who are congregating, sleeping in doorways during the day, interfering with customers who are try-ing to go to restaurants and going about their day on Front Street? I think it would be important for us to
tackle it considering that it has an impact on both pillars
of our economy and also on our citizens who are having to go through the parking lot and be harassed by peo-ple. I think i t is an important factor in looking at the numbers that presently are responsible for it. Can the Min-ister give us an idea if there will be an increase of the
policing in that area and what the focus point will be for
that?
Mr. Chairman, this comment will be for all of the
heads within this department. There will be a line that is under Energy. And there is a cost that goes with En-ergy for each of those. Can the Minister let us know
whether there has been any programmes put in place?
Or have they looked into a way to reduce the energy consumption for all of these departments? Is there a renewable energy plan? Will they be trying to imple-ment something so that in the future we will reduce the
cost of energy throughout all of the heads in National
Security?
Mr. Chairman, on page B -280, under [Head 25]
Department of Corrections, MP Dunkley brought up that there are several programmes that are supposed to be happening within this particular head. One of the
things that is always important to highlight is that w hat
we are trying to do is reform behaviour by incarcerating
people and if we are not putting in the programmes that are actually going to lead to the reform, when we return these ladies and gentlemen to our society the problem will continue to persist. And in many cases now, we
have some people that are going to be incarcerated for
long periods of time, which means that if we do not do everything we can to reform them during that period, in 15 to 20 years from now we will be returning some peo-ple who have been in since they were 20 years old. And
the impact on the future generation will be significant.
So, I think it is important that we get some answers to how many people are actually participating in
the education programmes, what are the education programmes, what is the outcome that we are expect-ing? Are we providing them with the tools that are going
to allow them to be able to be employed when they
come out? Are we seeing the inmates who are partici-pating in these programmes be able to progress in a way that will lead to employment when they are finally able to come out?
More specifically, the psychological services
that you will find under [item] 35105, can the Minister let us know . . . he spoke about some programmes that
were in place for sexual offenders. I would like to know whether we have a number of the sexual offenders ac-tually participating in the programme, and whether we can get an insight into whether that progress is happening before those sexual offenders are being released back to our community. I think it is important that if services are provided are those inmates taking up those
services in order to get the reform to protect our popu-lation when they finally return to our country. So, if the Minister give us some information into what is happen-ing in that area , I think it would be really important.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I will take my seat.

Yes, thank you very much,
Mr. Chairman.
On page B -272, I will go right to my questions.
There have been quite a few so I know it is going to
take the Minister a bit of time. At the bottom of page B -
272, business unit 0710, Bermuda Reserve Police. I do
not think that the employee numbers are included. If I am wrong, then please correct me. However, the question I have, because someone has been talking about
this here, with the shortage of police officers, especially
on the beat, or street, if you will, I don’t know the ca-pacity for the number of Bermuda Police Reserves. Is there a limit? Twenty or thirty, whatever the case may be? But I think it would be great for the public to know whether or not . . . it might be something that they may
want to look into. How is the recruitment of reserve of-ficers going? This could be an area . . . obviously, it
cost less. I think they are given a bursary at the end of the year. I don’t know how much it is. Maybe we can find out that answer also.
Has there been any consideration, in addition
to asking the question about how the recruitment is go-ing, has there been any consideration of improving the numbers so that they could help with assisting, obvi-ously in their capacity with policing the city and other
areas as well, social events, like football games, cricket
games and the likes? It would be considerably less
costly if we did that.
Also, when we were with this particular number
here, you can see it is less $50,000. But the numbers are pretty consistent, I would say. But when I look at the revised amount it says $282[,000]. So I don’t know
what is happening there. It looks as if we may be cutting
back with the reserves when I would have thought that because it is less costly it might be an area where we might want to spend a little more time in, just a few more dollars to see if we can get some more police re-serves out there assisting with the good work that they
do in assisting the police officers.
Also on page B -282, I am going back to the Department of Corrections, Head 25, but I would extend this to probably all of the Heads, 6, 7, 12 and 25. I do recall that the Minister was saying he was going to be looking to employ and also to extend it to ov erseas applicants as well. So, under each one of those Heads, 6,


Bermuda House of Assembly 7, 12 and 25, I am just curious as to whether or not we
actually . . . how far did we get with entertaining overseas applicants? How many did we entertain within each one of those heads, and did we actually take on
any overseas applicants to help assist wi th the challenges that we are having? And is it the intent going
forward for this budget year to continue in that capacity
knowing that as we just heard from the Minister and
from the Shadow Minister that we are woefully short in
all of those areas?
So, we do need to do something about that
headcount. And it would be nice to know whether or not
the [ads for] overseas applicants have actually taking
place and whether or not we have put the ads out.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Honourable Member.
Is there any other Honourable Member who
wishes to speak in the debate?
There appears to be none, in which case, Minister, I will call upon you to respond to the questions put by the Honourable Members from constituencies 10, 8
and 12.
Minister Weeks, you have the floor. Thank you.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I tried to stay abreast of all the questions and
comments so I will try to be as thorough as I possibly can in my answers.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to start off with the
recruitment issue. That is a hot topic, period, with a lot
of us . Last year it was noted that the Government had
tried with all the uniformed services having added up to 87 new recruits and I think the Shadow Minister pointed out that we only got 51, 52 in total. This year we are
looking at trying to get 101, I believe. And the struggle is real.
What we have to realise is that we are doing
our recruitment training course, or camp, a cadet pro-gramme I should say, that we are trying to implement
to try to address our recruitment challenges. And our
recruitment challenges are not necessarily because the
pool is shrinking, because the pool has remained the same. Each uniform service may get 100, 150, maybe 200 applicants for 20 to 25 jobs. It is the qualified candidates that we are having trouble with. This is not a
new issue. This has been going on f or quite some time.
This Government is now looking at putting together a
cadet training programme to help to address those issues. As a last resort, we are looking to go overseas for anybody to fill the uniformed services posts.
So right now, it is a challenge. And some of our
uniformed services, especially police, cannot wait until they get people trained up. So they may have to go
overseas quicker than other uniform services in order
to keep their numbers up and be able to address the issues and the safety of our country. The last recruit
class for the Department of Corrections was looking for,
I believe, 30 people, 30 men and women. They ended up having 9. One of those 9 was the spouse of a work
permit holder. So, we are looking to fill those spots.
It is something that no one wants to admit, but
I think we have to face the fact that we have to fill these
posts. And if we cannot in the immediate term fill them with Bermudian men and women, more and more we
have to come to the realisation that we may have to go
overseas until we get our recruits up to scratch in our
new cadet programme. What we cannot do is change
the requirements or bring down the requirements just
to have Bermudians in these posts. So, [the answer to] that question is that we are defi nitely looking to increase Bermudian recruits by going through a rigorous
cadet training programme that will be implemented this
new fiscal year.
Another question was , What is the budget allocated for cybersecurity for 2024/25 ? There are three
posts, $353,426.17, and $155,000 for third -party assessments and consulting services, $40,000 training
and conference, $8,000 for penetration testing software, $2,000 for subscriptions. This is a total of
$558,426.20.
We had a question, Mr. Chairman, how many
cyberattacks have occurred on government systems.
The answer: Cyberattacks on government systems occur at a nearly constant pace. The overwhelming majority of these attacks are successfully blocked. It is unrealis tic to expect that we will be able to block every
attempt or to block 100 per cent of the attacks. Cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency and sophistication. We improve our defences and the attackers improve their methods of attack. We must continu e to improve our defences and also improve our ability to detect and respond to attacks. Additional resources and
capabilities within the Cyber security Unit will greatly improve our ability to identify threats and vulnerabilities
and to quickly respond to attacks to minimise their impact.
Another question by the Shadow Minister of
National Security was how many staff are enrolled in
the investigation of cybercrime. All police officers are involved in the investigation of cybercrime. At this point
[there are] 360. As the impact of a cybercrime grows in
complexity —

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: I’m getting to that, Shadow
Minister.
As the impact of cybercrime grows in complexity and cost more specialised officers lead the investi-gation. There are in the region of 10 officers who are
specialists in the investigation of cybercrime.
There was a question about the parole board.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN

HOUSE VISITORS

710 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermu da House of Assembly The Chairman: Minister, before you move on to your
next [answer], let me just recognise in the Gallery . . . I
understand we now have Bermuda’s 19th Cub [sic]
Scout Troop here, or at least half of them (maybe
the other half are still in the hallway). But we would
just like to welcome them to Bermuda’s Parliament.
You are here tonight for the Budget Debate and,
specifically right now, the Budget Debate is involving
the Ministry of National Security. And the Minister from
the Ministry of National Security is Michael Weeks.
And he is answering a number of questions that
have been put to him by various MPs here in the
Chamber. So, we welcome you.
And, M inister, y ou have the f loor.
[Committ ee of S upply , continuing]
Hon. Mi chael A . Weeks: Thank y ou, Mr . Chairman,
and welcome to the troop here to witness t his debate.
Mr. Chairman, moving on, there was a question by the Shadow Minister about how many . . . or the
last parole board annual report, I think he said was in
2020. There actually have been parole board reports in
2021 and 2022. And as we know, 2023 has just ended.
So they are pretty well up to date on the parole board
reports. They have not been tabled as yet, but they are
up to date.
[Inaudible i nterjections]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Ok, moving right along, I did
not stop any preambles that were going on when I was
sitting down. But, yes, moving on.
There was a question on gang violence reduction. The question was when will the Violence Reduction National Strategic Plan be presented in the House,
and what is the current progress update?
The Violence Reduction National Strategic
Plan is in its final stages at the Ministry of National Security Headquarters, with minor adjustments being
made for completeness and effectiveness in collaboration with stakeholders. Once completed we will
prompt ly develop a detailed implementation plan specifying actions and timelines, and responsibilities. Our
commitment is to launch and execute the plan for the
benefit of our community in the first quarter of the next
fiscal year.
There was another question, Mr. Chairman:
How can the public feel confident that we are safe from
cybercrime? Cybercrime legislation currently being
drafted has been updated to meet the requirements set
out in the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. Following this convention helps to ensure that we are aligned
with international recommendations and will provide
the police and prosecutors with the legal instruments
necessary to investigate and prosecute cybercrime.
There was another question about the Police
Complaints Authority. The answer to the question
about the Police Complaints Authority is that we anticipate that more funding will enable them to keep
pace with the important work that the Police Complaints Authority does and, by extension, hope to allay the pub-lic’s concern, if they have any.
There was a question about the budget allocation for the Gang Violence Reduction Team for
2024/25. [A sum of] $512,965 is for the coordinator,
manager and outreach workers and case managers; $200,000 is for redemption and workplace cohorts and other progr ammes, $44,300 is for general stationery
and training supplies; $35,000 is for our safe houses. That [adds up to a] total of $792,265.57.
There was a question about how effective the
Police Complaints Authority is. We are confident that the work they do is conducted with due diligence and expertise by highly qualified individuals.
Another question about cybersecurity was how
can we be sure that cybersecurity initiatives will be met
this year. There has been significant progress in drafting the cybersecurity and cybercrime legislation during the past year. Job descriptions have been developed
for the new positions needed within the cybersecurity unit. Once the job descriptions have been approved
and graded by the Public Service Commission we can
begin the recruitment process to fill these positions within the 2024/25 budget year.
There was a question about the initiative to attract persons to our departments. The number of appli-cants (and I said this already, but) is not new. It is difficult to attract suitable qualified persons. And some of
the uniformed services, actually pretty well all of them
have increased their advertising on radio, interviews, social media. And we are even looking to take a review of the whole recruitment process. I think there is a five -
step process from the time a person applies and they
become successful. That process is being looked at
and reviewed as we speak. So, we are looking at . . .
we are leaving no stone unturned in trying to set up a
situation where we can hire more and more, or as many Bermudian men and women as possible before we go
to residents of spouses of Bermudians and overseas.
So we are diligent in trying to do our best to try to in-crease, not the pool, because the pool is large, but to increase qualified applicants.
There was a question about the responsibilities
of the Disaster Risk Reduction and [Mitigation] Team.
We are mindful of the evolving needs of the Disaster
Risk [Reduction] and Mitigation planning. To that end we conduct regular training with external agencies to stay current.
There was a question about what goes into the
wages line item. Primarily weekly employees and for
the Ministry this line item is for the uniformed services
programme cohort.
And a further answer as to what goes into the
line item on wages, is that as far as the Defence De-partment, the Regiment, is concerned, it is to pay for 250 part -time and reserve soldiers who are not considered government employees.


Bermuda House of Assembly There was another question as to the makeup
of the DRRM [Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation]
team. Historically, the team was made up of seconded
staff from various uniformed departments. For the last
year, due to shortages of staff in the uniformed ser-vices, we have engaged retired officers as consultants
to perform the DRRM responsibilities. However, Cabinet has approved the permanent composition of the
DRRM team and we will be recruiting for a disaster coordinator post in the very near future. Therefore, we are aiming to fill the remaining position of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation team.
We were asked a question about the professional services budget for 2024/25. This covers cyber-security, government consultants, part -time teachers
for uniformed services cohort, Redemption Farm, and workplace cohorts.
There was a further question, another question
on recruitment. I know it is a hot topic, so whoever gets
up on their feet always refer to recruitment. But I said
earlier that we are doing a full review of the recruitment processes. And we hope to be able to advise in the very
near future how we are going to improve our recruitment processes.
What remains outstanding from the 2023
cyberattack to be recovered? IDT [Information and Digital Technologies] would need to respond to this. Rebuilding IT systems falls within another ministry, not within the Ministry of National Security. And that goes
too for the question about whether or not a ransom was
paid on the cyberattack. That is a question best an-swered by our Honourable Premier who has addressed
this issue previously on a number of occasions.
Question: When will a national response team
be established? The answer: The national response
team will be established shortly after two posts within
the cybersecurity unit are filled and we are looking to advertise for those two new cybersecurity posts hopefully in the first quarter of 2024/25.
We were asked about Bermuda Fire and Rescue. The answer is that the Bermuda Fire and Rescue
is still in the strategic planning phase for the multipurpose training simulator. A plan of this nature will have to be socialised between a number of ministries. Its in-clusion in the brief is for our shared situational awareness.
We were asked a question about the makeup
of the cyber team. We currently have a chief infor-mation security officer. Cabinet has approved a cyber
security unit and we have started the process of recruit-ment of two information security officers to form par t of
this unit.
There was a question about the old cameras.
Are any of the old system, and how many of those cameras are still working? There are 63 cameras that are
still in operation from the old system. The old system will continue to provide images until the new inst allation
replaces it. How will the Government address privacy concerns around the CCTV system? The Ministry, assisted by the Bermuda Police Service, will host public information sessions to address community concerns about
privacy and the CCTV system. This will include infor-mation on locations and protocols. Like the Honourable
Shadow Minister, I know that he had calls from concerned citizens like I have. We look to allay those concerns by letting them know that the way the cameras
have been placed will not be in a place to inv ade privacy.
And just as a reminder to my honourable colleagues, I had made it clear that we are putting up 256 cameras. So, you can imagine the CCTV network that
this Island is going to have once it has been completed.
It is not going to be everywhere. It is not going to be in
places that everybody agrees with, but it is for the good
of the Island that the network that has been put in place.

[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: There was a question: When
will the next National Cyber Risk Assessment be performed and its results reported? The 2022/23 National
Cyber Risk Assessment and report was completed in
March of 2023 [sic]. A gap analysis of the recommendations has been performed against the [National] Cybersecurity Strategy and Government Cybersecurity
Programme. However, due to the cyberattack in September 2023 and the need for additional staff in the Cybersecurity Unit, this assessment will not be completed
with additional staff and within the Cybersecurity Unit.
It is anticipated that another National Cyber Risk As-sessment will be performed during the 2024/25 budget
year.
There is a question about how much installation of the upgraded new CCTV network and civil road and electrical works cost break down. There is a total
cost of $1,035,500 for cameras and software. Civil and
electrical works is $210,000, and special poles f or select locations, $20,000 to date. The total installation costs for the new upgraded CCTV network is
$1,265,720.10.
There is a question of outside help on the
cyberattack. It has already been reported here in this House and in the media [that] Government engaged a
cybersecurity company that has experts in this arena,
and they tremendously helped with recovery efforts.
More detailed technical questions on this ought to be directed to the IDT [Information and Digital Technologies].
What is the time frame for the Bermuda Police
Service to cease assisting the Coast Guard with staffing? Given the nature of the role and its overlapping
with crime, it is anticipated that the Bermuda Police
[Service] will always maintain a close working r elationship with the Coast Guard, which will probably include an element of staffing. Currently there are two police
officers allocated to the Coast Guard.
712 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Where does the budget for the police officers
working in the Coast Guard come from? The budget for
the police officers working in the Coast Guard comes
from the Police.
What are the protocols for camera placement?
There are no cameras off the beaten track. I answered
that as far as making sure that privacy is not being infringed upon.
There is another question about recruitment,
and the Royal Bermuda Regiment’s answer to the
question [of] recruiting expenses [is] that the Regiment is continuing to adapt to voluntary enlistment. The sole
contribution to the 2 per cent increase is that more part -
time pay for soldiers to actively recruit from the community. So, we are doing everything we can to try to increase recruitment right across the uniformed services.
There is a question as to why the cost of
$40,000 extra in the overseas camp for the Bermuda
Regiment. The part -time wages increased as well as
the number of soldiers due to attend this year has increased to 160, which is 40 more than in 2023.
There was a question on the increasing cost
related to training and validation. [It] is that this cost
centre paid for the attendance and the coronation in
London— last year was the King’s coronation —and the
cost of the external provider for chainsaw train ing.
There was a question on the $750,000 capital
building expenses for the Coast Guard maintenance shed. [The answer] is that construction is due to start in
the 2024/25 budget year. This facility will assist the
Royal Bermuda Regiment team to maintain all water assets as well as provide a facility to carry out classroom- based training.
There was a question by the Shadow Minister
referencing the I AM programme and the G.R.E.A.T.
programme. Why isn’t the entire student population
surveyed to identify the number of at -risk students?
The 85 per cent figure noted specifically relates to a
programme outcome for the I AM programme, which is
a targeted intervention prevention programme and not
all of the various programmes run by the Gang Violence
Reduction Team. More specifically, is not reflective of
Island- wide youth data. In the I AM program me, our
school selection process for this programme involves a
needs assessment conducted by the GVRT in collaboration with school administrators and student service
departments to ensure support reaches where it is
most needed.
Regarding data on the at -risk youth in schools,
the last comprehensive attempt was the trauma indica-tor check list in 2017, which identified 510 students at
risk for various reasons not solely related to gang violence. Since that survey, the Gang Violence Reduction
[Team] has built current initiatives and services including incident management support, school mediations, restorative justice sessions, community programme partnership, workplace programmes, and youth outreach that all target and work with at -risk youth of all
ages. There is another question on the Coast Guard
maintenance shed. The location of the maintenance
shed will be in Dockyard. I think it is at Scenic House
up in Dockyard.
There is a question on the $149,000 for the St.
David’s Coast Guard location. [The answer] is that the
unit is repurposing the old post office building down in
St. David’s. Funds are due to be carried over to the
2024/25 budget year.
The answer to the question on the $50,000 and
the $149,000 in capital development for 2023/24 is that these funds have been allocated to the renovation of
the warrant officer and sergeants’ bathroom. Work is
due to be completed in March 2024.
While I am on this here, you know, since I have
been the Minister I have noticed that there was a time I
believe in the former Government, for about two or three years, [when they] did not do any capital renovation or development, so we are really playing catch up.

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Yes. But not necessarily just
on the Coast Guard but I am talking right across the board.
[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: No. I am saying not only
Coast Guard. I am not going to get stuck on Coast . . .
I am going right across the board—capital development and acquisitions wasn’t done, so . . .

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Yes.
How many post -55 officers do we have? At today’s date there are 65 officers who are post -[55] out of
360 who are in the Police Service. Wow!
I think I answered the question, why is there a
bump in travel for the Royal Bermuda Regiment when
they go to overseas camp? It is solely related to the
charter to Guyana— longer distance, fluctuating fees.
There was a question and comment on raising
the retirement age for the Uniformed Services. We are currently looking at doing so. The police service already
keeps officers to the age of 60, and we are now looking
at raising the age to keep suitable officer s until the age
of 65.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN

HOUSE VISITORS

Minister, if I could just pause you there.
I think that the 19th Bermuda Scouts. I think I said Cub
Scouts earlier. I apologize. [The] Scouts, [the] 19th
Scouts, are going to leave us.


Bermuda House of Assembly On behalf of the Members of the House of Assembly, let me thank you for coming and being in the
Gallery this evening. I assure you that things can be a
little more interesting in here than the Budget Debate,
but there we go. Thank you very much. [We] appreciate you taking an interest in your political system.

[Committee of Supply , continuing]

That is right. That is right. I was trying
to break your chain of concentration.
Members, and for the benefit of the listening
public, this is the Committee of Supply for Estimates of
Revenue and Expenditure for the budget year 2024/25.
The debate we are in right now is the debate for the Minister of National Security, and it is an eight -hour debate. And I think we have an hour and fifteen, hour and ten minutes to go. Minister Michael Weeks is on his feet responding to questions from various MPs in the
Chamber.
Minister, you have the floor.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Okay, yes. I was addressing
the question about raising the retirement age. The police service already has raised their retirement age to
60 for those who are still able to perform their duties. There is some debate about raising it to the age of 65. This is one of the ways we are looking at the whole recruiting process and how we can keep experience among our ranks, you know, because the uniformed
service straight across the board is looking for that experience and those people who can still contribute. So,
raising the age to 65 is something that is being looked
at as we speak.
There was a question about how many regiment soldiers there are. What is the establishment?
The unit can hold up to 420 personnel and ideally has
360 committed personnel. Although it is below this
number at 300, it continues to multiscale its personnel
to meet its demands.
How much time does the road policing unit actually spend on traffic enforcement duties? We anticipate approximately 30 per cent of road policing officers
time is spent on traffic enforcement and the rest is
spent on investigating significant crime such as road
traffic fatalities.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: We could argue about what
the problem is, but it is people’s habits that we have to
address, too.

Minister, a moment of levity if you permit me. There was a detailed study of this issue in the
State of Ohio last year, and they polled a number of
people about their driving habits and the driving habits
of others. And 94 per cent said they were either good
or excellent drivers. When they were polled on the abil-ity of other drivers on the road, only 23 per cent said
others were good or excellent drivers. So, that gives
you the perception as to the driving ability out there.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: I think I have seen something
of the sort, but we have to mix the police presence with community awareness.

That is not a good ratio.

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: We could debate how much
a good ratio is but moving on answering the rest of the questions.
There was a question on long- term absentees
in the Regiment. Those who were conscripted are being signed off of service. Members of staff spend a significant amount of time chasing up absentees. Regiment headquarters is expediting the discharge process
of those who have served more than the initial three
years and two months and no longer wish to serve.
Those who joined as volunteers and have not completed their initial period have been informed of their infraction and will be actively pursued joining next fiscal
year.
There was a question on annual training tests
in the Bermuda Regiment. The Regiment is pleased with their attainment this year and will be pleased to
review the standards expected in the next training cycle. It is worth noting that the commanding officer has
increased the standard expected in shooting and fitness, and the soldiers have exceeded expectations.
Furthermore, Colonel Beasley introduced a behaviours
test, which is an assessment on core values, bullying,
harassment, and DENI, which makes it the only department in Government that makes this an annual requirement of its people.
There is another question referencing how
many police officers are dedicated to working the gang problem. The Bermuda Police Service Strategic and Operational Plan speaks to the reduction of serious
crime and harm to which gang violence is intertwined
in the reduction plan. All units [and] departments within
the Bermuda Police Service [BPS] have a role to play in targeting gang crime, and a deployment plan is disseminated weekly to the entire BPS to address. Each
department has a role to play: Intelligence Department,
gathering of information and dissemination of intelli-gence packages; Tactical Department, addressing the
enforcement, disruption, and dynamic incidents of gang
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Bermuda House of Assembly crime; the Crime Department, investigate the ganglinked crimes to prong the matters for prosecution;
Community Policing, building confidence in neighbour-hoods and providing visible patrols and disruption
plans.
How can we assure the public that the police
network switches will be upgraded? The procurement
process has begun, and we anticipate completion in the
2024/25 fiscal year.
Million -dollar question: How will the police recruit 48 officers this year? Recruit Foundation Course 83 commences in March 4, 2024 (which is actually this
Monday), and will be completed on July 18, 2024.
There is a total so far of 15 students. Recruit Founda-tion Course 84 commences October and will be completed in February 14, 2025. This course will consist of
both local and overseas untrained students. It is anticipated [there will be] a total of at least 25 students.
Localisation Course 78 [for] overseas recruits
will commence on October 7, 2024 and will be completed January 13, 2023. This course will consist of
eight firearms officers.
Have the police engaged in discussions with
Government about changes to roadside sobriety test-ing? The police are continuously engaged in discus-sions with the Ministry of National Security and Ministry
of Transport about legislative changes to reduce the
harm on our roads. This includes changes to traffic pen-alties and new offenses to keep pace of changes in
driving behaviour.
There was an inquiry about Customs, and it
was about professional services breakdown: consultant
services, $100,000; contractors, $200,680 (primarily
the retirees working on immigration, but also for other overhead services); membership fees are $67,393,
which gives us a total of $368,073, consultant services, external consultants to implement export control.
There is a question referencing Corrections.
What is the overtime for fiscal year 2023/24? From April to December, [it] was approximately $4.7 million.
Another question referencing Corrections. Can
the Minister provide information on how many officers
are on leave due to disciplinary issues? There are no
officers on leave in Corrections due to disciplinary is-sues.
There is a question as to whether or not the
Minister can assure that the programmes in Correc-tions are effective. The prisons utilise best practices.
The offending behaviour programmes are all evidencebased and widely utilised in other correctional faci lities
and in other jurisdictions.
There is another question referencing Customs. Why is the capital . . . [page] C -15, $20,000, why
was it not used? Since the Budget Book has been pub-lished, $5,000 has been used. The $5,000 has been
spent on $2,500 on a conveyor belt at the BMPC [Ber-muda Mail Processing Centre] facility, which should
make it work and packages flow more effectively and
safely. The other $2,500 is for passport scanners to be used as development machines to integrate into the Customs Automated Processing System. There are no
immediate plans to spend the remaining $15,000 before the end of March 2024.
There is a question about the upgrade on the
dock X -ray. The new X -ray is in Bermuda ready to be
installed. Repairs need to be made to the building.
Once these are completed, then the X -ray can be installed. [We] expect it to all happen before October of this year.
There was a question about the review of the
Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. The internal review
of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service by the management consulting section has been completed and
will be presented to Cabinet very shortly. It has a number recommendations for improvements and organisation structure. The internal review will proceed. An external review will be conducted by the UK Inspectorate
in 2024 which will review operations and structural infrastructure.
There is a question as to whether or not the
overtime up at the Corrections was a challenge and the
department require a supplemental. It is a challenge as
we are short staffed, and there is a requirement to meet
the minimal staffing levels for staffing. What is the overtime for fiscal year 2022/23? Cumulative overtime total for the fiscal year 2022/23 totalled $5,522,825.
I think there was a question from Deputy Opposition Leader about energy. The answer related to
the question on energy is that the Regiment is currently
part of the solar energy programme for 2025.
There was a question: Can the Minister give information [as to] whether the Department of Corrections can get a contractor if Public Works cannot do the
job? Public Works does contract out a number of projects. However, at times there have been some challenges in contracting contractors for various reasons,
[for] example, unavailability and the like.
There is a question about whether the Regiment recruits from overseas. The answer is that we do
not require recruiting from overseas for full -time staff
except [for] two specialist positions.
There is another question for the Department
of Corrections. How far did we get with entertaining
overseas applicants? Did we take on any overseas ap-plicants? Has the ad gone out to any overseas applicants during the 2023/24 fiscal year? The ad was only
extended to those persons who had permission to work
in Bermuda or their spouse. We hired one officer on
work permit.
I think I answered this one already. [Is there]
any thought to change the policy for retirement age for
police officers from 55 to 60? The Government is considering wholesale changes to the Public Service Superannuation Act that would include increasing t he retirement age for police officers. Question: How have professional standards
changes impacted morale in the service, and do they
feel that they are making any progress? The Bermuda


Bermuda House of Assembly Police Service is on a journey to ensure officers’ conduct is what the community would expect from the police officers. Good progress is being made with imbedding the code of ethics and the everyday conduct of officers. While officers welcome the clarity t hat the standards bring, they continually seek to ensure that the
standards are consistently applied, which they are.
There is a question on Headquarters capital allocation. Mr. Chairman, $1.1 million has been allocated
to refurbish the Police Headquarters. This is welcomed
by the police and will reduce costs without impacting productivity.
There is a question about vehicle capital allocation in the Police Service. Procurement has begun to acquire in the region of 12 new vehicles in the 2024/25
fiscal year.
Records management system capital allocation. The Bermuda Police Service was not able to complete the procurement process for [a] new records man-agement system in the 2023/24 fiscal year. The BPS
are applying for a carryover and hope to complete the procurement in 2024/25.
There is a question: How many officers are on
suspension? Five officers are on suspensions on full pay in accordance with the Police (Conduct) Orders 2016.
Further question: How long will they be on suspension? The BPS is governed by the Police (Conduct) Orders 2016. The process of the investigations and
timelines are prescriptive and must be followed. The
BPS recognises the importance of detailed and thor-ough investigations. Investigation reviews on suspended officers are conducted monthly by the deputy
commissioner to ensure accountability, adherence to the timelines, and efficiency.
How many police officers are on long- term
sick? The Bermuda Police Service considers an officer to be on long- term sick if they are out from work for a
consecutive 30- day period. Using this definition, we
have five officers who have been out on long- term sick.
Reserve police numbers. Currently, there are
31 Reserve officers. The Reserves are actively recruiting new members. Currently, budget is not a limiting
factor in the number of officers in the Reserves. There was a question of how many at -risk
young people there are on the Island. How many students are in the GVRT programme? Has the number of
at-risk students increased or decreased? The Gang
Violence Reduction Team appreciates the inquiry con-cerning at -risk youth particularly in relation to gang involvement. It is essential to clarify that our focus is specifically on students vulnerable to gang influence. Their
efforts are to extend the young enrolment numbers encompassing targeted interventions such as case management services, work placement, mentoring programmes, and initiatives like the I AM programme and the G.R.E.A.T. programme.
There was a question of how many people are
participating in education programmes. The answer to that is 36. These programmes include the GED program, language arts, maths, science, and social studies, also Bermuda College, the AACE programme
courses, [and] CISCO [Networking] Academy certified
courses. Students also participated in individual courses such as novel writing and a language course.
During the summer, classes were held in Spanish, theatre, drumming, basic computer, and Government’s
FinTech programme. A total of 31 inmates participated
in the summer programme.
There is another question about Customs. How
will Customs be sure to recruit 12 or more officers? We
can only keep recruiting to build up our numbers. However, with the new initiative for the Ministry recruitment
plan, it is sure to assist with adding to our numbers.
Government’s plan to address the replacing of
the structural vehicles. That is a question referencing the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. It is acknowledged [that] the structural vehicles are in the last quarter of their service life but are still within the threshold
of safety and reliability. Each vehicle is maintained to a very high standard and the Bermuda Fire and Rescue
Service has resiliency within its structural division fleet.
Should a primary vehicle go offline for service and repair, the airpor t operations division fleet has been prioritised because of their lack of direct replacement in
this highly specialised fleet. The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service senior command continuously monitors its assets and programmes as budget requests for
replace ment vehicles way in advance of vehicle’s endof-service life.
A question was asked about the energy line in
the Budget Book. DOC [Department of Corrections]
has been selected, two of their sites, for a pilot programme that is being managed by Public Works to install solar panels to reduce costs.
There is a question: How many staff in the Department of Corrections are age 55 or over? [There are] 27.
The police’s response to their renewable energy plan. While the Bermuda Police Service does not
currently have a renewable energy strategy, they are
always examining ways to reduce energy costs. They
explore electric vehicles, replacing incandescent and
fluorescent lights with LED bulbs, [and] the use of occupancy sensors and timers to ensure energy is only
consumed when needed.
There was a question about confiscated assets
fund allocations to law enforcement. The Bermuda Police Service welcomes a dedicated confiscated asset
allocation to law enforcement based on a value of funds
recovered by the police. This is consistent with o ther
jurisdictions. And on occasion the absence of a specific provision for the type of allocation has resulted in challenges when the USA seeks to share recovered assets
in joint law enforcement operations.
There was a question referencing the Department of Corrections. Can the Minister give us some understanding of succession planning? The Department
716 1 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly of Corrections, Mr. Chairman, is providing training for
staff to be prepared for more senior posts as well as
being given acting opportunities when available. The
training includes the management programme for eligible staff which is being facilitated in c ollaboration with
the Bermuda College. We are pleased to announce
that there are 37 staff enrolled. The promotions process
will commence in July 2024.
There was a question again on the Department
of Corrections. When will management services pro-vide an update on the strategic plan? The previous stra-tegic plan is still in place as there were some things that
were not accomplished due to COVID -19. Once the
new strategic plan has been finalised, an update will be
given.
Still on the Department of Corrections. Are the
departments hiring experienced persons from over-seas? The Department of Corrections are short -listing
overseas applicants who not only meet our basic requirements but have some previous experience and
knowle dge of law enforcement.
Still on the Department of Corrections. Are we
seeing the inmates able to progress to employment
when they come out? There are no numbers tracked
between persons and vocational educational pro-grammes and obtaining jobs from that training once
they are rel eased. We have seen some cases where
we know this has happened. Also, there were some inmates particularly at the farm facility who were successful in gaining employment prior to their discharge
from Corrections, and the training they received while incarc erated contributed to their success.
There is another question referencing the last
two major fires that we had. The question was: Can the Minister assure that the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service had appropriate fire- fighting capability at both the
Boatport and airport dump fire? Yes. The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service has sufficient vehicle capacity for
both incidents. Both incidents were large by most
standards. The Boatport fire was extinguished within 12
hours, and this can be attributed to the highly flammable materials involved. The ai rport dump fire was much
more complex because of the difficulty of access to the ocean as a water supply because of the shoreline and the material dispersed therein. In every major incident,
equipment may experience difficulty.
However, the Fire Service has resilience and
redundancy built into its systems of work, and the de-ployment of spare pumps and equipment is part of our
standard operational procedures to ensure there is no break in any fire suppression operation.
There was a question about police response to
vagrancy. The Bermuda Police Service is well aware of the impacts of vagrancy particularly in the city of Hamilton. The BPS is in partnership with the Corporation of
Hamilton and the Chamber of Commerce to exp lore
ways to reduce the impact of the criminality and reduce
other undesirable aspects of this behaviour. As staffing
levels increased, the BPS will consider a dedicated resource to this matter. BPS is also exploring how introducing new powers for Corporat ion of Hamilton staff
might assist in tackling this issue.
There is a question referencing the Gang Violence Reduction Team. How does the Gang Violence
Reduction Team measure their progress and effectiveness of the Gang Violence Reduction Team programmes and services that are servicing the young
people in our pro grammes? The Gang Violence Reduction Team is committed to evaluating the effectiveness of our programmes and services through various meth-ods to ensure clarity and alignment with our objectives
of reducing gang violence and strengthening community support. In our youth programmes, such as the I
AM programme and Gang Resistance and Education Training, which is G.R.E.A.T. for short, we employ the
following methods to track progress and effectiveness: student surveys, student feedback, parent feedback,
school meetings and teacher updates, quantitative data
tracking, [and] regular reviews and evaluations. These
comprehensive evaluation methods enable us to continuously assess and enhance our programmes ensuring they are finely tuned to meet the community’s evolving needs and effectively combat gang violence.
Those, I think, are all the questions that were
asked of the last couple of hours.

Thank you, Minister.
That concludes the Minister’s answers to the
first sets of questions that were posed.
Is there any other Member who wishes to
speak in the debate?
There being none. it would appear.
Minister, would you like to conclude by moving
your heads?

Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I would like to thank all those Members
who participated in today’s debate. And if there are any
other questions that you may have or may come to,
please do not hesitate to send them to the Ministry and
we will endeavour to get the answers to you in qu ick
time.
So, Mr. Chairman, I move the Heads 83, 6, 7,
12, 25, and 45 be approved as printed.

It has been moved that Heads 83, 6, 7,
12, 25, and 45 be approved as printed.
Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection. Agreed to.

[Motion carried: The Ministry of National Security ,
Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, and 45 were approved and
stand part of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024 /25.]

I see no Members rising, so I will rise.
Members, the House business for today is
completed. I thank Members for their participation. As
we now rise for the weekend, I ask you get much rest
so you can come back next week and do it all over
again.
With that, the House now stands adjourned until Monday morning at 10:00 am. [Gavel]

[At 7:43 pm, the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am,
Monday, 4 March 2024 .]

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