Sun, 2010-10-03

Commissioner of Police Michael DeSilva’s opening remarks at The Cathedral of The Most Holy Trinity, Church Street, City of Hamilton – Good morning everyone; 2010 marks 131 years of official service to the community from the Bermuda Police Service, legislated by the original Police Act of 1879. It is a privilege and an honour to be here this morning with so many of my colleagues who contribute to the proud heritage and strong foundation on which our police service is built. But today’s police officer faces new and unprecedented challenges that were simply unheard of in years gone by. The reliance on community support is greater now than it has ever been before. I am very grateful for this opportunity to commence Police Week 2010 by holding this multi-faith worship service in partnership with the Church, its congregation, our police family and the wider Bermudian public.

Policing is one part technical skill, and two parts relationship. Policing is about trust and confidence. Trust is formed out of respect, and respect spans a continuum of difference ranging from race, to age, to gender, to social class, to culture, to religion and spirituality. Police officers must respect the different religious beliefs within the community we serve, as much as we must respect the different beliefs within our own ranks.

Whether we believe in Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Maori Spirituality or Sikhism, or even none of the above, at the end of the day - we ALL believe. Whatever the higher power is that watches over us, we are all grateful that we are, indeed, being watched over. And whatever our faith happens to be, we all believe in the power achieved by everyone working together to make Bermuda safer.

Thank you for joining us today, and I know that you will enjoy the service that follows. It will be a celebration of the strength in diversity of our organisation and the multicultural community which we serve.

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