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Monday, May 26, 2008

Bermuda day 2008 A fun day for me.

Photo by: Jennifer Bean

A fun day

The 24th of May 2008 was very significant for me; this is so because it is the last Bermuda day I will spend in Bermuda. Today 26th May 2008 I got a piece of everything. I got to sit with my friends Sheridan, and Wakeel Ming, along with the other members of the Restoration Seventh Day Adventist Church; together we enjoy the splendor, pageantry, and the array of Bermuda’s talent that parade the streets of Hamilton. After which I join my brothers on wheel and participated in the parade performing tricks on my roller blade to the crowd delight. I did splits, spins and a verity of fancy foot work. All in all I had fun as a spectator and as a participant in the Bermuda day parade.

The Ugly head of Violence.
On my arrival at Bernard’s Park, I saw the crowd began to run, I observed that the people who were on the base ball field and who were trapped in by the fence were trying to get out of that area. A woman who recognized me as a police officer informed me of the occurrence and volunteered to take care of my rollers blade while I go and help the young man who was being beat upon by a gang of his peers. As a police officer (though I am on suspension) I still have an obligation to lend a hand of protection to any member of the community who is in need, even if it means confronting the danger alone. After I skillfully scaled the fence that enclosed the base ball field and after I identify myself as police officers the assailants made off. The victim who was blinded by his own blood was fighting viciously even after his attackers had left. But with the help of a Bermuda fire Service personnel (whose name I do not know) and other helpful member of the community we managed to restrain the aggressive youth and took him to a place of safety.

Before, during and after this incident there were no police to be found in the area where the public had gathered to celebrate such an auspicious national event. It was about half an hour after the fact, and after the assailants had left the scene the Calvary rolled in, in a number that represented total over killed which is the usual thing.

Anyone who knows anything about preparing for an event of the magnitude and significance as the Bermuda day celebration, strategic and contingency planning is paramount, and this should include the strategic deployment of uniform police office, the uniform officers are and will be the first response in prevention and dealing with any foreseen and or unforeseen antisocial behaviors that may pop up.

As soon as the Bermuda Police Service release me from my contractual obligation I am going to submit a detail report to the Governor who have responsibility for the running of the Bermuda Police Service and the to minister of Home Affairs who has the responsibility for national security and public safety. In this report I will outline my observation as it relates to the weakness, short comings, and negligence which is spur on by ignorance, that adversely affect the Bermuda Police Service ability to effectively provide the level of protection the people of this Island needs and deserves, but first things first.

After all Bermuda day was a fun day for me, I socialized with friends, I had fun on my blade, and I confronted danger to help a member of the community. today was truly a Bermudaful day, and I could not have asked for a better day. Thanks Bermuda.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

My New Found Heroes

My new found Heroes

On Wednesday 30th April 2008, I was invited to a sport meet which was being hosted by the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy at the National Stadium. The little crowd of spectators and participant that gather there were a testament of dedication.

The teachers, family members and friends of the students and friends of the academy all represented a strong symbol of love and dedication to the children all of whom suffer from a form of mental and physical disability or impairment of some kind.

Some of the children are unable to do anything for themselves and are thus totally reliant on their parents to do everything for them, activities which ranges from feeding to cleaning their children. I cannot say for sure but, I can imagine that these relationships can be stressful on all of the parties involved.

But what struck and touched me most, was the level of love and commitment these parents show to their children and the level of pride that was displayed not when their children won an event (because it was not about winning or losing) but when they displayed an effort to accomplish the given event. If I was to make a judgment based on the pride I saw in the eyes of the fathers, the mothers, the well-wishers and the staff of the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy for the student’s efforts, I would have thought that these were normal children. But such is the results of love. This was a perfect representation of the saying love knows no boundary.

I always thought that I was/am a good father, but to see these parents in action, through the complexity of the challenges they face with daily. These and the way they care for their children made me rethink my position of being a good father. Anyone can be a mother or a father to a normaland or healthy child but it takes a special renovation in character to be a dedicated parent to one of these child/children. I guess that is Why God is God and need no help being God. He entrusted these children to parents with such impeccable character that it matters not the limitation of the children, they are assured that they will be loved as if he or she had no limitation.

I tip my hat to you all, the parents, friends, and relatives of the students and the staff of the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy, you have put me to shame, you all have thought me some new and vital lessons of life, but most of all you have shown me the new level to which I must attain.

I must say I had fun at the sports meet, I cheered, I competed (yes I was beaten by some of the kids) and I helped in what ever way I could. But what I would have really liked to have done was to enter the hearts and mind of the parents. I do not have any heroes but my experience at that sport meet has given me some. My heroes are the men and women who parent these children, Why; because they show joy in the middle of their difficulty, they show courage even when they should have been broken, and most of all they stand up and take on the type of responsibility that most people will run away from.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

On Charge, On trial, On target,

Well at 5:15 pm on Tuesday 6th May 2008, I was served with a charge sheet containing six (6) charges for an internal trial to be held by the Bermuda Police Service. These charges will give me an opportunity to vindicate myself and test the way the Bermuda Police Service does business in the future.

It is strange, that everyone is of the opinion that this whole trial was concocted or was rigged and even if I present a winning case I will be found guilty. Most people believes it is not about justice but it is about covering up the lack of intelligence, lack of ethics, to beat their chest over a victory they lie to gain but most of all to keep the other black West Indians subject to fear and afraid to express themselves and to use their intelligence at is present now.

It has been almost four months since I was suspended from the Bermuda Police Service and during this time, Bermuda Police Service seems to be dragging their feet in having my matter processed speedily; although this investigation was finished about two months ago. But God have blessed me with wisdom which I use to speed the process along, so I decided to put things in place to get this process on the way and to prove to all that the Commissioner of Police Mr. George Jackson, and Mike Jackman to be men of little or no integrity.

I knew it was up to me to get the ball rolling or I will be on suspension for the next year plus. So I took a six (6) minutes recording out of a 15 minutes meeting I had with the commissioner of Police and Mike Jackman and played the same to a very ambitious police officer. Giving the impression that the six minutes clip which ended abruptly was all I have and all I have been banking on, I knew that this individual will use this supposedly moment of weakness as an opportunity to advance his/her career by bringing to the Commissioner of Police’s attention the flaw in my recording. It was just a couple of days after I make this individual privilege to my recording I was served with papers for a trial, thus proving my theory to be correct, that “ambition has no friends or knows no loyalty.” Some may say that is an opportunist.

I guess now I have been charged I can get the opportunity to vindicate myself after which I can make the said recordings and the statements available to the press thus showing the whole of Bermuda and the world the quality of men that are at the helm of the Bermuda Police Service. Now I am very much satisfied that I am going to have my day at a trial. After which I will be granted the green light to release my recording.

There were three police officers who felt uncomfortable taking the garbage that is fed to the West Indian on a daily basis. There were Peter De Freitas who was made to resign quietly after he was set up by the BPS. Michael Hayles who is in danger of not having his contract renewed and there is Me Allan H.F Palmer who almost suffered the same fate as De Freitas.

Unlike most people I am not worried about my post as a police officer in the Bermuda Police Service. It does not worry me; I do not care to be employed with the Bermuda Police Service or being supervised by such men. My action should have given you that indication.

I did not become a police officer yesterday. Every one who knows me knows that I am a brilliant police officer. Let me asked you all a question; what happens when a small police officer out police the big boys? “You get action”.

I guess this posting is going to see another set of charges laid against me, after all on Thursday 1st May 2008; I was served with documents ordering me to comply with the following instruction:

Remove all post from my bolg/webpage that make reference to the Bermuda Police service or its officers

Desist from posting any further articles on my blog/webpage as it regards to the Bermuda Police Service and its officers

And I must remove from public view and advertisement posted on the rear of my private motorcar.

As it relates to order (3) three I was not aware that it was illegal or unlawful for a police officer to advertise a commodity, service, a publication etc.

As it relates to the other two orders, I will address the matter of attempted censorship as it relates to the BPS effort to violate my protected rights under the constitution of Bermuda. Chapter 1 sec.1 and subsection (b) of the Constitution of Bermuda that deal with the fundamental fights and freedom of the individual which clearly states:

Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual
1 Whereas every person in Bermuda is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, has the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, color, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely:

(b) Freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association.

Section 9 (1) which deals with the freedom of expression without interference to receive and impart (share) ideas and information and my freedom from interference with my correspondence, that is clearly outlined below under the heading “Protection of freedom of expression.

Protection of freedom of expression
9 (1) Except with his consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference, and freedom from interference with his correspondence.

I do not have to explain to you the uninterrupted rights that are awarded to me by the constitution of Bermuda. I have never disobey a lawful instruction in my policing career, in the same breath I do not have a problem ignoring an order that I can prove to be unlawful or illegal if such an order is not in the public’s interest.