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A few weeks ago my wife and I were invited to the Police Club for a "commendation" ceremony which I initially thought was for serving police officers who would be receiving recognition from COP Michael DeSilva.  On entering the PRC main hall I also saw Andy Bermingham, Chris Wiilcox and Alex Macdonald, all of whom are also retired Bermuda police officers.  

It was a very pleasant surprise to realize  we were all going to be awarded  Commendations by Commissioner DeSilva, as were a number of serving police officers, and several civilians, including a young man who had helped to extricate a police officer from his police vehicle after it plunged down a steep hillside near Horseshoe Bay.  For complete details of the Commendations awarded by the Commissioner that evening you can find them on the BPS Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154053544421062.1073741841.173632061061&type=3.

Andy Bermingham, Chris Wilcox, Alex Macdonal, along with still serving Chief Inspector Cal  Smith were being honoured by the Commissioner for their work in producing the excellent  book on the  History of the Bermuda Police book celebrating the 135th anniversary of the creation of the Police.  For anyone who has not seen it I would highly recommend that you purchase a copy from Brown and Company. If you are living overseas click here for information about how to make a purchase from abroad.

Receiving Commendations from COP Michael DeSilva
(l-r) Alex Macdonald, Chris Wilcox, Andy Bermingham and
Chief Insp Calvin Smith with COP Michael DeSilva

Their Commendation read

Awarded -  For your vision, dedication and selfless commitment to the publication of
a pictorial and narrative history book to mark the occasion of the 135th anniversary
of the Police Establishment Act 1879. Your efforts produced a book that provides an
interesting, informative and nostalgic walk down memory lane. At the time of its launch
in June 2015, Brown and Company reported that the Police Book
set a record in terms of first-print sales.
Commissioner Michael DeSilva present commendation to Roger Sherratt

My own commendation was for my involvement in the Bermuda Ex-Police Officers Association and for creating and maintaining our ExPo website.  The wording in my commendation reads:-

Awarded - For your innovation, passion and personal commitment to maintaining strong
relationships between retired, former and serving police colleagues as President of the
Bermuda Ex-Police Officers' Association affectionally referred to as "Bermie Ex-Po."
Your selfless work has revived the Association with renewed enthusiasm, and you have
created a permanent electronic record in the form of a website where the collective
memory of the police family is stored, and memories can continue to be shared.

Following these presentations I received a call from Jessie Moniz at the Royal Gazette who writes a column about seniors and what they are doing to stay active.  Jessie asked if she could write an article about my involvement with the Bermuda Police  and what I'm doing these days.  Ironically,  for many years while in the BPS I tried to persuade members of the Service, especially sernior officers, to always cooperate with the media and be willing to work closely with them. This advice often fell on stoney ground, with some officers openly saying they would never speak to the press.  Nevertheless, I was a little apprehensive about being interviewed about my personal life, but any fears were allayed when I woke up Tuesday morning and read the article which you can view at http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20160209/ISLAND/160209660

I wonder how many police officers recruited from the UK can equate with my comment about stepping off the plane at the airport thinking  the engines were hot, and suddenly realizing that the breeze was blowing in the wrong direction.  It was the reguar heat and humidity we so much take for granted after May 24th when we Bermudians take our first dip of the year!