After reviewing my resume and interviewing me, The Bermuda Police Service offered me an opportunity to be police officer in Bermuda. If I were to accept the post, I was required to resign my position, as a police officer and stop being a member of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force; an institution I had faithfully dedicated almos...t ten years of my life to, in service; move to the extremely small island of Bermuda; a place where I had no family member, I had no friends; As a matter of fact, I did not know anyone who lived or who had even visited the 22 square miles island.
This was stepping out into a new world, not knowing what to expect. However; I was ready for a new adventure, so I packed my bags, say good bye to my family; my friends, everything I knew and have grown to love, and I moved to Bermuda.
Once I made up my mind there was no turning back. I resigned my post with the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadine Police Force; knowing I was, one of the Prime Minister of S.V.G: Ralph Gonsalves fiercest critics, there was absolutely, no turning back.
The Prime Minister was extremely happy to get the rid of me and would have done anything, to ensure, if my Bermuda adventure did not worked out, and I return to the island, it would have been the dirty pleasure of Ralph Gonsalves to ensure that I returned to and remained in St. Vincent and the Grenadines unemployed. At least unemployment would have shut me up. At least that was what he thought.
However, I had no fear, for I was always able to legally, make money in St. Vincent and the Grenadine. As a preteen and as a teenager, I participated in a range of activities to make spending money. From pushing cart, which involved, taking the traffickers produce from the street outside the harbor to the loading dock on the wharf, where the produce were shipped to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and other islands. We also took the groceries and other shopping of shoppers from the supermarket, etc. to the bus stop at the Market square. Another means of making money came when my friends and I, went to Gibson Corner after school or on Sundays, to picked Hog-plums and Jaw-plums, or to Molly Gutter or to Sweet Side to pick mangoes which we offered for sale, as we walked home on our long journey. I also dived whenever a tourist boat was in the bay; and I did not have to go to school.
I was also a Boat Boy. This responsibility, saw me getting up each morning before 5:00 AM, to prepare the fishing boat: for my friends to go fishing. My responsibilities included, putting a 45 Yamaha outboard engine unto the St. Lucian crafted canoe, ensuring said engine is properly secured, load and securing 6 or 8 fifty gallon Jerrycans of gasoline, into the boat in such manner that they became ballast, ensuring the boat run at its optimum and smoothly even with the weight, and even in rough water.
I also went to the fishermen's place of meal, collect and pack their meals, so they had something to eat while they were hard at work in the middle of the ocean. I also make sure their hook box was replenished and well stocked with all that was needed for the day’s fishing trip. After which, I see them off, prepare for and went to school. At this stage of my life I was a student at the Intimidate High School, AKA Timmy School which got out at 1:00 PM. Upon the return of the fishermen from work, it was my responsibility to ensure everything was ready for the next day's fishing trip which include replenishing and mixing the gas etc.
In short, I was responsible for ensuring Captain Eddy AKA Fry-rice, Center-man: Dougie "Bumps" Baptiste, and Bow-man Vincent Prop Williams job was easy. All they had to worry about was to find and catch the fish, which they did very well. On their return, I was responsible for putting away the equipment, taking their catch to the market and selling it at the very best wholesale price to the vendors, or if it suited me, I haired a fish vendors to chop the fish (sell the fish retail) for me.
The more money I made, for the day's catch, the bigger my reward for my job. In the Daulphin (Mahi Mami) season, the money I earned from being a boat boy was extremely good; however, in the Hine season, it was rough. In the Daulphin season, when the guys had an extremely good day, they can make up to three or four thousand plus dollars each in one catch, that means I could make up to $200.00 - $300.00 for my share and after selling the dolphin or King (King Tuna) fish, I get to take home, my days take, could put me over four $400.00 (Four hundred dollars). Not bad for a teenager.
When it was good it was very good, however, when it was bad, especially in the Hine season, where the guys fished bottom-line, it was really, really bad. For days or at times even weeks, I worked without pay, or my take was very small; because the catch poundage were small. there were more heads per catch, but smaller fishes resulted in less weight, means less money for the catch.
This job came with one set back. The owner of the boat was rumored to be a homosexual. I was offered the job, by the crew, because of my honesty, they knew I will not steal from them; as the Boat-boy before me often did. I expressed my concerns about the rumored homosexual practice of the owner. Without admitting or denying their knowledge of the boat owner's homosexual habits, they all assured me that I will be ok; they will ensure of it.
When My father got word of my boat boy activities, he had word with Dougie, Eddy and Vincent. My father not taking any chances; went and had a one and one with the owner of the boat. I did not know what was discussed; however, I knew, I did not have to worry about any homosexual advancement from the boat owner and there was none.
The very day my father die; was the very day, I give up the boat boy job. I did not show up the following day, under the circumstances, no one expected me to and I just stop showing up altogether; no explanation given. I know, I was safe as long as Daddy was around; I was not willing; neither was I going to take any chances with my safety. My father was the only one I could depend on to keep me safe.
I have since left those childhood hustle behind, now I was in Bermuda Where policing was my concerned. I was ready for Bermuda, thanks to Station Sergeant Calbert Straker. In a short time, Mrs. Straker made me into, an excellent police officer as he said. I was confident, fearless, very intelligent and I knew how to police. However, I had one problem, in St. Vincent and the Grenadine Police Force, we used registers, (big books) to record everything, from, detailing personnel for duty, which was the duty rooster, to keeping track with reports that were made: the crime register, Petty Offence register accident register etc.
In Bermuda, every things were computerized. Everything was done electrically; the only writing one were expected to do were to take basic notes, with which an officer, used in reference, to update the computer system and statements when they were so required. This made life easy but first I have to learn how to effectively and efficiently use the system. We were given a crash course in using this system, however, the amount of hours, for the purpose was not enough. At this stage of my police career, policing came extremely easy for me; however, because of the computer system; I was at the mercies of the officers, I worked with.
Ralph Gonsalves had his connection in the Bermuda Police Service, There was Superintendent of Police Randolph "Randy" Liverpool, a Vincentian, who went to Bermuda back in the day. He was one of Gonsalves' personal friend. He had it all set up for my failure before I arrived in Bermuda. To cover his dirty intention, Liverpool, would, invite me to his home for Sunday lunch, which was prepared by his wife, who was one of the most genuinely beautiful people you will ever meet.
When it was time to hit the streets of Bermuda: Randy Liverpool plans went into full operation. I was assigned to Hamilton Police Station and Senior Superintendent of Police Liverpool, brought in a seniors constable Colin Paynter from St. Georges Police Station, to work on A watch at the Hamilton Police Station. Up to this point in Colin's twenty plus year’s career, he had sat and failed the Police Sergeant Promotion exam five or six times. Superintendent Liverpool, promise to ensure Colin get a past on his next Sergeant's exam, if he give me a hard time. I don't know where Edwedina Oldbouy fit into the scheme of things but she and Colin were allied.
Every day like clockwork, Colin Paynter found something to publicly embarrass me about. His objective was to beat me into insecurity. This was supposed to be easy. After all, I was in a strange country, with no support mechanism; his task would be like taking candy from a baby. At first, it was errors made in the computer system. For this he had Edwedina, with whom I regularly partnered. She often, knowingly, showed me how to enter the information into the computer incorrectly, after which, she told the error to Colin Paynter who took the liberty to publicly humiliate me.
When I caught on to what Edwedina was doing, I became very annoyed. One day, before we fall in for duty, I had a chat with Edwedina. I said to the senior female constable, "one of your responsibility is to help me understand how to use the computer system, but you have been intentionally misleading me, in order for Paynter to publicly humiliate me. I paused to look for a sign of sorrow from chubby beautiful lass, but she stood and look at me steel face. Then she reply, "I don't get your pay, so why should I do your work?" I said to the lass. "I don't need anyone to do my work, you guys were instructed, to help the new foreign police make entries into the computer. That's all I am expecting of you."
I then said to her, "I resigned my job and I left my country, I don't have anything to go back to. I have no choice but to learn this system, I am not only going to learn this program, I will master it, and you will have to come and asked me how to use it." As a result, I stop asking her how to do things, with Sgt. Grime's help, I became a master of the police system. Not even the IT guys could have misled me. It was not to long after the same female police officer and other officers who were using that program for years before I did, was coming to me, for my help on the system. Later when Edwedina was given the short term promotion to acted as Sergeant, she always detailed me to work with her. Because she knew, there was no situation I could not deal with and it was an opportunity for her to impress the bosses; what better way to do such. However By this time we had put the pass behind us and had established a good working relationship.
Now there was still the issue of Colin Paynter, within a few months, thanks to the help of Sergeant Gregory Grimes, I mastered the computer. I don't know what Mr. Grimes was told about me, but very soon, he realized I was a very hard and very knowledgeable worker; and I did not waste time in the office like most West Indian and some British officers did, trying to milk the system for overtime. As a result, anything he could have done to help me he did. I was at ease going to discuss matters with Mr. Gregory Grimes. Thanks to Sergeants: Mr. Grimes and Mr. Jermaine Tucker, I was the first and probably the only police officer to date, to take an impaired driving (drunk, or high driving) matter before the court without medical evidence and gain a conviction.
It was going into month number two and I still had Colin Paynter on my back, every day, he had something to chew me out for, now it was grammatical errors, I did not make. Here we have a police officer, who can harely read, but he was able to find basic errors in my writing. Errors I did not make.
Sgt. Grimes the supervisor of B watch, always relief us. By this time, and in an effort to shut, Senior Constable Paynter up, I began doing my updates in Microsoft word, where I paying close attention to my Grammar, ensure that each word was spelled correctly, and double checked the synonyms and interchanging synonyms as suggested by Microsoft word. Yet, Colin Paynter often came up with grammatical and spelling errors that I knew was not there. I could not dispute his findings, because it was there in black and white in the updates.
I knew something was wrong, Mr. Grimes who was a brilliant Sergeant, he asked me to work over time for him. After checking my updates, he say Palmer, I double checked your work and all is well. You can go; the next day Sgt. Grimes came into work earlier than normal, under the guise of "too catch up on some outstanding work" and he began to work. After I completed my updates, Mr. Grimes call me, he said, "Palmer have you finished your updates?" I said yes Sgt. Grimes". All this time Mr. Grimes was in my updates and found all to be perfect. Then he said to me, "Palmer, why don't you over your updates, just double check it, and if you are satisfy with your updates, print a copy of your updates, read it over and if you are still satisfied with it just hold on to it. It could come in handy.
I did not see the point in doing this, but Mr. Grimes had never led me wrong. Mr. Gregory Grimes was five years my senior; but he possessed a level of wisdom and experience of one that was twice his age. He was one of the few people who had nothing to prove to anyone. Grimes was never promoted beyond the rank of Sergeant of Police, because, he loved being a Sergeant and refused to be promoted even at the bidding of police management; however, Mr. Grimes had prepared almost everyone to successfully take the inspector exam. He practiced integrity both in his police and personal life; As a result, I did what Mr. Grimes suggested even though, I did not see the value in his suggestion.
While I waited to be officially dismissed, Senior Constable Colin Paynter entered the station, and went to my work, he printed out my updates, and he started to point out spelling and grammatical errors. Then I heard the voice of the wise Sergeant Grimes, echoed in my head. If you are satisfied with your updates print a copy keep it, it may coming handy.
I looked at Senior Constable Colin Painter, I smiled then I said, I don't know whose work you are looking at, but that's not one of my updates, I pushed my left hand into my pocket, I took out several sheet of paper bearing the updates I did, then I tell him, you or whoever unedited my updates should go back and re-edit them, I lay my printed copy of the updates on the desk where Paynter sat next to the Station Duty Office (SDO) work station. Paynter looked at me with his eyes wide opened like a kid who was caught by his parents with his hands in the cookie Jaw.
I then took my notes, I said to Paynter, I will see you guys tomorrow. Sgt. Na’imah Williams, my Sergeant, was in the small Sergeant's office, with Mr. Grimes, listening to the whole exchange. Mr. Grimes who occupied the Sergeant's chair, was still focused on the computer screen; then he made a sharp momentary swivel around in the chair he occupied, he looked at me, gave me an approving smile and a nod of the head then he immediately; span the chair back to face the computer before which he was working, then he went back to work, Sergeant Williams, who is probably the most beautiful female in the Bermuda Police Service, on the other hand, looked at me with a big satisfied smile on her face, she then nod her approval to me, indicating I can leave, then I left and went home.
The next day, when we paraded for duty; Senior Constable Paynter was not at the parade. It was then the watch was told; Senior Constable Paynter, was sent back to St. Georges Police Station
This was stepping out into a new world, not knowing what to expect. However; I was ready for a new adventure, so I packed my bags, say good bye to my family; my friends, everything I knew and have grown to love, and I moved to Bermuda.
Once I made up my mind there was no turning back. I resigned my post with the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadine Police Force; knowing I was, one of the Prime Minister of S.V.G: Ralph Gonsalves fiercest critics, there was absolutely, no turning back.
The Prime Minister was extremely happy to get the rid of me and would have done anything, to ensure, if my Bermuda adventure did not worked out, and I return to the island, it would have been the dirty pleasure of Ralph Gonsalves to ensure that I returned to and remained in St. Vincent and the Grenadines unemployed. At least unemployment would have shut me up. At least that was what he thought.
However, I had no fear, for I was always able to legally, make money in St. Vincent and the Grenadine. As a preteen and as a teenager, I participated in a range of activities to make spending money. From pushing cart, which involved, taking the traffickers produce from the street outside the harbor to the loading dock on the wharf, where the produce were shipped to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and other islands. We also took the groceries and other shopping of shoppers from the supermarket, etc. to the bus stop at the Market square. Another means of making money came when my friends and I, went to Gibson Corner after school or on Sundays, to picked Hog-plums and Jaw-plums, or to Molly Gutter or to Sweet Side to pick mangoes which we offered for sale, as we walked home on our long journey. I also dived whenever a tourist boat was in the bay; and I did not have to go to school.
I was also a Boat Boy. This responsibility, saw me getting up each morning before 5:00 AM, to prepare the fishing boat: for my friends to go fishing. My responsibilities included, putting a 45 Yamaha outboard engine unto the St. Lucian crafted canoe, ensuring said engine is properly secured, load and securing 6 or 8 fifty gallon Jerrycans of gasoline, into the boat in such manner that they became ballast, ensuring the boat run at its optimum and smoothly even with the weight, and even in rough water.
I also went to the fishermen's place of meal, collect and pack their meals, so they had something to eat while they were hard at work in the middle of the ocean. I also make sure their hook box was replenished and well stocked with all that was needed for the day’s fishing trip. After which, I see them off, prepare for and went to school. At this stage of my life I was a student at the Intimidate High School, AKA Timmy School which got out at 1:00 PM. Upon the return of the fishermen from work, it was my responsibility to ensure everything was ready for the next day's fishing trip which include replenishing and mixing the gas etc.
In short, I was responsible for ensuring Captain Eddy AKA Fry-rice, Center-man: Dougie "Bumps" Baptiste, and Bow-man Vincent Prop Williams job was easy. All they had to worry about was to find and catch the fish, which they did very well. On their return, I was responsible for putting away the equipment, taking their catch to the market and selling it at the very best wholesale price to the vendors, or if it suited me, I haired a fish vendors to chop the fish (sell the fish retail) for me.
The more money I made, for the day's catch, the bigger my reward for my job. In the Daulphin (Mahi Mami) season, the money I earned from being a boat boy was extremely good; however, in the Hine season, it was rough. In the Daulphin season, when the guys had an extremely good day, they can make up to three or four thousand plus dollars each in one catch, that means I could make up to $200.00 - $300.00 for my share and after selling the dolphin or King (King Tuna) fish, I get to take home, my days take, could put me over four $400.00 (Four hundred dollars). Not bad for a teenager.
When it was good it was very good, however, when it was bad, especially in the Hine season, where the guys fished bottom-line, it was really, really bad. For days or at times even weeks, I worked without pay, or my take was very small; because the catch poundage were small. there were more heads per catch, but smaller fishes resulted in less weight, means less money for the catch.
This job came with one set back. The owner of the boat was rumored to be a homosexual. I was offered the job, by the crew, because of my honesty, they knew I will not steal from them; as the Boat-boy before me often did. I expressed my concerns about the rumored homosexual practice of the owner. Without admitting or denying their knowledge of the boat owner's homosexual habits, they all assured me that I will be ok; they will ensure of it.
When My father got word of my boat boy activities, he had word with Dougie, Eddy and Vincent. My father not taking any chances; went and had a one and one with the owner of the boat. I did not know what was discussed; however, I knew, I did not have to worry about any homosexual advancement from the boat owner and there was none.
The very day my father die; was the very day, I give up the boat boy job. I did not show up the following day, under the circumstances, no one expected me to and I just stop showing up altogether; no explanation given. I know, I was safe as long as Daddy was around; I was not willing; neither was I going to take any chances with my safety. My father was the only one I could depend on to keep me safe.
I have since left those childhood hustle behind, now I was in Bermuda Where policing was my concerned. I was ready for Bermuda, thanks to Station Sergeant Calbert Straker. In a short time, Mrs. Straker made me into, an excellent police officer as he said. I was confident, fearless, very intelligent and I knew how to police. However, I had one problem, in St. Vincent and the Grenadine Police Force, we used registers, (big books) to record everything, from, detailing personnel for duty, which was the duty rooster, to keeping track with reports that were made: the crime register, Petty Offence register accident register etc.
In Bermuda, every things were computerized. Everything was done electrically; the only writing one were expected to do were to take basic notes, with which an officer, used in reference, to update the computer system and statements when they were so required. This made life easy but first I have to learn how to effectively and efficiently use the system. We were given a crash course in using this system, however, the amount of hours, for the purpose was not enough. At this stage of my police career, policing came extremely easy for me; however, because of the computer system; I was at the mercies of the officers, I worked with.
Ralph Gonsalves had his connection in the Bermuda Police Service, There was Superintendent of Police Randolph "Randy" Liverpool, a Vincentian, who went to Bermuda back in the day. He was one of Gonsalves' personal friend. He had it all set up for my failure before I arrived in Bermuda. To cover his dirty intention, Liverpool, would, invite me to his home for Sunday lunch, which was prepared by his wife, who was one of the most genuinely beautiful people you will ever meet.
When it was time to hit the streets of Bermuda: Randy Liverpool plans went into full operation. I was assigned to Hamilton Police Station and Senior Superintendent of Police Liverpool, brought in a seniors constable Colin Paynter from St. Georges Police Station, to work on A watch at the Hamilton Police Station. Up to this point in Colin's twenty plus year’s career, he had sat and failed the Police Sergeant Promotion exam five or six times. Superintendent Liverpool, promise to ensure Colin get a past on his next Sergeant's exam, if he give me a hard time. I don't know where Edwedina Oldbouy fit into the scheme of things but she and Colin were allied.
Every day like clockwork, Colin Paynter found something to publicly embarrass me about. His objective was to beat me into insecurity. This was supposed to be easy. After all, I was in a strange country, with no support mechanism; his task would be like taking candy from a baby. At first, it was errors made in the computer system. For this he had Edwedina, with whom I regularly partnered. She often, knowingly, showed me how to enter the information into the computer incorrectly, after which, she told the error to Colin Paynter who took the liberty to publicly humiliate me.
When I caught on to what Edwedina was doing, I became very annoyed. One day, before we fall in for duty, I had a chat with Edwedina. I said to the senior female constable, "one of your responsibility is to help me understand how to use the computer system, but you have been intentionally misleading me, in order for Paynter to publicly humiliate me. I paused to look for a sign of sorrow from chubby beautiful lass, but she stood and look at me steel face. Then she reply, "I don't get your pay, so why should I do your work?" I said to the lass. "I don't need anyone to do my work, you guys were instructed, to help the new foreign police make entries into the computer. That's all I am expecting of you."
I then said to her, "I resigned my job and I left my country, I don't have anything to go back to. I have no choice but to learn this system, I am not only going to learn this program, I will master it, and you will have to come and asked me how to use it." As a result, I stop asking her how to do things, with Sgt. Grime's help, I became a master of the police system. Not even the IT guys could have misled me. It was not to long after the same female police officer and other officers who were using that program for years before I did, was coming to me, for my help on the system. Later when Edwedina was given the short term promotion to acted as Sergeant, she always detailed me to work with her. Because she knew, there was no situation I could not deal with and it was an opportunity for her to impress the bosses; what better way to do such. However By this time we had put the pass behind us and had established a good working relationship.
Now there was still the issue of Colin Paynter, within a few months, thanks to the help of Sergeant Gregory Grimes, I mastered the computer. I don't know what Mr. Grimes was told about me, but very soon, he realized I was a very hard and very knowledgeable worker; and I did not waste time in the office like most West Indian and some British officers did, trying to milk the system for overtime. As a result, anything he could have done to help me he did. I was at ease going to discuss matters with Mr. Gregory Grimes. Thanks to Sergeants: Mr. Grimes and Mr. Jermaine Tucker, I was the first and probably the only police officer to date, to take an impaired driving (drunk, or high driving) matter before the court without medical evidence and gain a conviction.
It was going into month number two and I still had Colin Paynter on my back, every day, he had something to chew me out for, now it was grammatical errors, I did not make. Here we have a police officer, who can harely read, but he was able to find basic errors in my writing. Errors I did not make.
Sgt. Grimes the supervisor of B watch, always relief us. By this time, and in an effort to shut, Senior Constable Paynter up, I began doing my updates in Microsoft word, where I paying close attention to my Grammar, ensure that each word was spelled correctly, and double checked the synonyms and interchanging synonyms as suggested by Microsoft word. Yet, Colin Paynter often came up with grammatical and spelling errors that I knew was not there. I could not dispute his findings, because it was there in black and white in the updates.
I knew something was wrong, Mr. Grimes who was a brilliant Sergeant, he asked me to work over time for him. After checking my updates, he say Palmer, I double checked your work and all is well. You can go; the next day Sgt. Grimes came into work earlier than normal, under the guise of "too catch up on some outstanding work" and he began to work. After I completed my updates, Mr. Grimes call me, he said, "Palmer have you finished your updates?" I said yes Sgt. Grimes". All this time Mr. Grimes was in my updates and found all to be perfect. Then he said to me, "Palmer, why don't you over your updates, just double check it, and if you are satisfy with your updates, print a copy of your updates, read it over and if you are still satisfied with it just hold on to it. It could come in handy.
I did not see the point in doing this, but Mr. Grimes had never led me wrong. Mr. Gregory Grimes was five years my senior; but he possessed a level of wisdom and experience of one that was twice his age. He was one of the few people who had nothing to prove to anyone. Grimes was never promoted beyond the rank of Sergeant of Police, because, he loved being a Sergeant and refused to be promoted even at the bidding of police management; however, Mr. Grimes had prepared almost everyone to successfully take the inspector exam. He practiced integrity both in his police and personal life; As a result, I did what Mr. Grimes suggested even though, I did not see the value in his suggestion.
While I waited to be officially dismissed, Senior Constable Colin Paynter entered the station, and went to my work, he printed out my updates, and he started to point out spelling and grammatical errors. Then I heard the voice of the wise Sergeant Grimes, echoed in my head. If you are satisfied with your updates print a copy keep it, it may coming handy.
I looked at Senior Constable Colin Painter, I smiled then I said, I don't know whose work you are looking at, but that's not one of my updates, I pushed my left hand into my pocket, I took out several sheet of paper bearing the updates I did, then I tell him, you or whoever unedited my updates should go back and re-edit them, I lay my printed copy of the updates on the desk where Paynter sat next to the Station Duty Office (SDO) work station. Paynter looked at me with his eyes wide opened like a kid who was caught by his parents with his hands in the cookie Jaw.
I then took my notes, I said to Paynter, I will see you guys tomorrow. Sgt. Na’imah Williams, my Sergeant, was in the small Sergeant's office, with Mr. Grimes, listening to the whole exchange. Mr. Grimes who occupied the Sergeant's chair, was still focused on the computer screen; then he made a sharp momentary swivel around in the chair he occupied, he looked at me, gave me an approving smile and a nod of the head then he immediately; span the chair back to face the computer before which he was working, then he went back to work, Sergeant Williams, who is probably the most beautiful female in the Bermuda Police Service, on the other hand, looked at me with a big satisfied smile on her face, she then nod her approval to me, indicating I can leave, then I left and went home.
The next day, when we paraded for duty; Senior Constable Paynter was not at the parade. It was then the watch was told; Senior Constable Paynter, was sent back to St. Georges Police Station
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