118-610: The Bermuda Police Service is the law enforcement agency of the British Overseas Territory and former Imperial fortress of Bermuda . It is responsible for policing the entire archipelago, including incorporated municipalities, and the surrounding waters. It is part of, and entirely funded by, the Government of Bermuda . Like the Royal Bermuda Regiment , it is under the nominal control of
236-594: A 34-year hiatus from 1968 to 2002. Defence of the overseas territories is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. Many of the overseas territories are used as military bases by the United Kingdom- and its allies: As overseas territories were added to the land conquered by the British, a number of towns and villages began to request formal recognition to validate their importance, and would be accorded
354-584: A UK police force, and specialist staff and equipment may be sent to assist the local force. Some territories may have other forces beyond the main territorial police, for instance an airport police, such as Airport Security Police (Bermuda) , or a defence police force, such as the Gibraltar Defence Police . In addition, most territories have customs, immigration, border and coastguard agencies. Territories with military bases or responsibilities may also have "Overseas Service Police", members of
472-768: A War Office cable of 4 May 1939. He was among the members of the contingent from the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps that went to the Lincolnshire Regiment in England in June, 1940, and he ended the war as a staff officer in the Far East. The 25 December 1945, London Gazette recorded “War Subs. Maj. H. J. ABBOTT .(108051) relinquishes his commn., 26th Dec. 1945, and is granted the hon. rank of Lt.-Col.” . A separate unit for coloured boys
590-465: A base in 1951, and the associated withdrawal of regular British Army units of the Bermuda Garrison in 1957 (leaving only part-time units), Police Headquarters and other elements relocated to Prospect Camp , the former military headquarters. A Women's Department was established in 1961 with the first five female police officers. A marine section was formed in 1962, with its first large boat,
708-693: A century of existence, the Bermuda Cadet Corps was disbanded in 2013 and replaced by the resurrected Junior Leaders programme of the Royal Bermuda Regiment . In 1901, Saltus Grammar School in Pembroke , raised a Cadet Corps (with Sergeant Major Bellmore as the first instructor), which was attached to the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC). On 12 April 1901, the Officer Commanding Troops of
826-467: A colony, at the same time re-designated a British Dependent Territory . This category of citizenship was distinguished from British Citizenship by what it did not include — the rights of abode and free entry to the United Kingdom — and was not specific to any colony but to all collectively, except for Gibraltar and the Falklands Islands, the people of which retained British Citizenship . It
944-535: A different constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom. The British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are themselves distinct from the Commonwealth realms , a group of 15 independent countries (including the United Kingdom) sharing Charles III as monarch and head of state , and from the Commonwealth of Nations , a voluntary association of 56 countries mostly with historic links to
1062-400: A governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. Currently (2019) all but two governors are either career diplomats or have worked in other civil service departments. The remaining two governors are former members of the British armed forces. In territories without a permanent population, a commissioner is usually appointed to represent the monarch. Exceptionally, in
1180-561: A member of the force seconded to the Government Youth Service, and the institution of a Police Cadet scheme in the colony's secondary schools from 1972, similarly to the military Bermuda Cadet Corps . In the 1960s the Bermuda Police performed a new role: internal security, dealing with riots resulting from the struggle for racial equality. This culminated in 1977 with riots following the hanging of two members of
1298-587: A practice not permitted in the Police Force. But above all, in a small community such as Bermuda, service in the Police force which means service amongst friends and relatives whom it may be necessary to report and arrest is not popular. As the resultant heavy reliance on recruitment of trained constables from the British Isles resulted in friction between the police force and part of the community due to
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#17328014186721416-485: A status if deemed to be deserving such as a borough or as a more prestigious city by the monarch. Many cities were designated over several centuries, and as Anglican dioceses began to be created internationally from the 18th century, the process of city creation became aligned to that used in England, being linked to the presence of a cathedral . Later on, this process became untenable and other selection criteria and royal occasions were used instead. However, mainly from
1534-481: A view to correcting the racial imbalance in the force. This has not been particularly successful, Bermudians regarding West Indians as much, if not more, expatriate as recruits from the United Kingdom, which has been and remains the main source of recruitment. The force consequently took a number of measures intended to encourage local recruitment, and the promotion of locally recruited officers. These steps included heavy police involvement in various youth programmes, with
1652-625: Is an appointment held by a regular Police Constable). Extra Constables (at least some of whom were retired Police Constables) were appointed when required to support the Police Constables and Rural Police Constables, including during the First World War. The Bermuda Special Constabulary had been created during the Second World War, but had been disestablished in 1950. The Reserve is made up of men and women between
1770-603: Is impossible to find a jury who will not know the defendant in a small population island. Whilst many are geographically remote, the British Overseas Territories share a direct connection with elements of supervisory governance (as did the now independent Commonwealth Nations) still exercisable by the UK’s Government in London, UK. The 2004 Pitcairn Islands sexual assault trial is an example of how
1888-756: Is similar to some UK Special Constabulary rank structures, in that it does not use the 'pips and crowns' system, but rather bars and laurel wreaths. Reserve Constables wear no insignia, just their collar number, like their regular counterparts. insignia The current equipment of Bermuda Police consists of ASP telescopic batons for regular duty and Arnold 26-inch batons for crowd and riot control , as well as PAVA spray , Tasers , ARWEN 37 launchers, and tear gas and smoke grenades . Firearms available include Glock 17 9mm handguns, Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm submachine guns, M16 and M4 assault rifles, and Remington 12 gauge shotguns. British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories ( BOTs ) are
2006-463: Is used elsewhere in Misplaced Pages to refer to all such statuses of various of the British Overseas Territories collectively. This status is neither a nationality nor a citizenship, although it confers rights under local legislation. Prior to 1968, the British government made no citizenship (or connected rights) distinction between its nationals in the United Kingdom and those in the British colonies (as
2124-899: The Army Cadet Force and the Combined Cadet Force , it was organised separately under Acts of the Parliament of Bermuda . It was one of three Cadet Corps that historically operated in the British territory, with the others being the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps (with the Girls Nautical Training Corps ) and the Air Training Corps , of which only the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps remains. After more than
2242-708: The Bermuda Garrison received notification that the Governor and military Commander-in-Chief had appointed Captain R.W. Appleby of the BVRC to be a Captain with the Cadet Corps (dated 11 February). The Cadet Corps (Saltus Grammar School) often trained alongside the BVRC, as on 24 May 1902, when the cadets assembled at Fort Hamilton before marching to the Army Service Corps Wharf at East Broadway, from whence they were driven to Warwick Camp to watch
2360-753: The Bermuda Militia Artillery , which recruited primarily coloured soldiers, although its officers were all white until 1953. In 1930, the Labour Government disassociated Cadet Corps in Britain from the Government, but this was reversed by the succeeding Government in 1931, which placed them again under War Office control. The Bermuda Cadet Corps was affiliated with the National Cadet Corps in Britain in 1931 at
2478-572: The Bermuda Rifles . Although a common Bermuda Local Forces Headquarters was created to oversee both units (not to be confused with the overall Command Headquarters which controlled both the regular and part-time army units in Bermuda), they remained separate and blacks were still restricted to the BMA, even after the last coastal artillery was withdrawn from use in 1953 and the BMA converted to
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#17328014186722596-627: The British Isles or Canada (Jean-Jacques Lemay of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ), although some have been promoted from within the force, including Bermudians Frederick C. B. Bean, and Jonathan Smith. In October 2021, a local Bermudian and career BPS Police Officer was made Acting Commissioner. The BPS has a reserve force, created as the Bermuda Reserve Constabulary in 1951, which
2714-604: The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 ). Most countries do not recognise the sovereignty claims of any other country, including Britain's, to Antarctica and its off-shore islands. Five nations contest, with counter-claims, the UK's sovereignty in the following overseas territories: The people of the British Overseas Territories are British Nationals. Most of the overseas territories distinguish between those British nationals who have rights reserved under
2832-702: The Cayman Islands and Bermuda , account for about half of the total BOT population. The Cayman Islands alone comprise 28% of the entire BOT population. At the other end of the scale, three territories have no civilian inhabitants – the Antarctic Territory (currently consisting of five research stations), the British Indian Ocean Territory (whose inhabitants, the Chagossians , were forcibly moved to Mauritius and
2950-744: The Commonwealth of Nations through the United Kingdom. The inhabited territories compete in their own right at the Commonwealth Games , and three of the territories ( Bermuda , the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands ) sent teams to the 2016 Summer Olympics . Although the Crown Dependencies of Jersey , Guernsey and the Isle of Man are also under the sovereignty of the British monarch , they are in
3068-879: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has the responsibility of looking after the interests of all overseas territories except the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence . Within the FCDO, the general responsibility for the territories is handled by the Overseas Territories Directorate. In 2012, the FCO published The Overseas Territories: security, success and sustainability which set out Britain's policy for
3186-612: The Heron , being built by police officers in their spare time. The difficulty recruiting constables locally had led to increased intake of constables from the British Isles, such as William Joseph Cormack (who came to the force from the Staffordshire County Police in 1955, and would go on to become Chief of the Metropolitan Toronto Police from 1989 to 1995), which resulted in criticism of
3304-586: The Heron II , but took delivery in 2006 of a purpose-built patrol vessel, the Guardian, built by Australian shipyard Austal . The rank structure of the Bermuda Police Service is similar to British police forces and starts with the most junior rank of Constable and goes up to Commissioner. The Commissioner has frequently been brought in as an experienced police officer from a police force in
3422-624: The Iberian Peninsula . The United Kingdom participates in the Antarctic Treaty System and, as part of a mutual agreement, the British Antarctic Territory is recognised by four of the six other sovereign nations making claims to Antarctic territory . The 14 British Overseas Territories are: Early colonies, in the sense of English subjects residing in lands hitherto outside the control of
3540-514: The International Court of Justice , which issued an advisory opinion on 25 February 2019 which supported the position of the government of Mauritius. On 3 October 2024, British prime minister Keir Starmer and Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth jointly announced that an agreement had been reached under which the UK would cede sovereignty over the territory. Under the deal, Diego Garcia will be excluded from any resettlement, and
3658-517: The Metropolitan Police Service . Bermuda 's first police, from settlement until 1879, had been nine parish constables (one for each parish). As had been the case in England , these positions were filled by men appointed for twelve months, unpaid service, until pay was introduced in the 19th century. These appointments were compulsory, akin to jury service. Dissatisfaction with the quality of this part-time constabulary led to
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3776-516: The New Palace of Westminster . Speaker of the House of Commons , Sir Lindsay Hoyle said "The two windows represent part of our United Kingdom family". The head of state in the overseas territories is the British monarch, currently King Charles III. The monarch appoints a representative in each territory to exercise the executive power of the monarch. In territories with a permanent population,
3894-466: The United Kingdom were stripped of the rights of abode and free entry in 1968, and, in 1983, the British government replaced Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies with British Citizenship (with rights of abode and free entry to the United Kingdom) for those with a qualifying connection to the United Kingdom or British Dependent Territories Citizenship for those with a connection only to
4012-407: The handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the British government amended the 1981 Act to give British citizenship without restrictions to all BDTCs (the status was also renamed BOTC at the same time) except for those solely connected with Akrotiri and Dhekelia (whose residents already held Cypriot citizenship ). This restored the right of abode in the UK to residents of overseas territories after
4130-610: The 1920s become known as dominions . The dominions achieved almost full independence with the Statute of Westminster (1931) . Through a process of decolonisation following the Second World War, most of the British colonies in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean chose independence. Some colonies became Commonwealth realms , retaining the monarch as their own head of state . Most former colonies and protectorates became member states of
4248-572: The 20th century onwards, increasing levels of states becoming fully independent caused the numbers of remaining cities to reduce substantially. Bermuda Cadet Corps The Bermuda Cadet Corps was a youth organisation in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda , sponsored originally by the War Office and the British Army . Modelled on the Cadet Corps in England, now organised as
4366-540: The BMA and the Bermuda Rifles were amalgamated to form the Bermuda Regiment (since 2015, the Royal Bermuda Regiment ). The Bermuda Cadet Corps was re-organised at the same time. Officers were commissioned into the Bermuda Cadet Corps, with the senior officer appointed as Commandant. The Bermuda Regiment provided support, including a Colour Sergeant as a Full Time Instructor (FTI). Racial segregation of
4484-649: The Berkeley Institute unit of the Bermuda Cadet Corps . The Cadet Corps was re-organised under the Bermuda Cadet Corps Act 1944. The BVRC was disbanded (along with the BMA) in 1946, with most personnel transferred to the Reserve. A skeleton staff remained to maintain facilities and equipment until both units were built back up with new recruitment in 1951, at which time the BVRC was re-titled
4602-743: The Black Beret Cadre convicted of five murders, including those of Governor Richard Sharples , his aide-de-camp Captain Hugh Sayers, and the Commissioner of Police George Duckett. The death penalty had not been used in Bermuda for three decades. As the two men convicted were black, many blacks saw the death sentences as racially motivated. In 1995 the Bermuda Police Force was renamed the "Bermuda Police Service" as it
4720-415: The British Empire (which also includes all Commonwealth realms). Notably, while not independent Commonwealth realms, the territories are separately represented at the Commonwealth Games on the same basis as independent nation members, as are the three Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man. Full British citizenship has been granted to most 'belongers' of overseas territories (mainly since
4838-423: The British Overseas Territories were then termed). Indeed, the people of Bermuda had been explicitly guaranteed by Royal Charters for the Virginia Company in 1607 (extended to Bermuda in 1612) and the Somers Isles Company (in 1615) that they and their descendants would have exactly the same rights as they would if they had they been born in England. Despite this, British Colonials without a qualifying connection to
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4956-422: The British Parliament passed the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 which introduced the current name of British Overseas Territories . This reclassified the UK's dependent territories as overseas territories and, with the exception of those people solely connected with the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus, restored full British citizenship to their inhabitants. During the European Union (EU) membership of
5074-441: The British or Commonwealth Armed Forces. A Joint Ministerial Council of UK ministers, and the leaders of the overseas territories has been held annually since 2012 to provide representation between UK government departments and overseas territory governments. The British Antarctic Territory overlaps with territory claims by both Argentina and Chile. However, territorial claims on the continent may not currently be advanced, under
5192-416: The Commonwealth of Nations , a non-political, voluntary association of equal members, comprising a population of around 2.2 billion people. After the independence of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ) in Africa in 1980 and British Honduras (now Belize ) in Central America in 1981, the last major colony that remained was Hong Kong , with a population of over 5 million. With 1997 approaching,
5310-413: The EU, but they are the only British Overseas Territory to use the Euro as official currency, having previously had the Cypriot pound as their currency until 1 January 2008. On 15 May 2023, the sixteen heraldic shields of the British Overseas Territories and the three coat of arms of the Crown Dependencies were "immortalised" in two new stained-glass windows , unveiled in the Speaker's House at
5428-413: The English government, were generally known as plantations . The first, unofficial, colony was Newfoundland Colony , where English fishermen routinely set up seasonal camps in the 16th century. It is now a province of Canada known as Newfoundland and Labrador . After failed attempts, including the Roanoke Colony , the permanent English colonisation of North America began officially in 1607 with
5546-423: The FCDO in London. Some territories maintain diplomatic officers in nearby countries for trade and immigration purposes. Several of the territories in the Americas maintain membership within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , the Caribbean Community , the Caribbean Development Bank , Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Association of Caribbean States . The territories are members of
5664-436: The Falkland Islands treated as a part of the UK proper through the enactment of British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 due to the Falklands War with Argentina; and Gibraltarians, who were given the special entitlement to be registered as British citizens upon request without further conditions because of its individual membership in the European Economic Area and the European Economic Community . Five years after
5782-432: The Hamilton Police Station and the Magistrates Court on the corner of Court Street and Victoria Street have recently been carried through, with the Hamilton Police Station having relocated there. Sub police stations on Ord Road, in Warwick , and on St. David's Island have been discussed, though not opened. As with the Airport Police Station, these stations would be staffed only for parts of the day by detachments from one of
5900-425: The Junior Leaders Company. Junior Leaders wore the Bermuda Regiment cap badge, operating with the rest of the regiment from Warwick Camp. The Junior Leaders programme was absorbed into the Bermuda Cadet Corps in the mid-1990s as the Bermuda Regiment found it an unnecessary duplication to support two youth organisations. However, in 2012, due to financial constraints, the Bermuda Cadet Corps was disbanded and replaced by
6018-411: The Ministry of Transport), on the airside , and the Bermuda Police Service, which maintained a small detachment at its Airport Police Station, supplied from the complement of the St. George's Police Station, on the landside . That part of the former US Naval Air Station Bermuda which was not required for the operation of the airfield was fenced off and patrolled, until final decisions on the disposal of
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#17328014186726136-486: The Overseas Territories, covering six main areas: Britain and the Overseas Territories do not have diplomatic representations, although the governments of the overseas territories with indigenous populations all retain a representative office in London. The United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) also represents the interests of the territories in London. The governments in both London and territories occasionally meet to mitigate or resolve disagreements over
6254-465: The Service faced "an unprecedented level of criminality" from a hardcore group of 50–100 violent individuals in four or five gangs. In response, the force will intensify patrolling of trouble-prone areas, by doubling the number of Armed Response Vehicles and deploying officers on an around-the-clock basis in those areas. The Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard takes control of any Maritime Law Enforcement and Search & Rescue duties. Most of
6372-415: The UK Parliament and the territories. He said that the UK Government's new "Votes for Life" policy mean all Gibraltarians who have previously lived in the UK, for example as students, can now register to vote in its general elections - regardless of how long ago they lived there. However, Fabian Picardo highlighted that, overall, there is no formal mechanism to ensure Gibraltar's interests are represented under
6490-415: The UK Parliament, as well as backbench members of the Conservative Party and Labour Party . The Chief Minister has argued that all British citizens in overseas territories should have the right to vote in UK parliamentary elections. On 29 January 2024, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, addressed the House of Commons Committee on territorial constitution, looking at the relationship between
6608-444: The UK remains the official administrative power of these territories, and under Article 73 is therefore required "to develop self-government, to take due account of the political aspirations of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions." Historically the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office were responsible for overseeing all British Colonies, but today
6726-438: The UK was replaced by British Dependent Territories citizenship (BDTC) in the newly minted British Nationality Act 1981 , a status that does not come with it the right of abode in the UK or any overseas territory. For these residents, registration as full British citizens then required physical residence in the UK proper. There were only two exceptions: Falkland Islanders, who were automatically granted British citizenship, and with
6844-413: The UK will continue to administer the island for at least 99 years. Of the eleven territories with a permanent population, all except the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus continue to be listed by the UN Special Committee on Decolonization as non-self-governing territories since they were listed as dependent territories by the UK when it joined the UN in 1947. This means that
6962-402: The UK, including: The territories have no official representation in the UK Parliament, but have informal representation through the all-party parliamentary group , and can petition the UK government through the Directgov e-Petitions website. Two national parties, UK Independence Party and the Liberal Democrats , have endorsed calls for direct representation of overseas territories in
7080-398: The United Kingdom , the main body of EU law did not apply and, although certain slices of EU law were applied to the overseas territories as part of the EU's Association of Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT Association), they were not commonly enforceable in local courts. The OCT Association also provided overseas territories with structural funding for regeneration projects. Gibraltar
7198-417: The United Kingdom and China negotiated the Sino-British Joint Declaration , which led to the whole of Hong Kong becoming a special administrative region of China in 1997, subject to various conditions intended to guarantee the preservation of Hong Kong's capitalist economy and its way of life under British rule for at least 50 years after the handover . George Town , Cayman Islands , has consequently become
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#17328014186727316-399: The United Kingdom between 1968 and 1973), and South Georgia (which actually did have a full-time population of two between 1992 and 2006). Pitcairn Islands , settled by the survivors of the mutiny on the Bounty , is the smallest settled territory, with 49 inhabitants (all of whom live on the titular island), while the smallest by land area is Gibraltar, which lies on the southern tip of
7434-441: The United Kingdom may choose to provide the legal framework for particular cases where the territory cannot do so alone. The highest court for all the British overseas territories is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London. The British overseas territories generally look after their own policing matters and have their own police forces . In smaller territories, the senior officer(s) may be recruited or seconded from
7552-522: The United States in relation to Bermuda, with which it has retained close links since Bermuda was founded as an extension of Virginia). In regard to movement within British sovereign territory, only British citizenship grants the right of abode in a specific country or territory, namely, the United Kingdom proper (which includes its three Crown Dependencies ). Individual overseas territories have legislative independence over immigration, and consequently, BOTC status, as noted above, does not automatically grant
7670-406: The War of the Spanish Succession. The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was the subject of a territorial dispute with Mauritius , the government of which claims that the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from the rest of British Mauritius in 1965, three years before Mauritius was granted independence from the United Kingdom, was unlawful. The long-running dispute was referred in 2017 to
7788-419: The advice of the UK government. To comply with the court's decision, the territorial governors now act on the advice of each territory's executive and the UK government can no longer disallow legislation passed by territorial legislatures. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state , and they are usually responsible for appointing the head of government, and senior political positions in
7906-428: The ages of 18 and 60, who have full powers, including the power of arrest. They are unpaid officers, similar to the United Kingdom 's Special Constabulary . However, they do receive a tax-free sum every six months. The Reserve Police have their own distinct rank structure, which is one of the ways of distinguishing the more senior Reserve ranks from Regular ranks. The rank structure was altered in 2015. The insignia
8024-411: The boats used by the Bermuda Police are too small to be used far from shore. As Bermuda is now responsible for policing a zone within a 200-mile radius of Bermuda, larger, seagoing vessels are required. The first large boat operated by the unit, the Heron , lacked the speed required to quickly respond to incidents beyond the reefline. The unit had subsequently also utilised sport fishing boats , including
8142-415: The citizenship shown as British Overseas Territories Citizen in order to prove their entitlement to obtain a passport with the citizenship shown as British Citizen , most now have two passports, although the local governments of the territories do not distinguish an individual's local status based on either form of citizenship, and the passport with the citizenship shown as British Citizen consequently shows
8260-450: The community it was policing, with constables waiting in police stations to react to situations, rather than walking the beat, anticipating, and preventing them. As the Bermuda Police Service attempted to redirect its efforts to more traditional "community policing", which required more officers, it found itself short of personnel. Many non-policing roles within the service were reassigned to civilians in order to place more police officers on
8378-434: The constituency system - just the voluntary interest of individual MPs, such as those in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gibraltar. The Chief Minister acknowledged the difficulty of finding a system to accommodate Westminster representation and OT's self-governance - but said that the "Pandora's Box" of devolution had opened a window to how this could be addressed. Foreign affairs of the overseas territories are handled by
8496-557: The corps on graduation from secondary school went directly into full-time military service on turning eighteen. War service was not limited to former cadets of the Corps. Bernard John Abbott, a pre-war school Headmaster and Bermuda Cadet Corps officer, was re-commissioned into the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps’ Emergency Reserve of officers with the rank of Second-Lieutenant (Acting Major) in accordance with
8614-644: The default citizenship was renamed British Overseas Territories Citizenship (except still for Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, for which British Citizenship remained the default), the immigration bars against its holders were lowered, and its holders were also entitled to obtain British Citizenship by obtaining a second British Passport (something that had previously been illegal) with the citizenship so indicated. As British Overseas Territories Citizens must provide their British Passport with
8732-705: The exceptions of the British Antarctic Territory , South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (which host only officials and research station staff) and the British Indian Ocean Territory (used as a military base). Permanent residency for the approximately 7,000 civilians living in the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is limited to citizens of the Republic of Cyprus . Collectively,
8850-642: The formation of the Bermuda Police Force under the Police Establishment Act, 1879. The new body consisted of ten full-time constables under Superintendent J. C. B. Clarke. Three of the constables were based in Hamilton , with Clarke, three in St. George's , with Chief Constable H. Dunkley, and two in Somerset , and there were still twenty-one part-time parish constables. The size of the police force
8968-463: The fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, while not forming part of the United Kingdom itself, are part of its sovereign territory. The permanently inhabited territories are delegated varying degrees of internal self-governance , with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence , foreign relations , and internal security, and ultimate responsibility for "good" governance. Three of
9086-732: The governor based in New Zealand. Following the Lords' decision in Ex parte Quark, 2005, it is held that the King in exercising his authority over British Overseas Territories does not act on the advice of the government of the UK, but in his role as king of each territory, with the exception of fulfilling the UK's international responsibilities for its territories. The reserve powers of the Crown for each territory are no longer considered to be exercisable on
9204-721: The headquarters at Prospect Camp, and a small Marine Police Station on Barr's Bay, in Hamilton (which had been shared with the US Navy's Shore Patrol up until 1995. This has now been moved to the Royal Naval Dockyard ). Following the closure of the US Naval Air Station in Bermuda, the Scenes Of Crimes officers have moved to a building there. Plans to create a single, new building to house both
9322-459: The holder to be entitled to all of the same right as does the passport with the citizenship shown as British Overseas Territories Citizen , and is often required to access services in the United Kingdom, and is accepted by the immigration authorities of more foreign countries, many of which have barriers against holders of British Overseas Territories Citizen passport holders that do not apply to British Citizen passport holders (the exception being
9440-640: The holding measures of the Antarctic Treaty System . Gibraltar was captured from Spain in 1704 by a force led by Admiral Sir George Rooke representing the Grand Alliance on behalf of the Archduke Charles, pretender to the Spanish throne. Spanish attempts to regain the territory failed, and it was eventually ceded to the Britain under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht as part of the settlement of
9558-540: The infantry role. During the 1950s, it was decided the Bermuda Cadet Corps should have its own band. Through the influence of officers of Scottish heritage, some of whom had served in Scottish regiments during the Second World War , this was created as a Scottish bagpipe and drum band, wearing Highland dress , although the remainder of the Bermuda Cadet Corps dressed as English and Welsh regiments do. In 1965,
9676-529: The land were made, by the Baselands Security. This was a unit of security guards recruited, trained, and operated by the Bermuda Police Service, which wore Bermuda Police uniforms, drove Bermuda Police cars, but whose personnel were civilians, without police powers. As of 2009, the strength of the service is 468 officers, operating from four police stations in Hamilton, St. George's, Southside (the former US Naval Air Station) and Somerset, along with
9794-498: The largest city among the dependent territories, partly because of the constant and healthy flow of immigration to the city and the territory as a whole, which saw its population jump 26% from 2010 to 2021, the fastest population growth of any of the territories. Prior to 1 January 1983, the territories were officially referred to as the Crown Colonies . At that time they were renamed British Dependent Territories . In 2002,
9912-456: The local government for those with a qualifying connection to the territory. In Bermuda, by example, this is called Bermudian status , and can be inherited or obtained subject to conditions laid down by the local government (non-British nationals must necessarily obtain British nationality in order to obtain Bermudian status). Although the expression "belonger status" is not used in Bermuda, it
10030-530: The middle of the 19th century to the early 20th century, the larger settler colonies – in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – first became self-governing colonies and then achieved independence in all matters except foreign policy, defence and trade. Separate self-governing colonies federated to become Canada (in 1867), Australia (in 1901), South Africa (in 1910) and Rhodesia (in 1965). These and other large self-governing colonies had by
10148-405: The military garrison schools, and the Royal Naval Dockyard school. The expanded Cadet Corps remained attached to the BVRC, and its Cadets wore the BVRC cap badge. At the time, all of the schools included barred black students, and the Cadet Corps (like the BVRC, which originally recruited from private rifle clubs, none of which admitted coloured members) was consequently made up of whites only. This
10266-556: The official "Bermuda Report for the year 1971" : Bermuda is an affluent society in which persons who would otherwise qualify for service in the Police Force can obtain equally or more lucrative positions in the business world, without being subjected to the disciplined existence of a policeman, entailing as it does working shifts on Sundays and Public Holidays. Bermudians are recognised as being very much individualists who resent restrictions on their freedoms. Many local Bermudians are used to holding down two jobs in order to earn extra money,
10384-571: The oldest continuously inhabited British settlement in the New World (with some historians stating that – its formation predating the 1619 conversion of James Fort into Jamestown – St. George's was actually the first successful town the English established in the New World ). Bermuda and Bermudians have played important, sometimes pivotal, but generally underestimated or unacknowledged roles in
10502-490: The overseas territories of Saint Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands, an administrator is appointed to be the governor's representative. In the territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, there is an administrator in each of the two distant parts of the territory, namely Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha . The administrator of the Pitcairn Islands resides on Pitcairn, with
10620-635: The people of the British Dependent Territories (other than those of Gibraltar and the Falklands), which was understood universally as intended to raise a colour bar and had done so given that most white colonials were not affected by it and had made restoration of a single citizenship part of its election manifesto. In 2002, when the British Dependent Territories became the British Overseas Territories ,
10738-558: The permanent stations. Such a sub station was actually created on Middle Road, in Warwick, a few years ago, but has since been closed. Following a spate of shootings in May, 2009, believed to be gang-related, there were calls for increasing the size and deployment of police forces. Premier Ewart Brown called for "sustained, regular policing" and increased foot patrols "in recognised trouble spots". Police Commissioner Jackson said on 29 May that
10856-464: The process of governance in the territories and levels of autonomy. Britain provides financial assistance to the overseas territories via the FCDO (previously the Department for International Development ). As of 2019, only Montserrat, Saint Helena, Pitcairn and Tristan da Cunha receive budgetary aid (i.e. financial contribution to recurrent funding). Several specialist funds are made available by
10974-414: The public school system also ended during the 1960s, and the Bermuda Cadet Corps, now wearing its own badge, subsequently operated through all of the colony's public and Government-aided secondary schools. The Cadet Pipe Band was left out of this re-organisation, and its members chose to continue it as a private organisation, continuing to wear the Bermuda Rifles cap badge. In the 1990s, by when its membership
11092-486: The racial imbalance, in 1966 the Bermuda Police Force began also recruiting constables from British West Indian police forces, starting with seven constables from Barbados. Although the practice of recruiting from the British West Indies would continue, it was not deemed entirely successful. As the "Bermuda Report for the year 1971" continued: More recently police have been recruited from the Caribbean with
11210-419: The racial make up of the force not reflecting that of the wider community. The reasons for failing to obtain the necessary local recruits, black or white, was attributed to a number of factors, including the small population, but primarily the reluctance among those islanders who were likely to meet the physical and educational requirements to choose a career in public service, especially the police. As recorded in
11328-558: The request of the Command Headquarters of the Bermuda Garrison. The Bermuda Cadet Corps was very active during the Second World War , when all of the part-time reserve units were embodied for the duration, and all military-aged, male British nationals in Bermuda who were not already serving or exempted (due to occupation, infirmity, or hardship) from serving were conscripted. This meant that most cadets exiting
11446-491: The riflery training of the BVRC. In 1905, the corps received a grant from the Government of Bermuda in order that other schools might join the scheme. At the same time, the corps was officially affiliated with the BVRC. On 24 May 1907, the Cadet Corps was delivered, along with the Headquarters and "C" Companies of the BVRC, to St. George's to join the other two companies of the BVRC for their annual camp. The Cadet Corps
11564-445: The right of abode in any of the territories, as it depends on the territory's immigration laws. A territory may issue belonger status to allow a person to reside in the territory that they have close links with. The governor or immigration department of a territory may also grant the territorial status to a resident who does not hold it as a birthright. From 1949 to 1983, the nationality status of Citizenship of UK and Colonies (CUKC)
11682-529: The settlement of Jamestown , the first successful permanent colony in Virginia (a term that was then applied generally to North America). Its offshoot, Bermuda , was settled inadvertently after the wrecking of the Virginia Company 's flagship there in 1609, with the company's charter extended to officially include the archipelago in 1612. St. George's town, founded in Bermuda in that year, remains
11800-649: The shaping of the English and British transatlantic empires. These include maritime commerce, settlement of the continent and of the West Indies , and the projection of naval power via the colony's privateers , among other areas. The growth of the British Empire in the 19th century, to its territorial peak in the 1920s, saw Britain acquire nearly one quarter of the world's land mass, including territories with large indigenous populations in Asia and Africa. From
11918-555: The street, but it was ultimately decided to withdraw most of the detachment from the airport in order to make-up the shortfall elsewhere. After the 1995 closure of the US Navy's NAS Bermuda , policing of the airport, which had previously been split between the US Navy and the Bermuda Police, was divided between the new Airport Security Police (a privatised police force operating under the Department of Airport Operations - part of
12036-418: The territories are chiefly or only inhabited by military or scientific personnel, the rest hosting significant civilian populations. All fourteen have the British monarch as head of state . These UK government responsibilities are assigned to various departments of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and are subject to change. Most of the territories retain permanent civilian populations, with
12154-468: The territories encompass a population of about 250,000 people and a land area of about 480,000 sq nmi (1,600,000 km ). The vast majority of this land area constitutes the almost uninhabited British Antarctic Territory (the land area of all the territories excepting the Antarctic territory is only 18,015 km [6,956 sq mi]), while the two largest territories by population,
12272-505: The territory's Governor and Commander in Chief , although, for day-to-day purposes, control is delegated to a minister of the local government. It was created in 1879, as Bermuda's first professional police service. In organisation, operation, and dress, it was created and has developed in line with the patterns established by British Isles police services, such as the City of Glasgow Police , and
12390-462: The territory. Each overseas territory has its own legal system independent of the United Kingdom. The legal system is generally based on English common law , with some distinctions for local circumstances. Each territory has its own attorney general and court system. For the smaller territories, the United Kingdom may appoint a UK-based lawyer or judge to work on legal cases. This is particularly important for cases involving serious crimes and where it
12508-534: The territory. The governor is also responsible for liaising with the UK government, and carrying out any ceremonial duties. A commissioner has the same powers as a governor, but also acts as the head of government. Although the British Government is the national government, much of governance within the territories has been delegated to local government, with all of those that have permanent populations having some degree of representative government (which
12626-478: The whole of what was now Bermuda International Airport . Bermuda was still feeling the effects of the recession of the early 1990s, and this had led to a reduction in the number of officers of the Bermuda Police Service. At the same time, the new Police Commissioner, Colin Coxall, was determined to modernise the Bermuda Police Service by returning it to its roots. It was felt that the service had lost familiarity with
12744-716: Was created at Berkeley Institute in 1943, titled the Berkeley Institute Cadet Corps , with the Officer Commanding being Captain J.M. Rosewarne. This was attached to the Bermuda Militia (the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the 1939-1946 Bermuda Militia Infantry collectively). A Government House notice dated 20 August 1943, and published in the 21 August 1943, issue of The Royal Gazette newspaper described this as
12862-653: Was despite Lieutenant-General Sir Robert MacGregor Stewart, Royal Artillery, Governor of Bermuda from 1904 to 1907, having reported on 24 July 1906, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies that the Colonial Secretary of Bermuda had advised in the Executive Council against forming a cadet corps for white boys that excluded coloured boys. There was a second part-time military unit in Bermuda,
12980-656: Was entirely made-up of adults, it merged with another pipe band composed primarily of Bermuda Police Service constables and Bermuda Fire Service personnel. The Bermuda Pipe Band continues to take part in military parades along with the band of the Royal Bermuda Regiment. The training requirement for a member of the Bermuda Cadet Corps was two hours per week and a two-week annual camp. The Bermuda Regiment operated its own Junior Leaders programme for many years, starting with nineteen boys who passed out at Warwick Camp on 19 December 1969, thereafter forming
13098-433: Was not the case for British Hong Kong ) which have been delegated responsibility for local legislation, irrevocably guaranteed the same rights and representation they would have if born in England, representation in the national Parliament of the United Kingdom has yet to be extended to any overseas territory. The structure of the territorial government appears to be closely correlated to the size and political development of
13216-474: Was perceived by the Government as a valuable method by which to boost recruitment into the BVRC, which was struggling to maintain its mandated strength. It was thought that, following their early exposure to military service, many Cadets would choose to enlist into the BVRC upon finishing their schooling. In 1907, the Cadet Corps was expanded with War Office approval to eight other schools in Bermuda, including civilian schools such as Whitney Institute , as well as
13334-551: Was renamed as the Bermuda Reserve Police in 1999 (the change also included issuing the reservists the same dark blue uniform as the regular constabulary as some members of the public had imagined the previously grey-uniformed reservists to not be "real police" ). Prior to 1951, the Parish Constables had originally been retained to supplement the new regular Police Constables (today, Parish Constable
13452-420: Was shared by residents of the UK proper and residents of overseas territories, although most residents of overseas territories lost their automatic right to live in the UK after the ratification of Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968 that year unless they were born in the UK proper or had a parent or a grandparent born in the UK. In 1983, CUKC status of residents of overseas territories without the right of abode in
13570-651: Was stated by some Conservative Party backbench MPs that the secret intent of the Conservative government was to restore a single citizenship, with full rights across the United Kingdom and the British Dependent Territories, once Hong Kong and its British Dependent Territories Citizens had been returned to the People's Republic of China in 1997. By that time, the Labour Party was in government with Tony Blair as Prime Minister. Labour had decried discrimination against
13688-1100: Was the only overseas territory that was part of the EU, although it was not part of the European Customs Union, the European Tax Policy, the European Statistics Zone or the Common Agriculture Policy. Gibraltar was not a member of the EU in its own right; it received representation in the European Parliament through its being part of the South West England constituency. Overseas citizens held concurrent European Union citizenship, giving them rights of free movement across all EU member states. The Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus were never part of
13806-573: Was thought that the word "force" had unsavoury connotations. The Reserve Constabulary was renamed the "Bermuda Reserve Police" and adopted the same uniform as the full-time police officers. This was meant to address the common misconception they had suffered from, which was that they were not "real" police officers. Also in 1995, the United States Navy withdrew from Bermuda, leaving the Bermuda Government responsible for policing
13924-406: Was trebled in 1901. The first detective was appointed in 1919, and the force was reorganised again in 1920, with eighteen constables recruited from the UK raising its strength to forty-six. The size of the force grew steadily over the following decades. The Bermuda Reserve Constabulary was created in 1951. After the reduction of Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyard (which had had its own police force) to
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