Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Welcome to Bermuda, a small island paradise in the middle of the Atlantic.
00:07Seeing the turquoise waters, it does lift my mood.
00:10We'll go along the coast, okay? See you up there.
00:14A dedicated police service...
00:17Somebody's gonna need to open this door up really quickly.
00:20...is keeping this British Overseas Territory safe.
00:25I think he wears the uniform very well.
00:27You want the $20 now?
00:29Officers, including Brits, doing their duty.
00:32It's tough. And it's really humid today.
00:37The reality is that there are challenges.
00:40Crime busting in a place where anything can happen.
00:44I didn't really expect the cows to run out the gate. Uh-oh.
00:49Going to great lengths to catch criminals.
00:54She's gone, gone. She's gone.
00:56Cannot make this up.
00:59With summer tourists arriving in droves.
01:01Woo!
01:02Woo!
01:03This is peak season for the police.
01:06Listen, baby.
01:07Calm down.
01:08I love policing. It's in my DNA.
01:12I love policing.
01:13I love policing.
01:16In Bermuda today, Officer Skerritt is busy laying down the law.
01:22Sir, excuse me.
01:23Don't park it here, sir.
01:24It's a double yellow line.
01:25Sir, no, don't park it here.
01:27Don't park it here.
01:28At the airport, a tourist is in trouble with British-born Bobby, Paul Watson.
01:34You're being arrested for imputation of a control drug.
01:37And at sea, the Coast Guard and police are out in force enjoying the sun.
01:42Lovely day for a cruise.
01:44While stopping boat users making waves.
02:01Between June to October is peak holiday season in Bermuda.
02:05Hi, good day.
02:06How are you guys doing today?
02:07That means even more people for the island's police service to meet, greet and keep safe
02:13from crime.
02:14Good day, ladies.
02:20800,000 of these holidaymakers arrive via the airport.
02:24Good to see you. Welcome back.
02:26Where Bermuda shorts-wearing British Bobby, Officer Paul Watson, has begun an eight-hour shift.
02:32New York.
02:33OK, so you're going to be down at G&H.
02:37And the iconic Bermudan police uniform never goes unnoticed.
02:42Let's squeeze in tight.
02:44I'm an old traditionalist.
02:45I love the shorts.
02:47I like the long socks.
02:48They're part of the tradition with my Bobby helmet on.
02:52The tourists at the airport absolutely adore it.
02:56Have a good weekend.
02:57Bye.
02:58Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
02:59No.
03:00Bye, Joey.
03:02Officer Watson has been busting crime in Bermuda for more than 30 years.
03:07But his policing journey began in the northeast of England, earning him the nickname, Geordie.
03:14When I was a child, I was in the Volunteer Police Cadets.
03:17That was primarily my reason for joining the police.
03:20I worked in Bedfordshire Police in the UK.
03:22I was working on a surveillance team with another officer and he had applied out here.
03:29It sounded like quite a good thing to try.
03:32And I applied.
03:34I was 24 when I came out here.
03:35Just someone for a young lad somewhere different.
03:38An adventure in and of itself.
03:39I love the lifestyle.
03:40Once you've finished work, you can spend some quality time outside.
03:45It's beauty to me is unparalleled.
03:49And I'm really sure my age now, you know, I remember Dixner Duck Green from the, from the 60s.
03:54And there were still a few of us old fashioned policemen around.
04:03I think he wears the uniform very well, actually.
04:05He's got some nice legs going on there, you know.
04:08Hang on, you want the $20 now?
04:16But there's a serious side to policing the island, with more than 300,000 grams of narcotics being seized by authorities each year.
04:25The drug problem in Bermuda is pretty big.
04:28The common drug is cannabis.
04:30The importation of drug here is a problem because the drug is expensive when it's here.
04:35A thousand pounds worth of drugs in the UK is probably worth $50,000 or $60,000 here.
04:41It's a small, insular population.
04:44And if drugs were more rampant than they are, I think this island would potentially implode.
04:53And I would hate to see that.
04:54It's a beautiful place.
04:56And I would hate to see the bad become the norm over the good.
04:59Two hours into Officer Geordie's shift, and customs have stopped a couple travelling from the US for illegally carrying drugs.
05:09If one admits that it's solely theirs, then we'll deal with one individual.
05:14OK.
05:15If they're saying it's for both of them, then we'll deal with both of them.
05:17OK.
05:19We won't go in and speak to the individuals until customs have finished their search, their note-taking.
05:26They will do the initial basic investigations, and then it's always handed over to the police.
05:31I got stopped at the airport with a little bit of weed on me.
05:34I thought it was decriminalized, actually.
05:38Afternoon, folks. How are you doing?
05:40Just to let you guys know, I'm PC Watson.
05:43I just have to ask first and foremost, guys, does the cannabis belong to just you, sir?
05:47And the young lady, it's not hers at all?
05:50OK. So just listen to what I have to say.
05:52Just to comply with the law, I'm going to tell you that it's an offence to import a controlled drug.
05:56I'll tell you that you're not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say will be taken down in writing and maybe given in evidence.
06:02Do you understand that?
06:04Are you a US citizen? Yes.
06:05So that's the equivalent of your Miranda rights. Is there anything you want to say in response to that?
06:10OK. So right now I'm going to tell you that you're being arrested for imputation of a controlled drug.
06:16So this American tourist may be facing time in a prison cell rather than on a beach in Bermuda.
06:35This island paradise may have a bustling airport, but once holidaymakers arrive here, they'll find no rail network and limited bus service.
06:47That provides a traffic headache on the roads for Commissioner of Police Darren Simons.
06:52Sometimes tourists are surprised when they visit the island that they can't rent a car.
06:58Our roads are fairly small, fairly windy, and if they became congested with a large amount of vehicles, that would just create, you know, some problems.
07:06One unique aspect about Bermuda is that you're only allowed one car per household, right?
07:11So when you've got, you know, maybe multiple generations sort of living in a large family household, that can be a bit problematic or challenging.
07:20And what that means is a lot of people get around by bike.
07:23With 50,000 registered vehicles on the island, it's the job of motorbike cop Sergeant Milton Joshua Hill to keep road users in line.
07:35But first, he'll need to address some running repairs of his own.
07:40I've got a reputation for being a lot of pursuits and stuff, which kind of results trickled on into sometimes minor damages to the bike.
07:50So I've had to take the bikes back to the mechanics quite a bit of time.
07:57Sometimes a little rough on them, sometimes because they have to, you know, chase people and stuff like that.
08:03Most of them are pretty good.
08:05Fortunately, I've had a lot of chases and stuff where people aren't stopping, so you're having to, like, you know, take the bike on the railway trail on a golf course, cut the person off, and stuff like that is rougher on the vehicles.
08:16But the main thing is as long as you're just straight up in what happened.
08:20Bermudan-born officer Milton is in charge of the Red Team Road Policing Unit.
08:35He takes a no-nonsense approach to hunting down local traffic offenders.
08:39I'll stop everything.
08:42And a lot of the, like, minor stuff.
08:44And my thought process is that you won't find a lot of the bigger stuff if you're not stopping all the small stuff.
08:50So that's kind of my style. Stop everything, give a lot of warnings.
08:53And it's not long before he has the next target in his sights.
08:56And it's not long before he has the next target in his sights.
09:01Hello, ma'am. I need to speak to you about this bike. Will you pull in for me?
09:07Do you have your license on you at all?
09:09No, I don't.
09:10You have a license there, right?
09:11No, I don't.
09:13It's insured or whatever.
09:15Do you have the proof of insurance on you?
09:18No.
09:20Oh, my God. Miss Waldron.
09:22This was an unlicensed, uninsured stop that we did, and she was a hoot.
09:28I don't write my life.
09:29Okay. Unfortunately, unless you have it on you, I have insurance.
09:32I know, but basically, unless you can show me right now, I still have to write the ticket.
09:35Yeah, I know.
09:36No, I just don't want you giving the government money that they don't need to be given, right?
09:39I understand that, oh, my goodness, you were one of these press police officers.
09:42Oh, my goodness, this is so lovely.
09:46I hope I get you taxed on.
09:48There was nothing she was going to say that was going to get her out of it.
09:51Well, thank you very much. I greatly appreciate it.
09:55So, at that point, you might as well throw your hands up, and at least she was a good sport.
09:58The big problem, obviously, if you get in an accident and hurt somebody if it isn't insured,
10:02then just know that that kind of puts you at risk for more serious offences.
10:07This driver faces a hefty fine for riding without a licence and failing to show insurance documents.
10:14But right now, that's the least of Officer Milton's worries.
10:17I have to warn you not to use the bike, okay?
10:19No, I don't. I don't. I honestly really don't ride it.
10:24I can't let you ride off in front of us.
10:26Just make sure whatever happens happens after we go.
10:33I'm going to wait until you ride off.
10:36Exactly.
10:38And no amount of friendliness will work when it comes to breaking the law.
10:43I like telling my cop friends about cops that were nice to me.
10:47Because, hey, it's so much stories of, like, rude and...
10:50Oh, my God.
10:51Yeah.
10:52Oh, my God.
10:53So, this one's $100, okay?
10:54So, this one's payable.
10:55That's the one.
10:56You ain't got to worry about cool if that's paid off, okay?
10:58And all my details are right on the bottom of the ticket, okay?
11:01And your mama's too.
11:02All right, well, all the best to you.
11:03I feel Indian, Charles. You're good.
11:05No worries.
11:06All the best to you. Like I said, please don't use the bike.
11:09I won't.
11:10No worries.
11:11No worries.
11:14What a cactus.
11:17That was very entertaining.
11:20Despite the offenses, the motorist still needs to get her bike home.
11:27And that's exactly what she intends to do.
11:35So, the reality is you're telling the person not to use it,
11:37knowing that they're probably going to hop right back when they didn't use it.
11:40So, all you could do is, if you see them again, burn them another time.
11:57More than 14,000 people commute into the nation's capital of Hamilton every week.
12:03And it's down to the likes of Officer Carol Skerritt.
12:07Come on, guys.
12:08Come on.
12:09And Officer Chris Douglas to patrol the busy streets,
12:12keeping on top of crime, anti-social behaviour and traffic wrongdoings.
12:18It's warm today.
12:20Being on the beat, as we call it, walking around, for me, it's just the people.
12:25Hello.
12:28How are you, sir?
12:29I love the people.
12:31How are you?
12:32I'm good.
12:33They're so welcome in.
12:34They appreciate what I do for them.
12:35That's kind of one of my highlights.
12:37See you later.
12:38Afternoon.
12:39I just got, you know, sort of like this great feeling that I'm helping.
12:43Good day, good day.
12:44Bermudan-born Officer Chris has been in the police service here for the past 11 years
12:50and very much sees his colleague, Officer Carol, as a mentor, famed for being a real stickler for the rules.
12:57Constable Skerritt is saying at no time you should be on or alongside WRL, my dear.
13:01Miss Carol Skerritt, PC Skerritt.
13:06Sir, excuse me. Hello.
13:09She is a firecracker.
13:14Don't park it here, sir.
13:15It's a WRL line.
13:16Sir, no, don't park it here.
13:18She is, wow.
13:21Don't do it.
13:23WRL line and right in the junction.
13:24Don't do it, sir.
13:25Thank you for leaving.
13:26A lot of people would assume that she is just this tough, no-nonsense type of individual.
13:32Sir, I'm writing your ticket.
13:34And she is.
13:36Have a good day, sir.
13:37Please park in the cycle the next time.
13:39She's very eccentric.
13:40She's got this loud personality about her.
13:43She's pregnant and smoking.
13:45I smoked here already.
13:48Not good for you.
13:49I know.
13:50Well, don't do it.
13:51When they see her coming from a distance, oh boy, you better make sure you're doing it.
13:55You better make sure you do what you gotta do or you run.
13:58You should be at the library.
14:01Yes, down to the library.
14:02Get some books and read it.
14:04Get out of here.
14:05Gotta love her.
14:18Bermuda is blessed with more than 60 miles of stunning coastline.
14:23And it's the job of the Coast Guards, Corporal Melanie Gauntlet.
14:28Lovely day for a cruise.
14:30And Officer Sean Wheatley to police the island's waterways.
14:35Today, just gonna be doing some general patrols, going around the different areas, looking for any offences.
14:40More of a public presence as well, reassurance to the public.
14:42I'm gonna go into Bars Bay.
14:48Yeah, yeah.
14:49Bermuda is made up of 181 islands, islets and rocks, raising unique challenges for the team policing on the water.
14:59Mainly we get big vessels coming in and out loading.
15:04Now Bars Bay is kind of a different case at the moment.
15:08We have a fishing tournament going on, so we just want to make sure that nobody is mooring their boat alongside the dock and then disappearing for the day, getting in the way of the big fishing boats that are coming in.
15:18It's also an extract point for us, so if we have an emergency on the water, it's important to kind of keep those public area docks free of traffic if we can.
15:32Reaching top speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, Sean is able to apprehend boat users breaking the rules.
15:41That's a five knot no wake area.
15:44It is a ticketable offence though, we are cracking down on everything here.
15:48I was coming through Hamilton Harbour here, about to head towards Paradise Lakes.
15:52When I looked to my left, that area over there is called Timlin's Narrows, it's a specified no wake five knot zone.
15:58And he was coming through there creating a no wake.
16:00I'm missing you a citation or ticket, it is a $100 offence payable within seven days.
16:05Bermuda is governed the water, you cannot speed within 100 metres of shoreline or create a wake.
16:10It's five knots no wake, whichever comes first.
16:13If it means you have to do four knots and create no wake, then you have to do four knots.
16:16And just make sure you guys do slow down and don't pull that wake through these areas, okay?
16:19All right, no problem. Enjoy the rest of your day, stay safe.
16:22Thank you too.
16:23Okay, bye-bye.
16:24Bye.
16:28Ski 1, 401 Juliet.
16:33All vessels in Bermuda need to be properly registered and fully equipped.
16:40Good afternoon, everybody.
16:43Even if you're a group out on the water, simply having a bit of fun.
16:47The boat's going to come alongside, yeah.
16:49Oh, a boat?
16:50Yes.
16:51They just want to do a safety check, make sure you have enough life jackets and everything.
16:53Should I, like, wave?
16:54You could wave to them, yeah.
16:55Bermudian women are a different breed of women, okay?
17:02We have that kind of can-do attitude.
17:05We have a very strong sense of community.
17:07Stick together and we're tough as nails.
17:10Show your life jacket, Jenny.
17:12Jenny, put your life jacket on.
17:15Well done.
17:18Yeah, we're just making sure you guys have all the kit that you need.
17:20Oh, thank you.
17:21And you are so welcoming and friendly.
17:23Girl power.
17:24Girl power.
17:25Old ladies out in the boat.
17:26I'm loving the girls' day.
17:28Can I join next time?
17:29Oh, yeah.
17:30I'm always at work.
17:31Thank you for having your safety equipment.
17:33Take care.
17:34Come, come find Paradise Lakes.
17:36Later.
17:37I'm on till midnight.
17:39We'll find you.
17:40Bye, ladies.
17:42We don't need a boy to drive a boat.
17:45We can do it ourselves.
17:58At Bermuda's airport, an American tourist has been stopped for the possession of cannabis.
18:04You're being arrested for the imputation of a controlled drug.
18:08It's now down to Officer Geordie to determine the seriousness of the offence.
18:13I'll tell you that you're not obliged to say anything, but anything you do say will be taken down in writing and may be given in evidence.
18:22Bermuda has decriminalized possession of marijuana up to seven grams.
18:27But the moment you smoke it, it still becomes an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
18:31The imputation of any controlled drug is illegal.
18:36So even if it was less than seven grams of cannabis, it's still a specific offence.
18:42And that's why we end up dealing with a lot of things with customs at the airport.
18:47So what's going to happen now, the drug's going to be seized as evidence.
18:52You will be taken to a police station, and then you will be processed in the police station.
18:58And the reason you're doing that is because of the quantity of drug that you have.
19:01If it was less than seven grams, then we may be in a position to deal with it by waiving an informal warning.
19:07OK. I'm, like, I will say, like, I thought it was seven grams.
19:12I'm going to go and get a set of scales and I'll weigh it myself to get a better indication.
19:17So you're saying you think it's only seven grams?
19:19So what I'm going to do, I'm going to take that out of the bag.
19:22What I'm going to ask you to do, just, I know you're not going to be silly,
19:26just if you take a step back, what I'm going to do, take it out of the bag
19:29and just put the actual plant material onto the scale
19:32and get a better indication as to what we've got.
19:35If Officer Geordie discovers the tourist was carrying more than seven grams of cannabis,
19:41the man could be facing a criminal conviction.
19:44When they travel in the U.S. or in Canada, between provinces, between states,
19:49states have different drug laws and they have the potential to be arrested,
19:53taking product across a state line.
19:56Yeah, we do get the innocent mistakes,
19:58but I think a lot of these innocent mistakes are just sheer stupidity.
20:03I think a lot of people, when they travel on vacation, leave their brains at home.
20:07The people of Bermuda's love affair with the sea is only matched by their passion for motor vehicles,
20:29particularly their bikes.
20:32It's amazing what people can put on a bike.
20:35Occasionally you'll see somebody, we have videos, viral videos,
20:39of people pulling a lawnmower behind the bike, trying to get to their next little grass-cutting job.
20:46A wheelbarrow is one I can remember, somebody pulling a wheelbarrow on their bike.
20:51In other jurisdictions where greater access to cars and trucks is the norm,
20:58you don't see those kinds of things.
21:01So, you know, very much in Bermuda, bikes feature prominently in how we get around in the island.
21:18Today, that Bermudian love affair with bikes is on full display at Motorfest,
21:23an annual event which attracts both tourists and locals alike.
21:28Motorfest is a celebration of Bermudian riding culture, fixing up cars, custom cars, custom bikes.
21:36We have a cultural thing of motorcycles, particularly scooters.
21:41And it happens on Front Street, they close off the Hill Street.
21:44So it's an all-day event.
21:46Yeah, look at you, getting on like a pro.
21:49I have a little bit of a passion, especially for motorcycles.
21:52We start riding before we start driving here.
21:55And the police has allowed me to funnel that into a very positive, healthy light.
21:59It's a comfortable bike, I'll say.
22:03It's not my favourite out of the police bikes.
22:06My favourite is the Tracers, which are $900.
22:09Quite a few of them are over $10,000 for what would have been at the time a couple hundred dollar bike.
22:15So all the custom parts, the preservation has inflated the value quite a bit.
22:20Officer Milton is taking charge of a motorcade of bikes across the island.
22:25We'll go on your call, OK?
22:27All right.
22:28Policing being in his blood since childhood.
22:31I've been in the force 10 years.
22:33My father was a park ranger and then had his own private investigation business,
22:39her on the island.
22:40And I remember being young and him letting us help him serve summonses for lawyers.
22:46He'll be trying to find people by going through trash to try and find out where someone lives.
22:50Draft dodgers and fun times.
22:54I was always captivated with that kind of work from growing up with him as like a role model.
23:05It went well.
23:06No accidents with any of the riders.
23:08But we are technically already off duty.
23:10We're already beyond our 12 hours into overtime.
23:13But it's just a matter now of packing up and getting ready for another shift tomorrow.
23:24Officer Geordie has arrested an American tourist for the illegal importation of cannabis.
23:39I'm going to take it out of the bag and just put the actual plant material onto the scale and get a better indication as to what we've got.
23:48The holiday maker now faces being charged if found to be carrying more than seven grams of the drug.
23:55Unfortunately, it's eight grams.
23:57So it's actually just over our threshold.
24:00Yeah, seven or four, Oscar.
24:01Be obliged if you could initiate an incident for me, please, at LF Wade Airport.
24:05It's importation of a controlled drug.
24:08Yeah, it's actually eight grams.
24:10So it's just over our threshold.
24:11So it's going to end up at the station.
24:13Yeah, plant material resemble cannabis.
24:16Yeah.
24:17And if you could organize for an echo unit for transport, I'd appreciate it.
24:22I've seen courts fine tourists four or five thousand dollars.
24:26And that's a huge amount of money for somebody who's, you know, who's on vacation.
24:30So, you know, just bear it in mind and just don't bring it with you.
24:34Just going to ask, because I know you have the plant material there.
24:37Do you have anything else on you, on your possession?
24:39Anything in your pockets, anything on you?
24:41No? Okay.
24:42Because when you go to the station, obviously, you're going to be searched before you go.
24:45But when you're at the station, you'll be searched again.
24:48So I just want to make sure that you have nothing else on you.
24:50So the officer is just sealing the bag.
24:53So the exhibit, the quantity of plant material is just taken from you,
24:57is just being sealed into that exhibit bag in your presence so you can see that.
25:01And then that's going to be handed to me and seized by me as an exhibit.
25:05You understand?
25:08Thanks.
25:09So I'm just going to hang onto your passport until you get to the station, okay?
25:13As soon as I'm told that the car is here, I'm going to walk you outside.
25:18Okay.
25:19I think under the circumstances, you're not going to try and run.
25:22No.
25:23So I'm not going to place you in handcuffs.
25:24I normally would.
25:25But I don't think you're any risk to me or to anybody else.
25:28I'm empathetic because I understand they've done something dumb.
25:32And I'll deal with them with a little bit of dignity and a little bit of respect they deserve when I'm dealing with them.
25:40I'm just doing a quick search to make sure you've got nothing else on me.
25:43You just kick off your shoes on me as well, please.
25:50And just lift them one at a time.
25:52And the other one.
25:53Cool.
25:55Just take them back on.
25:58Due to the small amount of cannabis seized, Officer Geordie is trying to stop the case reaching court by contacting the Director of Public Prosecution, or DPP.
26:09Just bear with us a couple of minutes and we'll get you out of here.
26:11And then once you've been taken to the station, then what I'm going to do is I'm going to type out a quick email directly to the DPP's office and see if we can get this dealt with immediately as a caution.
26:23I don't see for, you know, such a small amount, I don't see the, you know, the point in having you taken to court and stuff like that.
26:30You understand that?
26:31Okay.
26:33But again, bear in mind that that decision is out of my hands and it's always going to be the prosecutor's.
26:37If you want to grab your bags, then you can.
26:39Thanks, guys.
26:40You know, the guy's coming here for a vacation and his vacation basically is going to be ruined.
26:47The American tourist will now be taken to the main police station in Hamilton.
26:55He'll process you into custody and then hopefully by that time I'll have a decision from the DPP's office as to what's going to happen.
27:01Guys, I haven't cuffed him. Do you want him cuffed?
27:05Has he been aggressive?
27:06No, he's fine. He's been searched. He's got nothing.
27:08So they're not going to cuff you, but he'll sit in the back with you, okay?
27:14The guy had eight grams of cannabis, so he was just above the threshold.
27:18It's not in the public interest to take somebody to court for one gram above the threshold.
27:25So he was dealt with by way of a formal caution.
27:28So at the station, he was given a formal warning and he was released from custody.
27:33It's difficult in the fact that somebody's got to get locked up, taken to the station when he's barely above the threshold of giving him an informal warning.
27:45But I've got my job to do. And at the end of the day, there's lines in the sand.
27:49And when the lines in the sand are drawn and you cross them, then you get dealt with.
27:56Next time, there's a police raid to save some puppies.
28:00Hello, animal control. You need to come to the door now. We're going to make a forced entry.
28:04And a hunt for a rogue tour guide at a beauty spot.
28:08The person we're looking for is not her, so we can walk around and just see if it's done further.
28:35Next time.
28:38You can find it more.
28:42Bye-bye.
28:44You can find it more.
28:47I can find it more.
28:48I can find the police raid for a while I'm playing this new car.
28:56Bye-bye.
28:58Bye-bye.