Eustace Bernard dies at home

Eustace Bernard, retired Commissioner of Police died at his Fairways, Maraval home around 1.30 pm on Saturday.

He had been ailing for the past year and was bedridden. The 89-year-old Bernard served as Commissioner from 1971 to 1973 and received training in policing in the United Kingdom. On his retirement, Tony May took over as Commissioner. Yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Everald Snaggs said that Bernard will be sadly missed because of his wealth of knowledge and his contribution to the upliftment of the police service.

Other senior officers noted that Bernard could be considered one of the strongest Commissioners ever in the police service. He was the first Commissioner who came through the ranks from constable and moved to Commissioner. Other Commissioners moved to that post after joining the service at a senior rank. He was also a disciplinarian and spent his years as Commissioner trying to improve the service. Frequently this approach landed him in trouble with the ranks of the police service for example, when he suspended a female police officer when she was pregnant and unmarried. His decision to suspend the WPC was overruled by the Police Service Commission.

In 1973, he took strong objection to two calypsos by Lord Shorty entitled “Indrani” and “The art of making love”, and thought that Shorty should have been prosecuted. The Carnival Development Committee was charged for allowing him to sing at the Dimache Gras show but those charges were dropped. He had clashes with the police associations, and also clashed with Inspector Arnead of the police Second Division in the Boysie Singh case, which he played a major role in cracking the murder case, and also played  major roles in the New Street murder case, and the 1946 Waterfront and Oilfield strike. Bernard was also a qualified lawyer. He was able to secure leave from the service and went to England where he completed his law studies. The period of his absence was marked by the Black Power and Army mutiny in the city.

During his absence, retired Commissioner Tony May acted for him and on his return in 1971 he was appointed as Commissioner. He was part of the Ellis Clarke Technical Team which was appointed by former President Hassanali to do a report on the reform of the police service. In that report, Bernard’s contribution was described as meaningful. He was also a serving member of the Police Service Commission. Other senior officers said yesterday that when Bernard retired as Commissioner, he was always called upon to give advice to other Commissioners of police. He was described as very colonial and funeral arrangements are yet to be finalised. He was married to Nydia and she pre-deceased him some years ago. He wrote a book in 1991 called  Against the Odds.