Meanwhile, we learned that Public Safety Minister Randy Horton recently told the Bermuda Sun that police will not be allowed to carry incapacitant sprays like CS gas, despite pleas by the Bermuda Police Association (BPA) to amend laws to make sprays legal for officers.

According to the report, Mr. Horton said, ăI donât like the sprays. There are other ways of addressing the problem.ä

Well, I suggest that, with the changes that are going on in Bermuda, Mr. Horton would best let officers know his ideas.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith, citing increased attacks on police officers, noted that he recently ămet with one of our very experienced officers who suffered a permanent eye injury as a result of an assault.ä

Well, I donât know how most Bermudians feel, but I donât like the thought that the people who are protecting us might not be adequately protected themselves.

Unfortunately, I havenât heard any agreements from local criminals that they will lay down their weapons, and we are kidding ourselves if we think the only weapons here are our kitchen silverware.

So why, when a community knows that police officers could be in jeopardy, would it seemingly fail to meet needs?

Unfortunately, studies of human behaviours have shown that there are psychological factors that contribute to thinking processes.

For example, thereâs something called the ăbase rate fallacy.ä This is a common failure of all of us to make use of information about the patterns and probabilities in the general population. Because we donât see danger every day ÷ like many of our officers likely do ÷ we see a safe environment.

Another factor is ăwhat comes to mind first.ä If youâve seen violence, that will be on your mind. But for the most part we donât see it.

A third factor is called ăthe false consensus effectä: thinking that others think as we do. People want to believe others agree with them because that makes them feel their own actions and judgments are correct. Also, it may be easier to notice and recall examples of people agreeing with us more than people disagreeing.

Another thinking pattern, called ăconformation biasä happens when people tend to seek out and recall things that support their beliefs more than things that donât.

However, for me the most important characteristic that differentiates humans are their levels of ăempathyä ÷ being able to understand how another might feel. And the best way for Bermudaâs ăcommunity managersä to find out how others feel is to listen. The police know what they face. I donât believe they want to carry a ăbig stickä just for the sake of power. Whether itâs pepper spray or another method of defence, I hope that our policemen get some help before someone else suffers injury ÷ or worse.