reduce costs related to illegal drugs

Several years ago, I did a quick cost analysis for the detection, arrest, a trial, and housing at Westgate, and I suggested the following to the Government:

Pay the local police at airports in the US, Canada, and the UK to bring in drug-sniffing dogs to inspect the checked bags and do a walkthrough of the boarding area at the departure airport.  Catch people BEFORE they come to Bermuda.  Let arrests occur in those countries and avoid expending costs and resources in Bermuda.  The cost savings were HUGE!  (Westgate alone in 2020/2021 cost $152,620 per inmate.  (See below)  Add in the cost per case associated with BPS, Customs, lawyers, and the cost of the trail, etc.  $300,000 minimum overhead expense per case).  Pick a number for the social cost and damages of illegal drugs to Bermuda - priceless.

One person sentenced to 2 to 5 years on drug charges estimated cost to taxpayers:

• $305,240 to $763,100 Westgate prison cost
• $605,240 to $1,063,100 including $300k for pre-Westgate cost overhead

Contracting drug-sniffing dog sweeps annually should not cost anywhere near that expense, frees up Bermuda resources to focus on other things, and saves taxpayers money.

Let the other countries deal with drug smugglers at their airports since they have been letting the drugs come through in the first place.  The Government can also do it with the cruise lines at the ports of departure.  I would go with the airports first, as local police are already there every day with dogs.  

APPROVED ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR 2022/23 P B-280 2022/23 Estimate Department of Corrections $22,893,000. 

P B-282 The capacity of Westgate is 372 inmates.

The average daily number of inmates forecast:

2020/2021 average daily number actual  - 150 or 40.32% of capacity

$22,893,000 / 150 = $152,620 (not using the Average total cost of incarceration per inmate per annum based on a maximum capacity of  $74,004)

Crickets....