A Parliamentary joint select committee will be set up to look into the causes of the increase in violent crime on the Island.

PLP backbencher Randy Horton put forth a motion in the House of Assembly last month, calling for the establishment of a committee.

The motion was approved unopposed with support on both sides of the House.

Mr. Horton said: “Bermuda is seeing an unprecedented rise in crime and violence. In my constituency, we had a murder a couple of weeks ago and then we had reports of gun shots just a couple of nights ago.

“We have had a total of six murders and when we look at them, Perry Puckerin, James Lawes, Kimwandae Walker, George Lynch, Dekimo Martin and Freddy Maybury, what do these men have in common?

”These men have all suffered the brutality in the senseless firearms which has snuffed way their lives. The violence in this Country has gone to the point where you have residents moving around feeling unsafe.”

Mr. Horton’s motion asked ‘That pursuant to part IV of the Parliamentary Act 1957 a parliamentary select committee be appointed to inquire into the rise of violent crime and gun violence in Bermuda, to inquire into the causes of violent crime and gun violence in Bermuda, to report on the findings and make recommendations to the House of Assembly so that concrete actions can be taken in a reasonable time and that the report be tabled by the first sitting of Parliament 2011.’

The House of Assembly is to appoint the committee, which will deal specifically with crime and violence, Mr. Horton said on Friday.

“What we are looking at is the community being able to bring together all of the information that’s being discussed today.”

It was said the other day that people don’t have to go to prison in Bermuda to be in prison.

”When you look at the fact that there’s some young men who may live in Somerset and can’t go to St. George’s for fear of being attacked.

”The soaring murder rate is part of the broader picture of lawlessness in our Country clear disrespect of other people and disrespect for the law.

“The question is how much damage is this doing to Bermuda in several ways? If you look at Bermuda in relation to what takes place in other countries, it’s still safe. We’re in the seventh month of the year and we have had six murders.”

Mr. Horton said the murder rate was too high and was making people feel unsafe on a daily basis. “What I am proposing is that we move in this House to come together to listen to the various organisations and the public in order to come up with the solution that I think can help us deal with some of the issues that we have as it relates to crime in this Country.

“It’s really a shame when we look at Bermuda, the Bermuda that all of us grew up in. We have come together many times in this House to talk about this issue of crime and violence and I feel in my heart and I am very passionate about the fact that a select committee of parliamentarians [drawn] with the wisdom of both sides of this House, can come together as a committee to listen to what others have to say.”

Deputy Opposition leader Trevor Moniz said: “The situation here is that this select committee has been mooted before. We on this side have supported the idea. We on this side support this motion and we look forward to a committee being formed.”

Shawn Crockwell of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance said his party also supported the motion.

”We recognise that as one of the highest authorities in this Country, we have a responsibility to tackle the issues that are concerning this society. Crime right now is the number one issue that we need to tackle. I applaud the honourable member. We support it wholeheartedly.”