Bermudians Against Narcotics today hit out at Government?s drug policy ? and claimed pledges to stamp out crack houses had so far come to nothing.

BAN organiser, Takbir Sharrieff , said lip service was being paid to the battle against narcotic dealers. ?In November they promised a number of things, none of which they have delivered,? he said.

?They said there would be 37 cameras put around the Island and a number of them would be on Court Street by December. ?They said that the same time cameras were in place there would be beat police patrolling Court Street.

?Later in The Royal Gazette, Attorney General Larry Mussenden identified 17 crack houses and said they would be shut down. To date we do not know if he has closed them down. I doubt he has.?

In an interview in November, Mr. Mussenden said the crack houses would be reclaimed and turned into affordable housing for Bermudians.

A Police source yesterday said there was no indication anything would be done about the crack houses in the near future and the pronouncement smacked of politicians ?speaking with forked tongues?.

The source added: ?There is nothing I can see, no priority on this side of the pond. I haven?t seen any operations being put together unless it is something top secret.?

Attempts to contact Mr. Mussenden were unsuccessful yesterday.

Shadow minister for Public Safety, Michael Dunkley, echoed Mr. Sharrieff?s criticism.

?There?s not a war on drugs right now ? there is a war of words ? and the crack houses are a prime example,? he said.

?If you asked a local cop they could tell you where 50 crack houses are, they drive by them every day. And yet they are still there a month after the Attorney General said 17 would be shut down.?

Mr. Sharrieff said lack of action is exemplified by Government?s refusal to pass mandatory drug testing for all MPs.

?It?s very disconcerting because it illustrates they are not serious about drugs,? he said.

?There is a credibility issue here that is very important. With the Government it?s ?do as I say, not as I do? and we are totally against that type of attitude.?

Mr. Sharrieff criticised avoidance of this issue and he said it was wrong that Government could make it mandatory for bus drivers and sportsmen to be drug tested but refuse to monitor fellow MPs.

Mr. Sharrieff reiterated BAN?s commitment to ?stamp out the scourge of drugs? on the Island and added the group was still planning a ?high impact? picket in front of House of Assembley

He would not be drawn into a time frame regarding the picket and would not comment on whether it would be held before House of Assembly reconvenes in March.

He urged conscientious Bermudians to join his group when the public protest started. The picket would not heavily rely on numbers and would still be high impact if few people turned up, added the anti-drugs campaigner.

Mr Sharrieff added: ?Mandatory testing would be the first step in showing us they (Government) are serious.?