Former Police Commissioner Lennett "Lennie'' Edwards has said it is time the black community shouldered its share of the responsibility for Bermuda's drugs problem.

Mr. Edwards spoke out after the Pembroke Hamilton Club (PHC) closed its doors for most activities after Police raided its Warwick premises for drugs last weekend.

In a letter to The Royal Gazette he praised the actions of PHC President Chris Furbert for trying to tackle the drugs problem around the Middle Road club but he said the closure was evidence the dealers were winning.

Mr. Edwards said sport clubs and working men's clubs were important for the community, but he said white establishments did not have the same problems.

"Some years ago, one of our dynamic political leaders asserted that something was wrong with young black men in this society,'' he said.

But Mr. Edwards noted: "The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton doesn't appear to have the problem that PHC is facing.

"The Coral Beach and Tennis Club, The Mid-Ocean Golf Club and many others do not appear to have the problem that Southampton Rangers and the Somerset Cricket Club are facing on a daily basis.

"When their members and guests park their vehicles and walk up to their club premises they do not have to parade through a gauntlet of drug dealers, badgering them to buy illicit goods.

"We, as blacks, -- and accept it or not it is our problem -- still do not respect each other.

"For far too long, whenever a problem appears, we have always found an excuse to rid ourselves of it.

"The blame game, i.e. `Those boys on the street are only fronting for the rich white men, why don't the Police go after them?''' "If they are fronting for the other man, then he has more brains than our young folk.'' "This is a problem, a huge problem and it has to be dealt with, not with excuses but realistic, truthful solutions.'' Lennett Edwards