Junior Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban yesterday pledged to stay tough on crime to combat soaring levels of violence as he delivered his speech on Policing as part of the Budget debate.

"There will be no backdown on the crackdown," said Mr. Roban in an apparent reference to Bermuda Police Service's zero tolerance approach following the Christmas shootings which claimed the life of Aquil Richardson and left two men in hospital with gunshot wounds.

Echoing calls for people with information about the crimes to break their silence and help Police catch the killers, Mr. Roban also said: "No witnesses: no justice."

He spoke as he explained the Serious Crime Unit would receive $2.3 million in this year's Budget — more than double the $1.1 million allocated last year.

According to the Budget, total crimes for the first three quarters of 2007 were 107.5 per 1,000 of the population — up from 98.3 per 1,000 for the whole of 2006.

Violent crimes were 5.2 per 1,000 for the first three quarters of 2007, compared with 4.9 per 1,000 for all 2006.

Housebreakings and burglaries were 32.9 per 1,000 homes for the first three quarters of 2007, compared with 15.9 per 1,000 for all 2006.

And thefts of motorcycles was 40.1 per 1,000 registered cycles for the first three quarters of 2007, compared with 35.7 per 1,000 for all 2006.

It is difficult to draw many conclusions from the Police section of the Budget as cash for some projects falls into different categories to last year. The overall Police Budget is $62.8 million.

Mr. Roban said aims included increasing the number of officers, cracking down on drug sellers and making arrests in neighbourhoods plagued by drugs.

Shadow Works Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin expressed concern over the burglary statistics.

"For sure, nobody wants to know that their home has been broken into," said Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin, a three-time burglary victim.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin applauded Mr. Roban's words on witnesses speaking out and the crackdown on crime.

Shadow Attorney General Mark Pettingill said he was astounded that no further funds had been found for CCTV, which he said would help Police do their job.

The war against drugs will be aided by $422,000 by the new Police sniffer dogs team, which will also include five staff.

Mr. Pettingill gave support to this old fashioned method and said criminals had better watch out at airports as Bermudian narcotic dogs are "pretty hot to trot".

United Bermuda Party MP Trevor Moniz complained that there is currently no Police station in St. George's and a "crumbling edifice" in Hamilton.

He said work on both buildings needed to be speeded up if Bermuda wanted to attract more Police officers.

Progressive Labour Party backbencher Walter Lister argued manpower was more important than the physical buildings.

Opposition Leader Kim Swan said his hometown of St. George's needed a better Police presence, but praised the efforts of one Policeman, who he named only as "RoboCop".

Mr. Swan said "RoboCop" was like four Police officers rolled into one.

PLP MP Michael Scott said new technology would help get on top of crime and create a more successful Police force, which would in turn make people more likely to join.