Bermuda but the Narcotics division of the Bermuda Police Service has been boosted to cope with this problem.

And as the Service becomes civilianised to a greater degree, more officers will be shifted to narcotics.

Community Affairs Minister Sen. Yvette Swan made these statements during her overview of the Ministry of Home Affairs during the budget debate in the Upper House.

She said the Bermuda Police Service was targeting the big drug dealers as well as smaller distributors in their attempt to curb the drug menace.

It was commonly known that cruise ships were responsible for much of the drugs that entered the Island. Consequently officers had shifted their attention to the ships and their workers.

The recent visit of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Police inspector general Lionel Grundy, who carried out an inspection of the local service while he was in Bermuda, had shown that morale has improved.

She said that in the long term the Bermuda Police Service must be run by Bermudians but in the short term the local service must work in tandem with other agencies outside the Island so that Bermudian officers can get the needed experience.

The Parish constable scheme has seen an increase in officers from 14-25 and the school liaison programme was involved with both primary and middle school children.

Sen. Swan said the Reserve Police was now 122-strong persons and was well on its way to meeting its 150-officer target.

Turning to the Department of Defence, Sen. Swan said the Bermuda Regiment cadet corps was now in five public schools and one private school.

The Regiment went to Jamaica for its overseas training which involved the soldiers doing a 70-mile march over 12 days.

The opening of the Clearwater Station means that all corners of the Island will be serviced in less than 15 minutes in the event of a large fire or other emergency.

She said the Fire Service was 100 percent Bermudianised with a low turnover of men and women.

Meanwhile she said the Immigration Department was working on the Green Paper on the issue of long term residents and intended to have it debated in the next session of Parliament.

Sen. Milton Scott (PLP), said it was important to collectively come together to resolve labour problems.

On the Police, Sen. Scott said he believed low morale was still an issue in the Service and he demanded an explanation for the redundancy of former Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Perinchief.

He commended the work of the Bermuda Regiment and in particular its commanding officer, Lt. Col. David Burch.

But he said he was alarmed to discover that 40 percent of conscripts were jobless and he suggested they could be put to work providing security at the Base lands.

Public safety also comes under the Labour and Home Affairs Ministry and Sen.

Scott said the most pressing public safety issue was child safety.

"The statistics for sexual abuse are alarming and it is time we enhanced the services of the agencies involved with our young people.'' Sen. Scott added: "The notion that the PLP is soft on crime is just that, a notion. It is a political ploy to undermine the public's perception of the PLP.'' Sen. Walwyn Hughes (Ind) said the public was pleased with the strengthening of the Police Service and changes resulting in falling crime.

"The Ministry works hard at its job and has some wonderful civil servants who deserve a great deal of credit.'' Sen. Larry Scott (UBP) spoke on the issue of morale within the Police Service saying a few officers might be discontent, but morale was good.

"Everyone admits that the Service was in disarray and when it is in disarray there was bad morale,'' he said. "Now our officers are saying there is a structure in place and we are seeing less of the discontent.'' Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) praised the work of the Police Service and in particular Commissioner Colin Coxall.

"I hear less criticism now and more support from the public who recognise that good things are taking place,'' he said.

But he said he was still concerned at labour relations, saying Government waited until there was some confrontation before deciding legislation was needed.

"Industrial relations have been simmering for a number of years now. We have been lulled into a false sense of security,'' said Sen. Oughton.

Senate President Albert Jackson said he was pleased to see an increase in the labour and training budget.

But he added: "We should be concerned about the need to recruit and prepare Bermudians to carry on the activities which are very much part of our economy.

"It is a matter of very real concern that one can walk into a hotel dining room or restaurant and not see Bermudian faces,'' he said.

POLICE POL