Police in Bermuda are battling against an increasing number of theft and robbery crimes that are the result of hard-up drug addicts desperate for their next fix.

Assistant Police Commissioner Carlton Adams said it was obvious to officers that a number of crimes on the Island were only happening because addicts were short of cash and looking for a quick result.

At a press briefing yesterday revealing the latest quarterly crime statistics, Mr. Adams said the need for drugs was pushing some people to crime, when they otherwise would have stayed on the right side of the law.

The total number of crimes for the period April to June this year was 659, which is down on the first three months of the year, but a little up on the same period last year.

The number of violent crimes, including murder, sexual assault, robbery and assault, at 67, was the second lowest for that period in five years. Last year it was 70, and the year before it was 113.

However, the total crimes of stealing for the three-months was 92 - up on the last two years. There were also 236 breaking and entering offences, which was up by 53 incidents on last year, and there were 264 removals of vehicles and bikes, which was slightly up on the same period last year.

Mr. Adams said: "I can't give a percentage, but I can say that the very nature of some of the crimes, such as breaking and entering and thefts, suggests that persons who are committing them are driven by a need to obtain cash to purchase drugs.

"When we see premises targeted and cash stolen, when other, more valuable items are ignored and left behind, it gives an indication of what the criminal's need was.

"The robberies are all about cash, but sometimes they are drug transactions gone wrong. Thefts from cars, quite often, are clearly motivated by a need for cash. People leave money or wallets in their cars, and they are taken while other, more valuable belongings are left behind."

Mr. Adams said the addicts wanted the cash to enable them to quickly buy drugs, as opposed to taking property, which they would then have to sell on.

"I definitely think there is a link between substance abuse and crimes of dishonesty," he added.

The problem of drugs in Bermuda was highlighted earlier this year when The Royal Gazette revealed that more drugs had been seized in the first three months of the year than the whole of last year.

And by the end of April this year, narcotics and Customs officers on the Island had seized a massive $12.4 million worth of drugs, mostly heroin and cocaine, in comparison with just a total of $7 million last year.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith has vowed to continue the campaign against drug-pushers and said he hoped the rest of this year would continue with the same positive seizure rate

.

He said that in the first six months of this year, seizures at the point of entry to Bermuda were up on the same period last year.

The seizures of cannabis were up seven times on the same period last year; heroin was up six times; and crack cocaine increased four-fold.

Mr. Smith said: "The service remains committed to working in partnership with the community and our work is mostly done by working with others.

"We wish to thank all of those citizens who continue to assist the service in many different ways."

Although there is a 11.9 percent increase in the total number of crimes this quarter on the same period last year, when compared to quarterly figures in general, the latest results do not stand out.

There have been 12 sexual assaults between April and June, but Mr. Adams said five people had already been brought before the courts, and other cases were being investigated with known suspects.

There was 24 incidents of stealing from a person during the second quarter, which was the highest by a big margin in five years. Last year for that period there were 17, but in 1996 and 1998, there were just ten.

And the ratio of house break-ins this year has risen from last year.

During 2000, there were on average 14.3 house break-ins per 1,000 properties. However, in the first quarter this year, that figure rose to 21.1 per 1,000, and in the last three months it has recorded 15.4 per 1,000, giving an average figure of 18.2 for the year to date.

The number of handbag snatches was down, believed to be as a direct result of Police operations to target the activities of suspects, leading to arrests.

Vehicle crimes for the year to date are 37.2 per 1,000 vehicles, up slightly on last year's average of 36.6 per 1,000.

The accident and collision rate for 2000 was 7.5 per day, with the number of injury accidents 2.79 a day.

The average collision rate for the second quarter this year was 8.3 per day, 3.4 per day with injuries.