With another stabbing this weekend, it is clear that Bermuda is still struggling to end violent crime. The Police and the authorities need all the support they can get from the community in this because the Island is faced with two alternatives. Success will lead to stability and safety while failure will lead to fear and anarchy.

In that context, the measures announced last week by the Police and Public Safety Minister David Burch are welcome. The addition of trained firearms officers and analysts should be helpful, as should the provision of advice from the New York City Police Department and the FBI. To some extent, the notification of US authorities of persons of interest travelling to the US may be useful, although it is surprising that this is not done already.

Today, the Police are scheduled to announce a long-awaited policy on the use of Tasers, which should give officers on the patrol some confidence. But none of these measures go to the heart of the problem, which is actually solving the crimes on the ground, bringing charges and securing convictions. And that is the greatest concern right now. While some individuals were charged last week in connection with the shooting incident at the RAA Club over the Easter weekend, most other violent crimes remain unsolved.

Altering bail conditions so that persons of interest cannot leave the Island, as has happened in at least one notorious case, will help there, as would an extension on how long suspects can be held in custody without charge. This is particularly important in gun crime cases because the Police do not have adequate forensic crime facilities on the Island for ballistics.

At the same time, the idea that inmates should be sent abroad to tougher prisons should be junked. If Westgate is perceived as being too soft, then the answer is to make it tougher. However, actually ensuring that prisoners serve their full sentences rather than the current one-third after which many are released would be a true deterrent. In part, the Police's problems are due to the continued reluctance of witnesses to come forward with evidence. But it also suggests that Police intelligence on the ground and within the gangs is poor.

To that end, this newspaper welcomes the proposals from the Opposition United Bermuda Party that Bermuda should look seriously at adopting the Ceasefire programme. This newspaper has written about it at length. It is one of the few programmes dealing with gangs that seems to have had lasting success and has been used in cities including Boston, Indianapolis, High Point, North Carolina, Glasgow, Scotland and Chicago. On that note it was surprising and disappointing that when asked about it, Sen. Burch appeared not to have heard of it. However, it is good to see that Government House, the Government and the Police now seem to be singing from the song sheet. The challenge of the crime wave is such that there is no room for partisanship, and that means that no one has a monopoly on good ideas.