Shadow Justice Minister Mark Pettingill last night described Government's idea for a US-style SWAT team to tackle gang violence as "nonsense" and "incredibly out of touch".

The Opposition MP said the Island had no need for a costly elite armed unit and that a focus on surveillance, community policing and beat bobbies would be a better solution.

He said Premier Ewart Brown's announcement on Friday that Government would explore the formation of a Bermuda SWAT(Special Weapons and Tactics) team was simply a "typically glitz and flash" sound bite designed to appease public concern about escalating violence among youths.

And he was highly critical of Governor Sir Richard Gozney for backing the idea and offering Government "silent support".

"If Britain is going to have any say then for God's sake have a sensible say," said Mr. Pettingill. "Britain is a waste of time if they are going to be like that.

"If Government House wants to stick its oar in and be sensible they should be suggesting we have a commission or review."

Mr. Pettingill told The Royal Gazette: "This ridiculous idea of a SWAT team in Bermuda is nothing short of incredulous."

SWAT teams are tactical response teams, usually in major cities. How many small towns, which is what we are, in the US have SWAT teams? The answer is zero.

"It's a joke. We are the laughing stock of other places when they see it. We just don't have that type of high-level threat."

The Shadow Attorney General added: "It's so typical of this Government in a show of trying to be effective to say 'look what we are doing'.

"But we don't have the need or necessity for a SWATteam."Bermuda already has an Emergency Response Team (ERT) with armed officers and Mr. Pettingill said that was sufficient.

"They can be armed, they are well trained. We don't need to escalate from that to a SWAT team.

"Our problem is on the street and in the neighbourhood there is not enough community policing.

"We have at least five officers a day assigned to our Premier, who is not in danger, but we don't have five officers assigned at any one time on the streets of Hamilton."

Dr. Brown said criminals engaging in gun activity should be aware that "our strongest stand yet against your senseless violence could be on the cards".

But Mr. Pettingill, a lawyer, said: "It's not a strong stand. It's a nonsensical stand.

"Strength can be very quiet and effective. What we need is Police officers getting out in our community and walking the beat with a good old-fashioned truncheon."

The United Bermuda Party politician said he welcomed Government's plans to make parents more responsible for their children's behaviour.

"I'm very pleased they are picking up our idea that I have advocated for a number of years," he said. "That's pleasing to see.

"But parental responsibility shouldn't be about 'we are going to lock you up as well'. It gives us the opportunity to get parents on the radar.

"A senior Police source told this newspaper they could see no reason for a SWAT team in Bermuda since ERT officers are already equipped with semi-automatic and automatic guns.

"It's difficult to see what else they have got in mind," said the source. "They could up the ante on their armed response team and have them with the weapons in locked containers in the vehicles and when control room authorises they could use the weapons as and when required.

"But the source questioned whether that was a useful way of getting to the heart of gang violence such as the drive-by shooting of Prince Edness in Hamilton a week ago.

The officer said surveillance and using overseas experts to crack down on the suppliers on the street was likely to be far more effective.

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