The United Bermuda Party is calling for Government to get a grip on spiralling crime which it says is eroding Bermuda's way of life.

First quarter statistics showed robberies 50 percent higher than the same time last year while there were 135 burglaries in April alone. UBP spokeswoman Gina Spence-Farmer said: "Senior officers say it was one of the worst months in living memory. Burglaries are now occurring at a rate of three a day.

"I believe what we are witnessing is a major challenge to Bermuda's way of life, where the kinds of things we see on our streets are the kinds of things we used to see on television happening in major US cities.

"Just last week a school with hundreds of children was locked down while Police chased after armed men. Is this our Bermuda?"

Shadow Minister for Public Safety Michael Dunkley said violent crime was now at its highest point since Police record-keeping began. He said: "Bermuda's way of life is at a crossroads. We are moving from a relatively safe society to a society that is more violence prone and more dangerous for law-abiding citizens.

"The advance of crime is felt in every parish, in every household."

He said burglaries are now occurring at twice the rate they were in 2000 and robberies are happening at more than twice the rate they occurred in the late 1990s. Asked about the underlying reasons for rising crime he pointed to the declining education system and the breakdown of the family.

"It will be a gradual process to turn that around and we will need to work very hard and take it very seriously but it is worth doing because, if we don't do it, it will get worse."

However, he argued the lack of Police sometimes had a direct correlation to rising crime with people taking a chance on speeding or driving drunk because there was so little chance of getting caught, other than the odd crackdown.

The United Bermuda Party has long been calling for the Police Service to hire more officers.

"They have been seriously undermanned for too long, and it is no doubt the reason for the exhaustion we keep hearing about," said Mr. Dunkley.

"It is our understanding the Service is more than 10 percent below strength. This must end."

The police have 477 budgeted posts but many posts are unfilled.

In April, Public Safety Minister David Burch said more than 100 candidates from the Caribbean had been selected to join the Bermuda Police Service to help cover the manpower shortfall.

But Mr. Dunkley said he was concerned that there wasn't a push to get British officers.

"I get the sense he is only looking in the Caribbean.

"Maybe that's one of the reasons it is taking so long to get people because we are not casting our net wide enough. I have no problem with searching the Caribbean and bringing people in — but we can't wait forever."

Recently Sen. Burch said Police compensation was high enough to encourage locals to join and stay in the service as well as entice overseas recruits.

He said the private sector would always lure away people with the offer of higher salaries and the trick was to get people who had a love of Policing and didn't think of it as just a job.

But Mr. Dunkley said Police pay was lower than other public services and needed to be raised.

Budget figures show the starting salaries of a Police Constable is $45,624 while the lowest prison officer start at $47,992 and the lowest ranking firefighter stars at $51,634.

Mr. Dunkley said a panel of experts was needed to work out a fair compensation package for Police.

"Police are doing their best under very trying circumstances. Conversations with officers indicate that the undermanned Service at virtually every level is exhausted from working longer hours.

"In the face of criminal acts and the lack of Police manpower on the streets, the uncomfortable feeling is taking hold among people that they are to a large extent on their own.

"The Bermuda public needs to know that this Government gets the seriousness of the crime situation. Right now, there is no direction, no leadership. People want action."

The Royal Gazette understands Police top brass have brought in an overtime ban after instituting longer shifts a few months ago.

But there is unhappiness among officers wanting to work more hours that reserve Police are being used, even though they lack training.