Witness protection legislation, a fully-staffed Police Support Unit (PSU), speed cameras, and extended CCTV service are all in place or in the pipeline as Government continues its efforts to grapple with crime.

As for concerns that the installation of the new cameras may indicate Bermuda is approaching a Police state, Public Safety Minister Randy Horton said that was always a concern ? but that Government must balance that concern with the "situation in Bermuda that we do need to address".

At a Press conference yesterday both Mr. Horton and Premier Alex Scott called on the public to do their part in the war against drugs and crime. "We need support from every single individual in this country," Mr. Horton said.

"The Police can't do it on their own."

That included Mr. Horton's Shadow counterpart Maxwell Burgess, who, Mr. Horton said, "no doubt in a desperate and cheap bid to gain political advantage, fuels the public's uncertainty by irresponsibly and dishonestly accusing the Government of complacency with respect to law and order.

"Nothing can be further from the truth."

As for Mr. Burgess's call for a foreign expert on gangs to work with the Police Service, Mr. Horton said he found it "ironic" that the Opposition was demanding a foreign expert.

With the nightmarish disappearance of the Cooper twins creating "a climate of uncertainty and unease", and the "unfortunate but growing perception that the Bermuda Police Service is not doing enough to counter the increase in certain categories of crime", Mr. Horton strove to assure Bermudians that both the BPS and Government are relentless in their efforts.

Recapping the 2004 Selected Crime Reports released in February, Mr. Horton noted there was a 14.07 percent decrease in the total crime figures.

However he noted with concern that the rates for violent crime in 2004 did increase slightly over 2003. Though the increase was marginal, he said it may affect the overall perception of crime. "When one thing happens, it raises your attention."

In the 2005/06 Budget Government boosted the Police's resources by providing for a fully-manned 22-member PSU of specialist officers trained to deal with violent offenders, and yesterday Mr. Horton said all those officers were in place.

The focus will remain on known gang members and their associates, he said, as the PSU spends their weekends targeting areas in the North of Hamilton, Front Street, and many others around the Island.

Since 2001 more than 3,000 arrests have been made by the PSU with officers from the Island's three Police stations working to complement their efforts. The firm establishment of the 22-man PSU "sharpens the Service's ability to respond promptly to outbreaks of disorder, to provide extra visible patrols and presence at large gatherings such as soccer matches and concerts, and to provide targeted responses to drugs and disorder problems at street level".

Resources are also periodically drawn into the Serious Crime Unit, particularly when faced with situations such as that befalling the Cooper twins, said Mr. Horton ? taking the chance to appeal once more to the public for information regarding the disappearance of 20-year old Jahmil and Jahmal, either by calling the Police or the confidential Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.

The Police Service continues to target crime hotspots, Mr. Horton said, as well as consistently recommend to the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that they object to bail in court. "The BPS began to see an association between the incarceration of several well-known repeat offenders ? either on remand or following conviction ? and a commensurate reduction in offences in this category," Mr. Horton explained.

BPS officers will also be able to attend training courses in a number of areas in 2005, including drugs and street gang enforcement, criminal intelligence analysis, criminal investigative techniques, and others.

Government is looking at boosting technological resources as well. A task force has been established to consider the extension of closed circuit television cameras (CCTV), already placed in most of the City of Hamilton, to Court Street and Pitts Bay Road, Mr. Horton said.

Meanwhile Police are continuing their efforts in traffic enforcement with ongoing consultation "with respect to the early introduction" of speed-detection cameras. "We cannot accept the situation where careless driving on the part of one individual endangers the safety of others," Mr. Horton said, noting the fourth road fatality of the year, Brian Hughes, yesterday. "We can ill afford to lose another life on our roads because of excessive speeding or disregard for other rules of the road."

Closing by calling again for the support of the community, Mr. Horton noted the reluctance on the part of the public to give evidence for fear of retribution. "In the very near future the Government will be introducing witness protection legislation designed to provide comfort to those who might be wary about coming forward with information," he said.