A gang interventionist insisted yesterday that Bermuda's gangsters "definitely want peace" but said it couldn't happen without Government funding for mediation.

Pastor Leroy Bean, founder of anti-gang group CARTEL, told The Royal Gazette: "I just left a meeting with one of the kingpins that really wants peace. They definitely, definitely want peace.

"The word they used is forgiveness — they would like forgiveness. They would like people to forgive and they would like peace."

Attorney General Kim Wilson said at the weekend she supported the idea of a civilian mediation scheme to try to dispel gang rivalries but did not think such an initiative needed legislation.

Pastor Bean agreed, arguing: "It's impossible to legislate mediation. I do think it's a vital tool in solving the problem but to legislate it is a difficult thing.

"It's a choice. When people come into a group setting for mediation, it's a personal choice they are making. How could you legislate that?"

But he said Government needed to provide funds to help other agencies finance a mediation programme.

He said CARTEL had never received a penny from Government to assist its efforts to resolve the disputes fuelling gun violence on the Island and educate youngsters about the repercussions of gang involvement.

"I do believe that Government has a responsibility to support these groups," he said. "I have brought in ex-gang members of both [US gangs] Crips and Bloods and I haven't got any support yet from any government organisation.

"It's not really expensive — it might cost $20,000 or $30,000. I'm doing it for the Island in general."

Pastor Bean claimed Government was "putting the horse before the cart" by passing tough new laws to deal with gun suspects.

"I'm not knocking the efforts that Government are making towards legislation but before you get to any punitive measure you must first step up the normal protocol that needs to be set: therapeutic intervention, mediation, education.

"These things are very important in order to get to that next level. What I think they are doing is doing it reversed."

He said harsher penalties would only lead to a cleverer breed of criminal. "Now he has to go back to the drawing board to see how he is going to beat the legislation.

"We automatically make people smarter when we go for punitive action, rather than therapeutic action. I think that it's an upside down approach."

And the pastor cautioned against too many groups getting involved in attempts at mediation and making their efforts public. "The more people you get involved, the more distrust comes along from the gang members.

"You are going to turn them off. It becomes a public display, rather than something that's genuine."

The Ministries of Social Rehabilitation and Public Safety declined to comment on Monday on whether Government would lead efforts to start a mediation programme, as suggested by Youth on the Move president Carlton Simmons.

Senator Wilson is on leave and could not be reached for comment.