The Opposition has accused Premier Ewart Brown of "playing games in the fight against crime" after news that his Government declined an offer of regular meetings with the Governor over crime.

But Dr. Brown stuck to his guns last night reiterating that he wants the Government to have operational control of policing and not meetings about it with the Governor.

"This is not a game. Public safety is a serious matter. We take it seriously," he stressed. "That is why we left no doubt with the UK Government that we must have operational control of Police. The people of Bermuda deserve no less."

At present, Governor Sir Richard Gozney has charge of policing on the Island, with operational control delegated to Commissioner of Police George Jackson. The arrangement has long been a controversial one, and Dr. Brown has repeatedly called on Government House to cede control of the service.

The latest debate over the topic was sparked by his comments in a national television address last Thursday when he said: "I now speak for Cabinet and all of Government when I state that we are deeply frustrated with the current approach to tackling crime. Constitutionally, we are hamstrung. We control the purse strings but have little or no say in how the fight is managed."

Responding to those comments on Friday, Sir Richard Gozney said he's keen to meet Government ministers and the Police leadership more frequently to discuss policing approaches and priorities. He revealed that he'd proposed a forum for such regular meetings but the Government has declined to take up the proposal.

He also said there are no plans for the status quo to change in terms of operational control of policing.

Yesterday afternoon, Shadow Minister for Public Safety Michael Dunkley said the Premier's claim his Government has "little or no say" does not appear truthful in the light of the Governor's offer of a regular forum.

Senator Dunkley also complained: "The Premier...is playing games in the fight against crime. Where his Government has been invited to participate directly in more discussions on policing he has opted out. Where the Governor has invited him to contribute ideas, the Premier has said his Government is blocked by the Constitution. The Premier has been feeding the people a line, and the sooner they call him on it the better."

He went on to claim: "What is really at play here is a too-clever political game to position the Government of Bermuda as powerless when it comes to public safety issues, absolving it of any responsibility in this crucial issue of Island life. The Premier's aim is to be able to point the finger of blame at the Governor, to avoid any political accountability for public safety. But the reality of the situation is that his government has very significant power to effect stronger, more effective law enforcement measures, through its control of the budget and the ever-present opportunity to speak directly with the Governor and the Police Commissioner, as the Government of the people of Bermuda and all that can mean."

But hitting back last night in response to Sen. Dunkley's criticism, Dr. Brown said: "This Government has taken strong steps to address serious crime. This Government will continue to do so as long as serious crime on our streets carries on its upward path. We know that an effective attack on crime results from a partnership with the Government, the Police and the citizens of Bermuda. The citizens of Bermuda hold us accountable for ensuring their safety. Their dollars pay for policing.

"We must be able to allocate budget to policing programmes and we will continue to do that. We must be able to pass legislation that affects crime and we will continue to do that. However, we must also be able to closely monitor policing programmes and change them, when necessary. That is what operational control means.

"We should not be hamstrung by having to go through a third party, the Governor. We are not in any way criticising the Governor. We simply believe that we must have direct operational control of policing, as happens in most modern jurisdictions. That way, we have complete responsibility for policing and Bermudians can hold us accountable for how we spend their hard-earned dollars."