Government officials and the Police will be meeting today to discuss what anti-crime legislation to put forward in February.

However, amendments to the double jeopardy laws to allow suspects to be retried for the same offence are unlikely to be included among the legislation.

Speaking at a meeting with the public at Crawl Gospel Hall last night, Public Safety Minister David Burch said that allowing repeated prosecutions for the same offence would put the poor at a disadvantage.

"What it is likely to do is be harmful to poor people who can barely afford one defence," he said. "The Crown can pay for many prosecutions.

"Instead, the Police must properly investigate and properly prosecute to make sure cases do not get thrown out on a technicality."

The Senator also took the opportunity to say that while Government House and the Government had been in conflict in the past, the parties are now on the same page.

"It is a relationship that is built on mutual trust," he said. "We see it as a partnership. We need to work together."

The meeting was the third in a series organised by the PLP to allow Government officials and the Police to speak directly to the public.

"We wanted to do this because we want to get the information across directly, without a filter," said Sen. Burch.

"Some of the things that are going on will not make it to you, you won't hear about it from the media or from me, and that's deliberate. We don't want to give the criminal element the heads up."

Among the steps that were discussed, however, were the recent training seminar with the FBI, bringing UK Police officers to the Island and future collaborations with the New York Police Department (NYPD).

"What assistance will be offered to the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) by the NYPD has yet to be determined," he said. "That will be determined by the NYPD and the BPS."

Following the recent capture of Omari Gordon, who was sought by Police for 13 months in relation to a shooting, Sen. Burch expressed optimism that the Island has turned a corner.

"He was arrested because someone pricked on him, to use the common expression," he said. "I'm hoping that we've finally decided we've had enough."

Area MP Derrick Burgess stressed that while some of Bermuda's youth are involved in gang activity, those who are involved in the gun activity are a minority, and that the youth not involved in negative activities should be encouraged.

"We must not forget the young folks that are making positive steps in the community. When you see them, you need to give them praise," said Mr. Burgess.

Representing the Bermuda Police Service's Community Policing Division, Superintendent Martin Weekes said that even among gang members, those involved with gun activity are a minority.

"A lot of these people got into gangs because they wanted to look tough, but now they're afraid someone's going to shoot them, and they're scared," he said.

Superintendent Weekes said that Police had made a number of arrests related to firearms charges, but said that the Police still needed the help of the community.

"If you tell us that there's a problem you want to sort out, you give us somewhere to focus," he said. "Some of the problems we've managed to fix with simple things."