Shadow Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott yesterday scorned Police figures suggesting crime across Bermuda has nosedived.

And he accused Police Commissioner Colin Coxall of "turning his position into a political post''.

Mr. Scott understood Policemen were asked to find statistics to put the Service in a good light.

"In my experience the public just do not find it credible crime is falling in Bermuda.

"People are going to rely less and less on Mr. Coxall's reports.'' He added: "He is doing a disservice by continually releasing such selective crime statistics.'' Mr. Scott's outburst follows Police figures showing crime in the Central Parishes -- the City of Hamilton, Paget, Pembroke and Devonshire -- has plummeted in the first six months of the year.

Police also claim crime in the east and west ends has dropped dramatically, although no figures for these areas has been officially released.

According to their figures for the Central Parishes, house, store and office break-ins have plunged by more than 60 percent compared to 1995.

And murder, robbery, assault and handbag-snatching also went down by 38 percent.

Only one category -- stealing from individuals -- increased, going up ten per cent.

Assistant Police Commissioner Harold Moniz linked the crime fall to Mr.

Coxall's shake-up of the Service.

"We have been keeping a very close eye on the Central Division,'' he said.

"When the reorganisation of the Police Service began, it seemed that this was the area where the most rapid growth in crime had occurred and it was the area we concentrated on when we refined our deployment of personnel.

"Now it is the area where crime is showing the most dramatic decreases and we are delighted by this sign that our anti-crime measures are paying off.'' Yesterday, however, Mr. Scott was less than impressed.

"When Mr. Coxall uses selective statistics he tends to undermine what may be good Police work.'' Mr. Scott said figures may show certain crime is going down -- for the moment.

But he added: "If you revisit the statistics from previous months, those particular figures are up again.

"At any given moment there is an ebb and flow and that's why you take figures over ten-year periods, so you can make a categorical statement about crime.'' Scott scorns crime figures Mr. Scott said significant crime swings in some areas could be caused by one or two individuals.

And this was a point which Mr. Moniz had highlighted. "Those individuals, however, cannot have an impact if you look at the crime figures over one, three or five-year periods.

"For example purse-snatching is probably up this month, although previously Mr. Coxall reported it was down. We need to look at it over a longer period.'' Mr. Scott said Policemen had told him they had been asked to find statistics suggesting crime was down. "Police officers find it off-putting when they are asked to do this. You notice Mr. Coxall doesn't report on statistics which have gone up, like those for drug activity.'' Police figures, continued Mr. Scott, also showed theft from hotels remained unchanged, with ten cases reported in the first six months of both years.

"I think `remains the same' is a catchword for saying crime is up in this area.'' Mr. Scott believed Mr. Coxall was using figures to answer his critics.

"I believe he is very sensitive to criticism.''