Club and bar owners across the Island have suggested the Bermuda Regiment help to Police the Island's streets at night in a bid to stem the growing incidents of violence and illegal behaviour among young people.

A number of business owners, primarily from the City of Hamilton, met on Thursday with Police and fire officials after claiming they could take no more trouble from drink and drug-soaked youths.

They said they were fearing for Bermuda's tourist trade once the cruise ship season begins in April, and said they were tired of hearing that the Police Service was undermanned.

Rick Olson, owner of The Beach bar on Front Street, said although he had not lost trade, he was concerned that good custom would be lost because of increasing trouble at the Island's night spots.

"I would say the problem is becoming increasingly worse and has been very noticeable over the last couple of months," said Mr. Olson.

"It's a big problem because it stops good patrons from patronising Front Street. We don't want to make a bad impression in front of the tourists, but right now it's not a good scene at all.

"We have to sympathise with the Police because they are understaffed, but we are fed up of hearing that excuse. I have suggested that if they are understaffed then they should call on the Regiment to help out."

Mr. Olson said it would only take two teams of regiment soldiers patrolling around the City centre to quell any brewing trouble.

The meeting was held on Thursday following two riots on Front Street this year, along with a number of other incidents, and it concluded with the bar owners handing a list of recommendations and suggestions to Police.

They are hoping they are passed on to Government and senior Police officials. But Mr. Olson said although the club owners were hoping to set up an association and introduce a number of new measures themselves, he did not believe anything else would alter outside of that.

He added: "I can't see this problem being addressed by the Police because they need help. They will have to have their budget increased and be given more manpower. I don't have much confidence in the system."

Delvin Bean, owner of Champion's nightclub on Reid Street, said among the recommendations were some aimed at stepping up Police presence and better equipping officers to deal with violent individuals.

"The violence is so high, right now, it's unbelievable," said Mr. Bean, who was himself seriously attacked outside his own club two weeks ago.

"There are many reasons for it; one of them is parenting and the fact that both parents and individuals don't seem to take any responsibility.

"And, yes, there is a link to drugs. But people are just getting a slap on the wrist. More needs to be done if the Island is to get a handle on this."

Mr. Bean said he believed that if club owners formed an association they could share information, have better communication and ensure that they all worked towards the same goal.

He said that could well include introducing a uniform dress code for all clubs and bars, banning people from all premises, instead of just one, and forming a communication network if troublemakers are known to be out in town.

Mr. Bean, who also runs a club security business, said the meeting was called, initially, to discuss the issue of violence and the Police response to incidents.

It came after a Hamilton club experienced a disturbance a couple of weeks ago, where staff claimed they had to wait 20 minutes for Police to turn up.

But Mr. Bean said when officers did arrive, three of the four officers sent to the scene were female and he claimed they were not as effective as they might have been.

"Subsequently, some suggestions were made to officers attending the meeting, one of which was that officers be armed with stun guns, which they could attach to their belts, so female officers could be more comfortable and safe, then people may have more respect for them," added Mr. Bean.

"I feel the Police are not doing their job properly, but, in a way, I can see that they can only do so much with the resources they have. Quite often Police attend but then say they can't prosecute because they did not see the incident, when there were other people there who saw it.

"They just don't want to prosecute a lot of the time, but people causing the trouble don't give the Police any respect because they know they just get a slap on the wrist."

However, Mr. Bean said he also suggested that a 10 p.m. curfew be put in place across the Island for people under the age of 18, as many of those causing the trouble are very young.

Among the people at the meeting on Thursday was the owners and management from Docksiders, Club 40, The Beach, Flanagan's, Ozone, Captain's Lounge and Spring Garden, as well as some other clubs from Dockyard and the East End. They now plan to hold another meeting in the near future, but, in the meantime, are waiting to hear back from Police on the recommendations they made.

However, Mr. Bean said it may take changes in legislation to tighten up and upgrade some of the present laws.

He added: "There has to be something good that comes out of these meetings. I think we are all on the same page, we just need to formalise it and move forward, but we can't do it on our own."

Police refused to comment on the meeting or the claims.