Crime rates are at their lowest since records began — but vehicle thefts continue to rise, Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva said yesterday.

He said 750 total offences were recorded between April and June this year — the first time crime rates have fallen below 800 since data collation began in 2000.

But he noted that while firearms incidents and shooting murders had decreased during the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year — 12 to five and two to one respectively — the police service still “haven’t won” the gang war.

He warned that “there will be more shootings, without a doubt”, but said officers were “doing the best we can” and that the service had used all of its available resources to tackle the problem.

Mr DeSilva admitted that “drug importation still plagues law enforcement”.

“It’s an importer’s dream here, we’re an Island in the middle of the ocean,” he added. “It takes a lot of resources between us and Customs.”

But figures show the authorities are seizing more drugs. Nearly 8.6 kilograms of drugs with a street value of about $1.25 million was recovered in the second quarter of this year — an increase of more than $800,000 compared with the first three months of the year.

Drug enforcement activity — policing against drugs seized at the border or activity that has led to arrests or seizures — increased by 47.2 percent from April to June compared with the period from January to March.

“$1.7 million worth of illegal drugs has been seized so far this year, with the bulk of that number being interdicted by the Customs Department at the ports,” Mr DeSilva said.

“You can’t just look at the amount of drugs or the value of drugs, there are so many variables.

“A pound of heroin is worth millions, a pound of cannabis is worth thousands. Overseas agencies interdict drugs before they get here.”

Mr DeSilva welcomed a 32 percent reduction in serious and other assaults, and a 17 percent drop in criminal damage. He also said residential burglary fell by nine percent.

But the Commissioner highlighted that a “significant increase in motor vehicle theft spoiled the overall downward trend” in crime.

Vehicle theft soared by nearly 40 percent in the first half of this year compared with the first six months of last year, from 307 to 429 robberies.

The first half of 2014 marks the most thefts in a six-month period since the second half of 2010, when 456 vehicle thefts were recorded.

But Mr DeSilva emphasised that “we haven’t returned to the days when 13 bikes a day were being stolen” and said data the service had collated about thefts allowed “dedicated patrols” to focus on common areas and vehicles that were frequently affected.

Mr DeSilva added that more “neighbourhood watches would be an automatic feature” in helping to curb such thefts.

The Commissioner also focused on the “disturbing” number of deaths on our roads.

“To date, Bermuda has recorded nine fatalities in 2014,” he said. “My deepest sympathies are extended to all families and friends that are affected by road deaths, including those of the latest victim, Melvin Smith, who died this week under the most tragic circumstances.

“Bermuda has already reached the same number of total fatal collisions that were recorded in each of the last three years, but we still have five months left in 2014.

“Since 2008, 25 murders have been attributed to gang violence and firearms, but in the same period, 80 deaths have occurred on our roads.

“The situation demands that Bermuda addresses the problem.”

Mr DeSilva said reducing carnage on the roads would be a priority for police, and that a new safety plan would be rolled out in the coming weeks.

“In the same way that we developed our gang strategy in 2010 to tackle the spike in violence, our head of the Roads Policing Unit, Inspector Robert Cardwell, is putting the finishing touches on a new Road Safety Strategy.

“The strategy has two fundamental goals — to save lives and to make our roads safer.

“In the same manner of the gang strategy, we will endorse a community-wide effort towards road safety that combines robust enforcement with equally robust education, prevention and rehabilitation programmes.

“We must calm down our roads before more lives are lost. Bermuda Police Service encourages all road users to slow down and drive with care, caution and courtesy. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility.”

Mr DeSilva was keen to praise the support and assistance of the public in helping to lower crime on the Island.

“These reductions were not achieved by the police alone,” he said. “A few years ago, when serious crimes were significantly higher, I made the point that the police could not solve the problem by ourselves. Crime is a community problem that requires community solutions.

“When crime falls we cannot take the credit alone. I believe Bermuda is seeing the results of about four years of better joined-up efforts between police, community and Government.

“Crime reduction hasn’t come about just by better law enforcement, but by more community involvement and increased coordination across Government agencies.

“We have all been working at this for a number of years and I think that is something for all of us to be proud of.”