GOVERNMENT is failing to act on its promises in the war against crime, according to Shadow Public Safety Minister Maxwell Burgess.

Mr. Burgess questioned why there had been no news on a supposed swoop on 17 crack houses promised by Government last year.

In November, Attorney General Larry Mussenden told an anti-drugs rally on Court Street that 17 properties had been identified by police and would be shut down imminently.

But the first raid did not take place until March and there has been no word of further swoops taking place since then.

This week the asked both Drugs Minister Wayne Perinchief and the Bermuda Police Service to confirm how many crack dens had been put out of commission. No replies were received by press time last night.

But yesterday Mr. Burgess said Government's silence on the issue was a sign of a lack of action.

"This is one of the problems that we have with this country that is leading to a sense of lawlessness," he said.

"You can't tell the criminal that you know where he is engaging in criminal activity and that you are going to put him out of business, and then, nine months later they are still very much in business in the same place.

"That's the sort of inconsistency that trickles down to our children. We see Government as talking one language and then walking another. It's that kind of inaction that causes these fellows to believe that they need not concern themselves with the law.

"You may remember the remarks of the Premier ? that we're coming after you ? this is the same kind of thing. But you don't have to tell people that you're tough, or that you're getting tough because they will see by your actions.

"There's an inability in this Government to engage in action, instead they verbalise what they want to accomplish but there's an absence of a commitment to action.

"We are at a crossroads with crime in this country and if we don't come to grips with it now, we will end up down a slippery slope. We either claw back and regain our country or we're going to be saying goodbye to Bermuda as we know it.

"Let's not talk about what we want to do but just do what we have to do. The time for talking is over and the time for action is long gone."

Pressure group Bermudians Against Narcotics said it was also unaware of any raids taking place.

But group founder Clinton Muhammad did say that other deterrents ? such as a strong police presence and CCTV cameras ? had slashed drug dealing in the Court Street area.

"I can't tell you anything about the crack houses because we haven't been told anything ourselves," Mr. Muhammad said.

"I know that they knocked down a couple but with regard to the 17, I just don't know.

"But I can tell you that, since they put up CCTV cameras and a constant police coverage ? it's made a heck of a difference. There's been a marked improvement in the area."