As of last night, the whereabouts of the Cooper twins remained a mystery. The Police say that they have been kidnapped and one man now faces assault charges. Still, the fact remains that the longer these young men remain missing, the more likely it is that they are dead.

This case has gripped the imagination of the Bermuda public and the level of speculation and rumour is also heavier than almost any other case in recent memory. There are a number of reasons for this.

The fact that two young men could be swept off the street never to be seen again is horrifying in a community as small and close-knit as Bermuda. Then too, the indication that their disappearance is connected with some form of street justice is frightening. Finally, the brazen fire-bombing of a house that was at the centre of the probe has added to the spectacular nature of the case.

It does, however, raise some serious questions about life in Bermuda. It suggests that crime is better organised than many members of the community would like to think. It raises the question of just who is in control of the Island?s streets; the Police and the forces of law and order, or the forces of the underworld.

The fact that there is any question on that score is due at least in part to the incompetence of the Police themselves in allowing the house off Dock Hill in Devonshire to be burned. It is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback, but the question must still be asked: Why wasn?t this house better guarded?

In general, the Police?s public response to this crime has left a lot to be desired and many people have noted the lack of public statements coming from senior Police officers and compared it to the very high profile and pro-active actions of the Atlanta Police Department following the courthouse shooting there. Here, Commissioner Jonathan Smith was on business in Canada as the investigation grew and surprisingly failed to cut short his trip. In his absence, the Police have held one rather uninformative press conference and have issued press statements that have been even less helpful.

To be sure, no one expects the Police to tell the public all they know about a particular investigation and it would be unrealistic to expect the Police to crack any case within hours or even days ? this is the real world, not a TV drama. But the Police need to recognise that their ?Fort Prospect? mentality creates a hothouse atmosphere in which all kinds of rumours and speculation are allowed to grow unchecked and come to represent reality in the absence of authoritative facts. That can?t be good for anyone, least of all the family of the twins, whose suffering grows as this saga continues. It also raises the very real possibility of others taking matters into their own hands and causing an escalation of violence; the Police must show that they are doing something in order to prevent this.