It's a sign of the times that the most fervent wish that anyone can have for this Cup Match weekend is that it will pass without a serious crime being committed.

Clearly, this is the wish of the Police, who have made it clear that they will be out in force over the next five days, and this newspaper supports their efforts.

It is a shame that the Bermuda public holiday should require these kinds of measures, but the violence at last year's game, plus the murders that have occurred on other public holidays in the last 12 months demands it.

It is too bad, because this unique public holiday is the most important in the Island's calendar, commemorating the founding of Bermuda and the end of slavery.

Those dates are pivotal, and this should be a time of unity and renewal as Bermuda marks its progress. That cannot happen if Bermudians do not feel secure, and to that end, the Police and other units deserve everyone's support. And there are signs that some successes are being had in the fight against crime.

This is not an easy thing to measure, but despite the fact that serious crime jumped in the second quarter of the year, it is also a fact that overall crime was down.

More importantly, the Police are having more success in making arrests and putting people before the courts, where prosecutors are securing a good rate of convictions. In part, that is because members of the public are beginning to provide evidence and information to the authorities, as the realisation grows that refusing to do so is more dangerous. Still, a great many serious crimes remain unsolved, and there are still signs that some people are reluctant to help. So the public must double its efforts to help the authorities.

However, if the Police continue to make headway, and if the rate of violent crime begins to drop, attention on the other half of the crime equation cannot be allowed to wane. The causes of serious crime and gangs are still there and are not going away.

Improving education, helping families, and especially single parents, developing a growing economy in which good job opportunities are available are all part of the long term solution. As urgently, reducing the demand for drugs is critical. It is worrying that even as drug seizures have soared (from $1.6 million in the first quarter of the year to $4.9 million in the second quarter), prices have not, meaning that supply remains high.

Certainly, as Commissioner Michael DeSilva noted, street price evidence is anecdotal and not scientific, but does suggest a trend.

Only a meaningful demand reduction programme will cause drugs-related crime to drop. So, this Cup Match, spend time with family and friends, enjoy the cricket, the water, the camp or the beach, and relax a little and remember the good things in life.

We wish all of our readers a happy and – most importantly – a safe Cup Match.