Police will be introduced next week, a top Policeman said this week.

Assistant Police commissioner Mr. Wayne Perinchief told Hamilton Lions Club members what the programme, called Crime Stoppers, entails.

"Crime stoppers, a community based information for reward programme, is coming to Bermuda,'' he said.

The programme is premised on the assumption that there is at least one other person, besides the criminal, who has information that can solve a crime.

But there are two problems that prevent that person from coming forward.

The individual may not want to get involved due to fear of reprisals or they may be apathetic.

To combat the first, Mr. Perinchief said Crime Stoppers offered anonymity and to counter apathy, they offered money.

Mr. Perinchief said there are three elements to every Crime Stoppers programme.

This includes the community, the Police service and the media.

Bermudians would be responsible for setting up a separate organisation which would be a non profit charitable corporation that would solicit donations from individuals and businesses.

Its membership will come from a good cross section of the community, although Policemen, politicians, defence attorneys and serving members of the media are excluded.

The Police service would provide a phone line and investigators so that the information can be obtained and acted upon.

Media support would come from publicising the crime stoppers phone number to the public as well as the programmes' successes.

Each week an unsolved crime would be chosen.

Retired judge Mr. Richard Carter, who hails from Texas and is the counsel general for Crime Stoppers International will be arriving on Sunday.

He will speak to organisations about Crime Stoppers before leaving the following Friday.

Judge Carter has been invited to launch Crime Stoppers in Bermuda and he will work with a citizens group including members of the Chamber of Commerce, the Bermuda Hotel Association, the North Hamilton Business Association and other interested parties.

The Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs are sponsoring the initiative alongside the Police Service.