Government's creation of a climate of "conspicuous consumption" has helped contribute to growing crime, including a five-year high for the first three months of the year, Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley alleged this week.

The United Bermuda Party politician claimed Police statistics for the first quarter of 2007 revealed that it was "the worst period for crime we have had in the past five years" and that the Progressive Labour Party's "wasteful spending" was partly to blame.

In fact, although crime in the first quarter of this year was higher than for the same period in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 it was not at its highest point for those years.

The total number of crimes during January, February and March this year was 673, compared to 589 for the same three months last year, 602 in 2005, 477 in 2004 and 654 in 2003.

The highest number of crimes in the last four-and-a-half years, according to statistics on the Bermuda Police Service website, actually occurred during the third quarter of 2006 when there was 749.

The second quarter of that year saw 741 crimes, with 720 in the third quarter of 2003, 705 in the third quarter of 2005, and 679 in both the fourth quarter of 2003 and the third quarter of 2004.

Mr. Dunkley said: "I was very concerned to read the detail of the statistics released by the Police Service. I hope the Government doesn't take the attitude that this burst of criminal activity is just business as usual.

"Their support of the Police Service since they took over in 1998 has been inconsistent at best and we believe the climate of conspicuous consumption that that party has been at the forefront of creating since 1998 has added fuel to the fire by its effect on the minds of Bermuda's most impressionable citizens."

He claimed wasteful spending of public money by the Progressive Labour Party on items such as travel and Government cars had created a culture where everybody was "chasing the dollar", some illegally.

"Some people feel like they are left out of the economy and are feeling they need to try other ways just to keep up with the Joneses," he said.

The Shadow Public Safety Minister described the first quarter figures as "highly disturbing" and said Government should be providing resources to allow Police to do their job.

"If that means diverting money from the Cabinet travel budget or this year's improvements to the Government's stable of cars and other new vehicles, to work on upgrading police stations and providing new equipment, then that is the price that will have to be paid."

No one in Government could be contacted for a response before press time last night.