Witness protection measures, including flying people abroad and using recorded statements instead of court appearances, are being considered by Government after recent courtroom setbacks.

Premier Alex Scott also announced yesterday that meetings would be set up for the public to vent concern over safety in their neighbourhoods.

The news comes after the collapse of the high-profile case against Kenith Clifton Bulford who had been linked to the Shaundae Jones murder of two years ago.

Mr. Bulford, who fled the Island for two years and had to be deported from Jamaica, had firearms charges against him dropped on Monday after a key witness failed to testify.

At a Press conference yesterday, Mr. Scott said his Government echoed public concern about law and order and would address it robustly.

He said: ?Government is particularly disappointed at recent developments in the courts. We have taken those concerns to His Excellency the Governor, who has an equal responsibility for the Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.?

?In addition, the Attorney General has taken a hard look at our existing laws and also the lessons from the law reform committee to identify areas of weakness that may be contributing to the current situation.?

The Premier added that he will join the Attorney General and Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton at public meetings to hear what people wanted done to increase community safety.

But the public were also urged to play their part by informing on criminals in their midst.

Mr. Horton said Government would be looking at adopting elements of Britain?s Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) act to allow statements to be presented to juries without a witness actually appearing.

Videoconferencing is another option, said Mr. Horton. But, he said legislation would not be active until the second half of 2006.

Mr. Scott hinted that use could be made of Bermuda?s CARICOM link and associations with North American Police for witness protection.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith said civilians were usually cooperative in giving witness statements but then there were ?very real problems? in getting them to follow through.

?Witnesses have been displaying a reluctance to become involved at the investigative stages and at the critical trial stage,? Mr. Smith said.

?This reluctance has largely been associated with violent crime offences and we believe the reluctance has been driven by several different forces: the ?street code? of not wanting the Police or authorities involved; fear of retribution; threats or intimidation and other factors can come into play.

?We have seen everything from witness amnesia, outright lack of cooperation and withdrawal of serious criminal complaints at the trial stage.

?From our perspective, this trend is ominous and if the perception is this is merely a ?Police problem? or the ?DPP?s problem? then we have a serious problem. This is Bermuda?s problem.?

He said the criminal justice system as a whole will only function effectively if citizens have the courage to provide evidence or even testify.

?There are endless examples of the breakdown of law and order in other countries where witnesses have avoided this responsibility,? he said.

?Equally, witnesses want an assurance of safety and where they have been subject to threats or intimidation then I would urge them to report this in order for law enforcement to initiate the appropriate investigation and report our findings to the DPP to hold those responsible for the threats or intimidation accountable.?

With over 400 officers in 21-square miles, Bermuda is heavily policed but many people complain there are not enough officers at the sharp end protecting communities.

Mr. Horton said that Police deployment would be looked at and that he was aware of the public concern. But, he ruled out bringing in gang experts from the US to educate Police on how to stop the problem escalating.

He said: ?Some of our officers have been sent abroad for training so we will have our own people able to address that.?

Government also said talks have been held with the Mayor of Hamilton on improving City security. Similar discussions are planned for St. George?s.