A Police team has been targeting Island gang leaders as they look to take violence and public disorder off the streets.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith told that 15 violent offenders had been arrested in recent weeks and that incidents of public disorder had already slowed as a result.

During a 90 minute interview with , he also revealed that; the Police Support Unit had arrested 2150 people since its inception, that Police seized $44 million worth of drugs in 2002, 29 firearms had been seized in three years, the armed response unit had conducted 45 exercises this year and that 12 people had been detained in relation to the Remembrance Day violence at White Hill Field.

He also revealed that Police were working under tougher conditions, with reports of officers being threatened with violence doubling in the last year, injuries to officers also doubling and Police having weapons pulled on them now once a month.

"Our investigative staff have been working incredibly hard to get at the root of those who have caused the recent acts of violence," Mr. Smith said

"We have been quite relentless in targeting specific individuals and the community can expect to see more of those most responsible being taken off the streets.

"Fifteen violent offenders have been remanded in custody or sentenced in the past five weeks and this clearly having an impact ? we are pleased to see that.

"The Police Support Unit have reported a definite decline in the numbers of young men congregating at the usual hot spots.

"There are gangs in Bermuda, with a geographic component to them, and some of the leaders are responsible for causing the violent crime that we have seen.

"There is a deliberate effort by our serious crime unit to target those involved."

Superintendent Sinclair White, who is leading the team of 28 officers, added: "It is all about prioritising; taking out the key players is our aim at the moment. We are targeting right into the core, that is the way we are running this."

He added that there had been in a fall in public disturbances since the White Hill Field concert on November 11, with the last two weekends being "comfortingly quieter".

He said that although there was no way of confirming that the relative lull was a direct result of the recent Police operations, he said that he thought that it was "likely" that it was.