The controversial proposal to close St. George's Police station and move it to Southside is a not a dead issue, it was claimed this weekend.

Despite the fact that not one person brought up the issue during a public meeting about crime in the old town on Thursday night, community activist W A (Toppy) Cowen said the campaign to keep a high Police presence in St. George's would continue.

More than 150 people turned out for the heated meeting that had been arranged primarily to discuss concerns about rising crime in the town, gangs of youths hanging around the streets, drugs and alcohol.

During the three-hour and 15-minute meeting much was said by all quarters, including youths, Police, Parents, community leaders and other residents. But no one raised the issue of the Police station.

During recent weeks the moving of the station has led to many letters of discontent, talks with Police and even a petition.

Mr. Cowen, chairman of the Police Eastern Division Consultative Group, firmly believes that some form of Police station must remain in the old town.

He was at the meeting on Thursday, but did not raise the issue. He said last night: "I think there was a different agenda (on Thursday).

"The public was advised that it was going to be directed towards the youth and, as we saw and heard from the comments made, it was a youth meeting. I did not think it was the right time to discuss the Police station.

"But I don't think that means that the Police station is a done deal to move to Southside by any means."

He added: "I have had chats with the Minister at the committee meetings and his offices."

At the meeting on Thursday night, Minister for Labour and Home Affairs Terry Lister made a brief comment at the start of the meeting that he expected the issue to arise.

However, when the meeting came to a close at 11.15 p.m., nobody had taken the opportunity to voice their concerns to Mr. Lister and his permanent secretary Robert Horton.

People spoke more about the root causes for crime in the old town, and concluded that everyone had to learn to respect each other more, be more tolerant, and improve their communication.

But the most frequent comment to be made on Thursday night was that parents needed to be more responsible and more involved in their children's lives, particularly fathers.

Mr. Cowen said Police have assured the people of St. George's that there will be a Police presence in the old town, but the concern to residents was how much.

He said people wanted to know if St. George's would be given a separate Police station to Southside, and if so, what hours it be open and with how many officers.

But he said he did not doubt that there would be many other opportunities to discuss the issue with Police and Government.

And he compared the uncertainty in St. George's over the Police station to that of life after September 11.

He said: "If people don't feel confident and safe, they don't want to fly. And they don't want to come to a town where they don't get the protection they think they should be getting.

"I agree that you can't have a Police station in every parish, but I think there should be three in the places where they are now, Somerset, Hamilton and St. George's. This is absolutely not a dead issue."

Minister Lister did not wish to comment.