Bermuda, Police Commissioner Mr. Lennett (Lenny) Edwards believes.

"Are things really that bad that we have to start locking kids up to make sure they are not out at night?,'' he asked in response to the anti-drug group PRIDE's support of a curfew law proposed by one of his officers.

Atlanta's curfew law, which Ch. Insp. Larry Smith "floated'' at PRIDE's meeting last week, was aimed at combatting gang violence, he said.

Bermuda had a serious pack-racing problem -- he had received reports this week of a pack of motorbike riders racing through Somerset at 3 a.m., he said. And there was a problem with troublesome teenagers hanging out at the bus stop and other places. But the Island was still not seeing the type of youth violence that US cities such as Atlanta were encountering.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness was also reluctant to support a curfew for minors, saying he needed to know more about the idea.

"It looks like a good idea, but it might be a little heavy-handed,'' he said.

"I know we have a problem with young people marauding around the streets at night but I am not sure a curfew will improve things.'' Imposing a law to keep minors off the street between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. might serve to unfairly curtail their movements, Mr. Edwards said. "I am not sure it is needed.

"Has the problem of young people being on the street at night got to the stage where we need to legislate a curfew to bring them under control? I don't think so.'' Mr. Edwards said he would first like to see more parent control and cooperation with Police.

He said Ch. Insp. Smith's curfew law idea, which PRIDE chairperson Mrs.

Pauline Richards said she would like to push for, was part of a full package the officer presented after being sent to Atlanta to look at community policing there.