Crime has to be fought at different levels -- from shaming drug users to seizing the assets of criminals, according to Premier David Saul.

Dr. Saul, speaking at a public meeting at Horticultural Hall in Paget, was responding to concerns from people about his suggestions that the public film people involved in criminal activity.

One man asked: "Suppose I videotape people doing or selling drugs? Don't you think they are gonna throw bottles or rocks at me or come looking for me later and have me?'' Another man said: "Everyone is basically frustrated. If you show people committing crimes on television you are going to inadvertently contribute to vigilanteism by giving people targets to vent their frustrations upon.'' A third said innocent people caught on film near the vicinity of an illegal act had to be protected, as did those people who were filmed engaged in what was believed to be an illegal act but was not.

Dr. Saul replied that the point he was trying to get across was to tackle the whole problem of crime, it had to be dealt with on different levels.

"At the bottom is prevention while at the top there is prosecution,'' he said.

He said people buying small amounts of drugs infrequently had to be stopped.

There were people -- "ordinary Bermudians'' -- who were using drugs they bought freely from the side of the road and they needed to be dissuaded, he continued.

Drug dealers could be locked up and new legislation would see their assets taken away but "what about the people who are customers'', he asked.

"Let's shame them,'' said Dr. Saul. "Let's tell ordinary Bermudians that if you go out and buy drugs there is every possibility that your picture will be taken and shown on television.'' Shame could prove to be a highly effective measure in a small community like Bermuda, he added.

It was only one way to combat the problem, he stressed, and it might not necessarily be the answer, but if it saved one person out of a hundred, surely it was worth it.

Premier David Saul