Philadelphia shop will bring home to everyone in Bermuda the severity of the gun problem in the United States. If anyone had any doubts about the Clinton Administration's push for the Brady Bill which restricts the purchase of guns, those doubts are surely dispelled by this wanton killing. It is ironic that Mr. Pierre should have served safely as a Policeman in Bermuda for 10 years only to be killed while studying in the US and working to keep himself and his Bermudian family.

The death of Mr. Pierre will have served to point out to everyone in Bermuda how sensible it is not to have a proliferation of guns and not to have an armed Police service. It would not be true to say that Bermuda has no death by personal violence, but it does seem that we are relatively free of senseless shooting deaths and that must have something to do with an absence of guns.

Every so often there is a suggestion for private ownership of guns and instances like this one in Philadelphia make it very clear that Bermuda would be nothing short of mad to allow guns to proliferate.

It is interesting that a group of visiting German travel agents pointed out Bermuda's safety as a major feature in selling these Islands to German visitors. For a long time it has been clear that safety was an attraction in Bermuda, especially in the light of stories pointing out violence against visitors in Florida. But Florida should not be singled out because violence is now a major consideration for people planning to visit some of the islands to the south of us.

It is extremely important to locals and it is also extremely important to Bermuda as a tourist resort to remain safe and secure. Bermuda is not as safe or as secure as it once was but it is safe compared to much of the rest of the world. We must take that good record and build on it and not be lulled into thinking that everything is alright and will remain alright without effort.

That is why this newspaper has protested any cuts in funds for the Police and supported the Commissioner of Police's idea for community Police stations.

Bermuda will not remain safe by chance. It will take effort by the Police and public support for the Police to retain Bermuda the way we think Bermudians want it to be. A great deterrent is the certainty of arrest and conviction.

That requires a well supported Police Service that is not just backed with funds but also supported by the public.

In Bermuda we sometimes complain about the Police and they are not perfect, but they are remarkably free of corruption, good at their job and very reliable. That says a great deal more about Bermuda's Police than most countries can say and Bermuda should take pride in that and build on it.