Residents in the crime-ridden St. Monica's Mission area of Pembroke are helping to win back their streets thanks to help from Government, Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott claimed.

He said the efforts to revive community spirit in the Pembroke neighbourhood were an example that could be repeated in other deprived parts of the Island.

He said his department made St. Monica's Mission a "target community area'' and had encouraged residents to meet regularly to talk about improving their neighbourhood.

He told a public meeting on crime and violence in Bright Temple Church, Warwick, last Wednesday that his department was taking special care to ensure the infrastructure of the community such as lighting and fencing were maintained.

"We are trying to partner the community to give them a community spirit to become stakeholders in a community worth defending,'' he said.

"The community meets regularly and it is a model that can be applied to any challenged area when we assist a community to fight back.

"That is beginning to happen in a small way in St. Monica's Mission where they have called upon an inner community resource. It is a positive attitude coming.

"Over time that community will take back (the streets) and Bermuda can be taken back. If we protect our young people by giving them the ability through academic and other opportunities, they will be able to resist the man when he says `do you want to make a fast buck' (selling drugs).'' Mr. Scott warned that Bermuda was small enough to win the war on drugs but everyone had to assist the Police.

"We are small enough to win. We really can win. Don't let anyone for their own pernicious, selfish purposes take this away from you.'' Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay, who also attended the meeting, said Police had re-established a squad similar to the task force set up by former Commissioner Colin Coxall, to target street-level dealing.