Police have no plans to "reach out" to gun-toting gang members to get them to stop shooting one another — but say other agencies should be doing just that.

Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva told The Royal Gazette during an exclusive interview on the spiralling gang violence that his officers were "flooding the streets in enforcement mode" and that would remain their priority for the foreseeable future.

"We are not going to sit down and negotiate and reach out," he said. "From the Police perspective, we are putting all of our energy into the enforcement side of gang reduction and suppression."

His hardline approach contrasts with some of his predecessors, including Jean-Jacques Lemay, a former Canadian Mountie who led Bermuda Police Service (BPS) from 1998 to 2001 and encouraged rival gang members to hug one another.

Asked whether he welcomed the idea of rival gang members and detectives meeting, Mr. DeSilva said: "What I have demonstrated since I took over is: nothing is off the table. We'll try anything once to see if it works.

"I wouldn't say that that's not a possibility. The only reason it's not an option for me at the moment is because we don't have a clear agenda.

"What exactly would we be trying to do to sit down with gang members and Police?

"I think the idea has a lot of merit; I just think the Police [Service] isn't the right agency to do it."

Mr. DeSilva insisted tougher enforcement and high visibility on the streets was the best approach for his officers.

And he said that although BPS was involved in "community outreach" it was up to other organisations to lead the way.

"Part of our outreach is to reach out to community members who have influence on these gangs," he said.

"We are going to engage with any community group, which includes Youth on the Move (YOM), CARTEL (Challenging and Reclaiming the True Essence of Life) and Rise Above and everybody else out there that can have influence on these young men.

"These things have to happen in concert. Everyone has a role to play and everyone's role fits along this continuum. Our role is predominantly enforcement and suppression."

Police worked with several community groups, including YOM, in order to ensure peace on the streets between the two main rival gangs — 42nd and Parkside — over Christmas.

But Mr. DeSilva was criticised this week by YOM president Carlton Simmons for the way Police ultimately handled the so-called "ceasefire" — which ended abruptly on January 3 with the murder of Perry Puckerin.

Mr. Simmons claimed members of Parkside felt there was a perceived Police double standard because they were refused bail after drugs arrests on New Year's Eve when a member of 42nd was granted it on Boxing Day.

But Mr. DeSilva said those arrested at New Year were initially suspected of possession of cannabis with intent to supply — a far more serious crime than the alleged marijuana possession of the man arrested on Boxing Day.

"One carries a fine, one is a felony which carries a custodial sentence. It takes us longer to investigate and I make no apology for that."

He said that while he welcomed community outreach, his officers were not going to break the law in order to enforce it.

"When it comes to gang members committing criminal acts, our primary mandate is to investigate that and put it before the courts," he said.

Mr. DeSilva said he and assistant commissioners Mike Jackman and Paul Wright approached several groups for help with gang violence at the end of December, including YOM.

"Words like 'truce' and 'ceasefire' — those are the wrong words," he insisted. "The words are 'community engagement'."

Engagement with such groups, he said, meant "we at least opened the doors of dialogue, which hadn't been done before".

He said the dialogue with the gangs, with the help of community groups, was aimed at bringing short-term peace and long-term resolution.

"We are enabling and empowering the two sides, in this case, through a third party, to put some perspective around the issues.

"At least we demonstrated that there was cooperation on both sides and we were both trying to do the best we can.

"But this is a community activist group and a law enforcement agency. There are limits. It's not about bailing people early. That's the wrong track to go down."

Mr. DeSilva said other organisations had a duty to get involved, work directly with gang members and help tackle the root causes of violence, including poverty and lack of education.

"There are rents that aren't being paid, electricity being turned off — get them to seek Government assistance," he said.

"We need to take away the factors that drive these gang members to violence. I would not expect them to talk to the Police until we are way past where we are."

The Commissioner said BPS was still involved in "getting in touch with the people that have access to these gangs to get our message directly to them".