Now would be the ideal time for a gun amnesty as Police receive new powers to search for weapons, says Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley.

Speaking after the shooting of poker host Richard Gaglio, Sen. Dunkley said people should be given the chance to hand over their weapons without facing charges.

He said those that fail to do so should then feel the full wrath of the law as officers crack down on gun ownership through new legislation of under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).

"It's clear to us we have been too soft on crime for too long,"<\p>the United Bermuda Party Senate leader told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"We need to put the deviant small percentage of our community on warning. Have a gun amnesty, and after that people pay the price. Tell them we will use our powers to come after you."

Under the new phase of PACE, Police will be able to enter and search places without a warrant if they have reasonable grounds to believe the suspect they are pursuing is on the premises.

Sen. Dunkley said the latest incident, in which an innocent poker player with no gang connections was shot in the chest in his own home, shows there are no longer any boundaries when the criminals pick their victims.

A gun amnesty was one of the rafts of measures the Premier announced Government was considering in a high-profile attack on violent crime following the fatal stabbing of Kellon Hill last August.

Dr. Brown also said a SWAT team was being considered, declaring at that time "Those who choose gunfire to settle their disputes should be on alert. Our strongest stand yet against your senseless violence could be on the horizon."

Since then, the Premier has refused to comment on the likelihood of a SWAT team actually being formed, and consistently refused to provide an update on other initiatives he promised could be on the way.

His Press Secretary Glenn Jones did not respond to a request for an update on the proposals yesterday, and would not say whether there was any chance of the gun amnesty happening.

Acting Public Safety Minister Walter Roban did not respond to requests for a comment.

Governor Sir Richard Gozney said "I am appalled by the shooting early on Sunday, September 6, and I hope that, despite his serious injury, Mr. Gaglio is able to make a full recovery.

"I also hope that anyone with any information which might help the Police will contact them. I'm afraid that any shooting which, for lack of usable evidence, does not lead to a prosecution invites those thugs who have access to guns in Bermuda to believe that by intimidation or deception they can shoot again, with apparent impunity.

"In early 2009 Bermuda did well when, at two murder trials, vulnerable witnesses braved the witness stand in court to help to convict the murderers, following thorough Police investigations. We all applaud such bravery from members of the community."

UBP MP Shawn Crockwell, who has spoken at length about gun crime on the Island, called for drastic action, saying "The Governor must step up and take aggressive steps to reduce gun and gang violence in Bermuda. Our internal security is under serious threat and the time has come for a specialised unit to come here and arrest this problem with the necessary force."