Teenagers could have 'anti-gang' awareness programmes in middle school, under proposals unveiled by PLP leadership hopeful Terry Lister to tackle crime.

Mr. Lister unveiled his ideas to combat criminals on the Island when he spoke at his latest public meeting at Penno's Wharf, in St. George, which was attended by about 50 people, including retired Assistant Police Commissioner Carlton Adams and former Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith. United Bermuda Party leader Kim Swan and St. George's Mayor Kenny Bascome were also in attendance.

The former Public Safety Minister outlined a series of initiatives covering prevention, enforcement, rehabilitation and the criminal justice system and pledged to introduce a series of schemes if he is elected as the new leader of the PLP.

"We must accept that several generations of under educated black men would ultimately come back to haunt us. Now is that time.

"We must accept that the failure to demand that every able bodied young man be required by society you, me, his family to learn a trade and become employed would bring troubles down on us. Now it has.

"We must accept that the downturn in the economy which has seen many small businesses engage in a struggle for survival would result in our young men being unemployed and under employed and that this would lead to loss of hope for self and belief in country. Now is that time.

"We must not however accept that this is our beautiful Island's fate. No we must not," said Mr. Lister, who is competing against Finance Minister Paula Cox and Government backbencher Dale Butler for the leadership.

Some of the ideas he outlined at Thursday's meeting include:

* Encouraging teenage males and females to take a 'don't get pregnant' awareness course. This would "lesson the likelihood of young people being raised in an 'at risk' circumstance", he said.

* Support for a registered list of sexual offenders and said such a list should be made public.

* Trying to seek funding from the US to hire a Coast Guard to search vessels coming into Bermuda.

* Ensuring proper funding for crime prevention programmes with a track record for success and giving new and existing programmes for 'at-risk' youth adequate support.

* Establishing anti-bullying programmes in the public schools to create a safe environment for students and teachers.

* Directing a specific proportion of Government's education budget towards 'anti gang-awareness' training in our schools beginning in Middle School.

* Enacting legislation to permit trial by judge without a jury in certain crimes.

* Propose legislation to increase the mandatory sentences for gun crime.

Mr. Lister told the meeting: "We need to reject the notion that failure is an option and that some of our young males will simply fall through the cracks because that's the way it has always been.

"We need to inspire a sense of worth and purpose in all of our young people by targeting specific, professional resources from within the vast wealth of helping professions within our Government to help 'save' our children."