The New York City Police are to assist in the investigations into five gun murders on the Island.

Government has accepted help from the NYPD Gang Unit which will assist detectives and forensics in piecing together evidence on the recent shootings.

A contingent of UK officers are also being sought to beef up the "stretched" Bermuda Police Service. Announcing the moves yesterday, Public Safety Minister David Burch said the UK officers would be deployed on the streets, due to the similarities between Bermuda and UK law.

They may be appointed Special Police Constables, but will also receive training in firearms.

Meanwhile, a team from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are here to train up BPS officers in gang tactics.

Senator Burch said he and Governor Sir Richard Gozney met with the team ahead of their two-day workshop yesterday, and that discussions were "likely to lead to further assistance".

Customs, Immigration and Corrections officers may receive similar training.

Government is to bring in the NYPD after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a resident of Bermuda, offered their assistance.

Sen. Burch said: "We have never experienced the numbers of incidents we have, so resources are stretched to the max."

Government will also set aside more funding in next month's Budget.

"Government is well aware there is going to be a ballooning of the Police budget. I do not anticipate I will have any difficulty in securing those funds," said the Minister.

"The Government, Government House and the Bermuda Police Service are on the same page with regard to addressing violent crime."

However, it was up to everyone in the community to stop the violence.

"Change can only happen if we each do our part," said Sen. Burch.

"Our community is under siege because we didn't want to get involved but it is past time to get involved."

He explained: "I think it is going to require the intervention of families."

The Minister however, said a curfew was no longer on the agenda.

"The Police are not onside and until they are, ain't nothing happening. We said if the actions they took didn't bear fruit, we would look at it, but clearly they are bearing fruit.

"A curfew is not anywhere near the table because it has serious ramifications for the entire country."

However, the community should expect to see tougher parenting measures.

"Parenting legislation is coming down the pipe," said the Minister. "It is something I would support. I have called before for not just teenagers to appear in the docks but the parents appearing alongside them."

Attorney General Kim Wilson confirmed last night: "The Ministry of Justice is developing legislation which can make parents legally liable for offences committed by their children in certain circumstances.

"The policy is still being finalised with my hope that it will be introduced as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Sen. Burch urged the public to "stand firm in the face of this seemingly endless cycle of gun violence".

The murder of Perry Puckerin on Sunday was the fourth fatal shooting on the Island in just under a month.

Detectives believe the deaths of Mr. Puckerin, 34, Kumi Harford, 30, Gary 'Fingas' Cann, 22, and Shane Minors, 30, are all gang-related and connected to a rivalry between the 42nd Crew and Parkside gang.

"While these have been daunting days, I cannot stress enough that the public's cooperation is needed now more than ever," said the Minister.

"These incidents have witnesses and we need those individuals to come forward and provide whatever they know to the Police."

Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva last night confirmed that requests for FBI anti-gang seminars plus secondments of gang investigators, intelligence analysts and other support staff, had been given the "green light" from Government House and Government.

"It is important to note that these measures are very much an immediate 'boots on the ground' approach to maintaining our heightened presence on the streets and our vigorous investigation efforts, and to provide some relief to the hard-working men and women of the Bermuda Police Service," he said.

"We are entering a paradigm shift in the way Bermuda tackles crime and gangs.

"We are working towards a more joined-up approach that includes even closer relationships with our partners in the DPP's office, Court Services, Customs, Immigration, Probation Services and the Prisons.

"And all of this work is being done against the backdrop of a committed Government and Bermuda community that is coming together to stop the violence."

Anyone with information on the shootings should contact 299 8115 or the confidential Crime Stoppers hot line on 800 8477.