Public Safety Minister David Burch's call for more aggressive Police action was "the most arrogant and dangerous diatribe" he has ever made, an Opposition MP said yesterday.

Shadow Attorney General Mark Pettingill claimed Senator Burch was "borderline criminal" and should resign for urging officers to use "decisive, aggressive and appropriately violent action" in tackling crime.

Poverty campaign Sheelagh Cooper also condemned the Minister's comments. She said: "I'm absolutely appalled. You would never hear a Police Commissioner or a Minister in any civilised country in the world make a statement like that."

Sen. Burch told a press conference on Tuesday that a $2.3 million cut in the Police budget this year would not have an impact on the fight against crime.

But he said what was imperative was that Police officers started to do their jobs and stopped worrying about the rest of the criminal justice system.

Mr. Pettingill, a defence lawyer, told The Royal Gazette: "This is the most arrogant and dangerous diatribe from Colonel Burch to date. He is borderline criminal to incite anyone to violent acts.

"The use of the term 'appropriately violent' has no place in the criminal justice system. To call on officers to not worry about the criminal justice system is an absolute nonsense.

"Officers are bound by legislation with regard to what they do to ensure that they follow the rules of the justice system, otherwise the evidence will get thrown out in court and you won't get a conviction."

The UBP politician said the Minister had made an "outrageous statement" and should resign immediately. Mr. Pettingill also called on Governor Sir Richard Gozney, who has overall responsibility for Policing, to "come out and comment on how inappropriate" the remarks were. Mr. Pettingill said the Minister would not gain the respect of officers with such statements. He added that the only thing reduced financing for Police would mean was more crime.

"Col. Burch needs to talk to Police officers on the ground and higher up," he said. "They will tell you that they lack financing. They lack the things they need to do the job."

Sir Richard said yesterday: "I have nothing much to add publicly for the moment about Police matters. I do know that the Police are listening to, and reflecting on, what they are hearing in public and private and they certainly do not need or deserve to be harried in public by me. I remain in touch with Minister Burch."

The Governor added: "The Police need, and I believe deserve, public support and encouragement as they strive to meet better public expectations. They are well aware of those expectations.

"In some areas they believe, and I share their belief, that they need and deserve some action from other agencies in parallel with their own efforts to deliver more.

Some of that action may require legislation. It is for neither them nor me to prescribe legislation. That is for the Government and Assembly. But others may make suggestions. I plan to offer some soon."

Ms Cooper, from the Coalition for the Protection of Children, told this newspaper: "To have [the Minister] cut Police training by close to a million dollars on the one hand and then actively encourage the Police to be more violent and aggressive on the other is the biggest recipe I can possibly imagine for disaster.

"How can someone whose position is really geared towards public safety advocate violence? I think he's got a problem with anger which displays itself when he experiences some frustration, and that's scary.

"He's not ever been elected in this community yet he wields an enormous amount of power. His tactics are very aggressive and very out of place in this day and age."

She added that she was also appalled that Government was prepared to spend some $7 million on housing Police from overseas at the Harmony Club but couldn't provide places to live for Bermudian single mothers.

Sen. Burch did not respond to a request for comment and a Police spokesman said Commissioner George Jackson had no comment at this point.

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