Senators praised the work of the Bermuda Police Service and the community officers who are faced with growing violent crime.

Yesterday Senator and Minister of Home Affairs David Burch gave a breakdown of the crime statistics that had been revealed in a Police report in January this year.

He said that overall crime was down last year by 3.9 percent, but violent crime was up by 6.2 percent, but hoped that community policing would offer the public someone to contact.

"Community action teams have been making great efforts to go out there. Several meetings with them have taken place and I am encouraged by the turnout and the action by the community teams," he said,

"It's the 2010 answer to the parish constables. Communities are encouraged to find out who they (their CAT officer) are so they can reach out to someone they know if they have a problem."

Sen. Burch added that if the public was unsure who was their representative they could contact their Police Station for a name and cell phone number.

CAT teams are made up of Police that are assigned to specific areas of the Island in order to establish a presence so that residents may become familiar with the officers working in their area.

They are part of the Police budget that increased 8.53 percent this year to a total of $65,705,000.

Yesterday opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley commended the Government for working in conjunction with Government House and hoped there could be creative means of tackling crime.

He said: "I think it's well aware within the community that we are real at a critical junction. We have talked about the state of our economy just as the advent of violent crime in our community.

"We have graduated, and not in a good way, to another level. Last year we had 92 fire arm incidents. So fact in just three months there have been 39 incidents in this year.

"What's clear here that's one every two days and last year it was one every four days. We welcome the working relationship generated between BPS, Government and Government House.

"We are delighted they are all working together. Violence will scare our visitors and will scare our business and that's a fact.

"And I think it's scaring Bermudians on a daily basis. The habits that we had in the past to deal with crime need to be changed.

"They are just not working. I am pleased to see we are starting to bring community policing back."

While Government Senator Walton Brown suggested that tackling drugs, which were linked to the violent crime, needed a holistic approach.

He said: "We need a holistic approach to drugs. The financial drive is do compelling. We need more effort on the demand side. We need a more constructive effort."

Senate President Carol Ann Bassett praised the addition of the community officers, but said she worried about the support services for the Police.

She asked if there were counselling services available and other support groups such as alcoholics anonymous that the officers could visit should they need help.

While Opposition Senator Suzann Roberts Holshouser said she looked forward to working with the community officers.

She said: "They are extremely helpful the Community Action Team (CAT) I really welcome this team. I hope it will continue to grow."

Committee Chairman and Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes added that the CAT was a hearkening back to the day of the parish constable.

He said: "We heard about the community policing and it's now together and in place like the old parish constable used to do. They do have a lot to answer for now."