Senator Jonathan Smith yesterday praised falling crime rates in the Island, saying that while more work must be done, sure and steady progress is being made.Earlier this week, the Bermuda Police Service revealed that crime was down 10.7 percent in the second quarter. While the overall trend was downward, with firearms offences dropping dramatically from the previous quarter, other offences such as sexual assault were on the rise.Commenting yesterday, Sen Smith, a former Police Commissioner, said: “Over the last several quarters, we’ve seen that crime is consistently on the way down. In fact, the second quarter represented the second lowest crime incidents since 2007.“While there’s certainly more work to be done, it’s clear that progress is being made.The Senator noted efforts by Government in recent years to tackle the issue of crime, such as preventive and rehabilitative programmes, harsher penalties, the adoption of new strategies and technologies, and efforts to mobilise the community.“More people are getting involved to help our young men chart an alternative path. Ultimately, this is where the long term resolutions rest,” he said.“We know that there is more work to do, but we are glad to say that when it comes to crime, we are standing strong for Bermudians by making Bermuda a safer place to live and raise a family.”