Rival gang members need to be encouraged to take part in peace talks to help restore our communities.This is the top recommendation of the parliamentary committee on crime, with its newly released report calling for members from gangs to be brought together to negotiate a truce.The report suggests all the Island's agencies need to come together for a National Summit to “assess what can and cannot be reasonably done”.It states one of the first issues agencies should discuss should be gang mediation, which has been put forward by both “those on the streets and in high places”.It would see gang members sitting around the table with mediators to try to understand the motives behind the escalating gun crime.The joint select committee on violent crime and gun violence issued its report and made its recommendations to the House of Assembly yesterday. The task force is now calling on Government to kick-start the National Summit, which will then help provide the seed work for a National Plan to ensure tackling these problems is “Bermuda's number one priority”.Members are calling for both Government and non-Governmental organisations to “pull together, review and better co-ordinate” their programmes.They are calling for careful consideration for “each and every programme” to make sure they make Bermuda safer, improve lives and deter antisocial behaviour.The task force has made recommendations in the areas of gangs and legislation, the Bermuda Police Service, Department of Corrections, border controls, drugs, education and families.The report highlights the shortage of police offices in narcotics and marine police and the difficulties of conducting a trial by jury within the jury system.Recommendations include aggressive border enforcement to prevent the influx of drugs and guns, tougher sentences, sub-police stations in gang hot spots, more CCTV cameras and a school for at-risk youngsters.But the need for gang mediation is repeatedly mentioned, with the report stating there “might be some merit” if this takes place “out of the public eye and out of the spotlight”.However, the report does say with “the level of enmity that continues to exist between gangs,” it is not known for certain whether gang meditation would be a success.Randy Horton, chairman of the joint select committee, said at a press conference yesterday: “The joint select committee's work was merely the beginning in the move to eradicating these extremely destructive behaviours from our community.“Presentations identified a wide range of closely interrelated problem areas, all of which cannot be tackled immediately and at the same time.“It also became readily evident that the issues of violent crime and gun violence are complex and have their roots in many of Bermuda's social problems. There is no simple solution, nor is there only one solution”.The committee was set up in July last year and was said to have received “tremendous public support” with 47 presentations made to them. A total of 37 of these were open to the public.Mr Horton, House deputy speaker, said the committee had encouraged politicians and the private sector to work together to tackle the Island's problems and he praised the enthusiastic presenters for “being intent on improving the quality of life in Bermuda”.Those who made submissions included those on the front line such as the Bermuda Police Service, the Prison Service and HM Customs, charities and supports groups, as well as concerned residents.The report states that as members listened to the presentations they “were left wondering whether there is an opportunity for better and greater co-ordination between agencies”.It was bipartisan committee with all members “remaining focused on improving our society which is above all politics”.Committee member John Barritt, leader of the One Bermuda Alliance, said he hoped the committee “helps to change the way we do business up on the hill”.He said: “We all sat around the table and worked out what was best for the country together, rather than debating and having confrontations”.Committee members also included PLP MPs Lovitta Foggo and Ashfield DeVent, OBA MP Mark Pettingill, OBA Senate leader Michael Dunkley and Independent Senator Joan Dillas-Wright.