THE island's way of life is under threat from an escalating rise in crime that has flourished unchecked for the past decade, according to the Opposition United Bermuda Party.

And unless police resources are given a substantial boost, there will be "serious breakdown in our social fabric" which could have damaging repurcussions on the island's economy and international reputation.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley urged Government to get the currently "overwhelmed" Bermuda Police Service up to strength and to recognise that "the situation as it is and as it is developing constitutes a national threat".

Mr. Dunkley (pictured) also scoffed at claims by Public Safety Minister David Burch that Government had no influence over the police and questioned why officers were still negotiating a pay settlement three years after their last contract had expired.

According to the latest statistics, robberies in the first quarter of 2008 jumped by 50 per cent on last year while there were 135 burglaries just last month.

"To understand the scale of what is taking place, one need only compare crime rates with a few years ago," Sen. Dunkley said.

"Burglaries are now occurring at twice the rate they were in 2000. The trend to violence is disturbing. Violent crime is at its highest point since police record-keeping began. Robberies are happening at more than twice the rate they occurred in the late 1990s. Indeed, the police said that the number of robberies in the first three months of this year ¿ 46 ¿ is the largest number since 2000.

"Bermuda's way of life is at a crossroads. We are moving from a relatively safe society to a society that is more violence prone and more dangerous for law-abiding citizens. The reality is that the trends in crime have been ticking up without significant deviation for most of the past eight years.

"The United Bermuda Party has been calling for comprehensive, concerted action to fight the trends because they pose a lethal threat to our way of life ¿ not just in our homes, our neighbourhoods and on our streets, but also to our economy.

"Beyond the impact of crime in our neighbourhoods, this Government must understand that we are walking on very thin ice with international businesses who are being courted aggressively by other jurisdictions.

"The margins between Bermuda and these competing destinations are very thin, and the spread of crime is the kind of thing that can quickly tip the balance against businesses continuing to have a presence here. We are extremely concerned that the Government does not understand the deep threat runaway crime is posing to our way of life."

Sen. Dunkley praised the police for working "under very trying circumstances" but added: "As things stand, it appears the Police Service is not coping with the extent and nature of crime in Bermuda. There is every appearance that it is being overwhelmed. Indeed, conversations with officers indicate that the undermanned service at virtually every level is exhausted from working overtime."

He insisted Government must "get serious about crime and take action" ¿ and challenged the ruling party to answer a number of questions.

"We need serious, deliberate action in which resources are mobilized to roll back the forces of crime. We do not believe we can continue to absorb ever-increasing crime rates without a serious breakdown in our social fabric.

"Where are we on the next inspection of the Police Service? Where are we on accrediting the Police Service? Where are we on recruiting? When will the Service have a full complement of officers to prevent and deter crime? Where are we on a new collective bargaining agreement?" Sen. Dunkley asked.

"In regards to the first question, the Police Service was last inspected in 2003 by a highly qualified UK Inspector of Constabulary. The inspections offer highly useful reviews of what is working well, what is not working well, and recommendations flow from them.

"These inspections typically run in three-to-four year cycles, with recommendations followed by a period of implementation. We are now in the fifth year and have no news of a new inspection. So we repeat our question ¿ where are we on the next inspection?

"The police accreditation was started in 2003 with the application to the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies. The process helps ensure police are doing things to recognised standards ¿ to improve police performance in operational, technical and administrative areas. The accreditation should have been completed in 2007, and so we ask the question again ¿ where are we on accrediting the Police Service?

"The United Bermuda Party has been long calling for the Police Service to hire more officers. They have been seriously undermanned for too long, and it is no doubt the reason for the exhaustion we keep hearing about.

"It is our understanding the Service is more than ten per cent below strength. This must end. Late last year, we recognised that Bermuda may be having trouble attracting police to the island because of a variety of factors ¿ the falling value of the dollar against other currencies being one, combined with Bermuda's high cost of living.

"At the time, we urged the Minister to review the package Bermuda was offering, and to do whatever was necessary to make it work. And so we repeat our questions ¿ where are we on recruiting? When will the Service have a full complement of officers to prevent and detect crime?"

"Finally, we need to know where we are on a new collective bargaining agreement.

"Police are now two to three years out of contract. We know that negotiations failed and that they went to arbitration. We need a statement from the Minister on this but also some recognition of the need for resolution on this important matter. Lack of an agreement may be affecting the performance of officers.

"The Bermuda public needs to know that this Government gets the seriousness of the crime situation. Right now, there is no direction, no leadership. People want action."

The Mid-Ocean News yesterday e-mailed Public Safety Minister David Burch asking him to respond to Mr. Dunkley's concerns. No response was received by press time last night.

q The Mid-Ocean News understands that an arbitration panel formed to decide a new pay deal for the Bermuda Police Service has now made a ruling. However, officers have yet to be informed of any details of the new deal. Police sources informed this newspaper that the decision was being kept under wraps until the end of the month.