Law and order Minister Quinton Edness yesterday backed a massive Police offensive designed to drive drug dealers from the streets.

He torpedoed claims by overseas academics that the beneficial effects of Operation Cleansweep on the war on drugs could be minimal in the long-term.

And he blew out of the water suggestions that the Police action could have fuelled a mini-crime wave.

Mr. Edness was speaking after overseas academics said that Operation Cleansweep may have been responsible for a rash of armed robberies last month.

Dr. Jeffrey Fagan, Professor of Public Health at New York City's Columbia University, said the series of crimes last month could have been committed by drugs dealers whose illegal incomes had been hit by the Police swoop or by desperate addicts having to pay higher prices because of higher prices caused by the crackdown.

He was backed by Bermudian Professor of Criminology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, who said "a fair amount'' of petty crime was due to people feeding a drug habit and that a crackdown could increase criminal activity.

But Mr. Edness said: "I don't want to be rude or anything -- but these people are crazy.'' And he questioned what Bermuda was supposed to do, asking if the authorities should just sit on the sidelines and do nothing to combat the drugs menace.

He said: "We cannot sit by and allow people who are selling drugs, using drugs and importing drugs to continue unabated and have a field day.'' Moe than 20 people were arrested in June and charged in connection with the undercover sting operation -- a first for Bermuda -- in which officers from the US Drug Enforcement Agency used hidden cameras to tape alleged drugs transactions.

Mr. Edness added he accepted crackdowns like Cleansweep could not be effective on their own.

But he said: "Having looked at these drugs problems in Bermuda for many years, they have to be tackled with a two-pronged attack or a three-pronged attack.'' He explained that Government was well aware that the full benefits of busting street dealing could only be reaped in tandem with keeping drugs out of the Island altogether and setting up programmes to reduce demand for illicit drugs.

Mr. Edness said: "We know programmes developed to reduce demand for drugs like education about drugs, public health initiatives, getting information to children and community groups and rehabilitation are vital.'' He pointed out that no country -- including the US and Canada -- had been completely successful in eliminating the drugs menace.

Mr. Edness said: "The job of preventing drugs getting in, keeping them off the streets and responding to those neighbourhoods who have been taken over is a tough one.

"But we have to fight that as well as put in prevention programmes to make sure they don't go to these places to buy drugs in the first place -- if we reduce demand there won't be high profits.'' Edness defends Cleansweep Mr. Edness added that he accepted some drug dealing would be shifted from targeted areas -- but said that putting convicted drugs dealers behind bars would automatically reduce supply.

And he said: "Some of those people, when they come out of jail, will try and earn a decent living.

"We have to fight on every front -- it upsets me when well-meaning academics come along and say it may have sparked a crime wave.

"We can't in this Country live off maybes -- we have to act. I would ask these gentlemen to provide acceptable and practical alternatives to rid Bermuda of drugs. They shouldn't talk about what may have happened unless they have got alternatives.'' Mr. Edness added that he was grateful for the concern shown by the academics over the Island's drug problem.

"But really, we can't stand by and do nothing. I would be more impressed if they suggested things to reduce the abuse of drugs by so many people which keeps the demand high.

"Whether or not Cleansweep has created a crime wave is all speculation.'' And Mr. Edness said: "While a lot of efforts are being made to achieve demand reduction, that's a lot more difficult to achieve -- in the meantime we have to act.'' DRUGS DGS CRIME CRM