Shadow Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess yesterday hit out at Premier Alex Scott's televised speech on law and order, accusing it of lacking gravity.

The Opposition MP questioned why the Premier, in his Wednesday evening broadcast, did not set out a timetable for getting Bermuda Police Service back up to full strength.

He said the force was 60 officers short, adding: "I want the people of Bermuda to see that the officers promised are here and on the ground running.

"Every society is, from time to time, confronted with a shortage of manpower in the Police service. But we are judged by how seriously we take it and how quickly and effectively we respond.

"What we have got to do, in my view, is get the service up to full complement as quickly as possible."

Premier Scott said in his speech that necessary steps were being taken to ensure that the Police could recruit all the officers it required.

But Mr. Burgess said he would like to have heard a detailed timeframe for when the extra officers would be in place.

He said: "The fact that the Premier could have a national address and talk about the intention to address the problem in a few weeks ahead ? he effectively told the criminals last night you have a couple of weeks before we are going to tackle you."

He said the Government needed to explain why officers such as narcotics detective Clifford Roberts who was suspended in May 2002 amid drugs allegations, were not working.

"We are paying for him. We are not proceeding with a court case because that opportunity has come and gone. I don't understand why we don't have officers like him back on the beat."

He added that he had visited known crime trouble spots yesterday to assess the impact of the speech.

"I can reassure you I did not see people trembling.

"I suspect it's the way because the speech did not carry the gravity that it thought it ought and must carry."

Mr. Burgess said recent gang-related violence ? including the gun murder of teenager Jason Lightbourne last month ? meant Bermuda was "at the official crossroads" with regard to how it tackled the problem.

"This is a critical period in our history. We will not get a second chance to get it right."

He said the Island needed a return to old-fashioned policing, where parish constables got to know the people in their patch and could elicit crucial information from them.

"In the long haul, people have to feel that the Police service is their friend and want to work with them."

Mr. Burgess said the UBP caucus was investigating whether it could table legislation to outlaw gangs.

"We are looking at anti-gang legislation. If we can table it, clearly we will. If it requires the Government to do so then we will platform it and lay out what we think it can do. We are looking at it now with a view to implementing it at the earliest possible moment."