An antiviolence activist has been unveiled as a candidate for the Free Democratic Movement ahead of the General Election next month.

Desmond Crockwell, who is to run for Hamilton East (Constituency 5), said his campaign will be built around integrity and honesty, as well as addressing crime in the community.

He told members of the media outside Sessions House: "We have to work together for the betterment of the country.

“We need to get things done and I am known as a person who gets things done.

“As many may know, I am committed to working with our young people, and youth development in professional and personal areas over the last 20 years, and I believe that the FDM is the best opposition.

“We have the best organisation and we are ready for this upcoming election.”

Speaking on crime, Mr Crockwell added: "We need prevention, we need promotion … and we need to look at the justice system."

Mr Crockwell runs an antiviolence magazine called Visionz and has organised peace marches around the island.

“We need relationship building and that means community members need to get involved,” he said.

“There is a multipronged approach to stopping violence.

“My personal opinion is that we need prevention, we need a form of promotion — there is not enough promotion in our schools, no stop-the-violence posters or banners.

“We do need to take a look at our justice system and how our prisoners are being treated because we have seen that it is not a rehabilitation service, it is more of a punishment service. We have seen complaints about how inmates are being treated.”

The Royal Gazette recently reported on concerns from an inmate as well as the head of the Prison Officers Association about the need for more resources within the Department of Corrections, including for educational and rehabilitative programmes.

The Government responded that it was aware of the shortfalls and was committed to addressing violence through a boost in financing for such programmes.

Mr Crockwell said money spent on the Gang Violence Reduction Team could be better used by investing directly in each parish.

He added: “We need to look at how we need to disburse some of the funds that are being used and we can allocate that to larger parts of the island.

“If we have a budget of $400,000 to $500,000 at the Gang Violence Reduction Team, if we took that and put $40,000 into each community, in each parish, I think that we would have a greater impact, especially with community involvement.

“The community members are the ones who know our young people well.”

In November, the Government introduced into the Legislature the National Violence Reduction Strategy which builds on the work the team has been doing. The strategy received unanimous support.

Asked if he felt his efforts in addressing violence had been impactful, Mr Crockwell responded: “We have gangsters contact us and thank us for the things that we are doing, we have parents thank us, the schools have asked us to go back again.

“The antiviolence marches that promote antiviolence — we have had people asking us to come into their community and bring the awareness.

“They [gang members] would be involved … We can see them included in the decision-making. That is important.”

Mr Crockwell ran for the FDM in Hamilton East in the 2020 General Election, against Derrick Burgess for the Progressive Labour Party, and Elizabeth Deacon, for the One Bermuda Alliance.

Mr Burgess this week announced his retirement from politics.

Asked about the political structure in Bermuda, which includes the FDM, the PLP — that won by a landslide in 2020 — the OBA and numerous independent candidates, Mr Crockwell noted: “It speaks to the concerns of the people.

“People are tired. We are known for getting things done and we are known for pushing development.”

Mr Crockwell described Marc Bean, the FDM's leader, as the most intellectual and articulate opposition party leader since the late L. Frederick Wade.

Mr Wade, after whom Bermuda’s airport was named, served as leader of the opposition PLP from 1976 to 1987.

Mr Crockwell said the issues that affected constituents in Hamilton East were the same issues that affected the island at large.

“We hear about cost of living, housing, the crime going on. We hear about the seniors, the young people feeling like they are left out.

“They are concerns that not only affect Hamilton Parish but affect the whole country and I think that we are all on the same page.

“I love Hamilton Parish, I love the community, I love community work … I am here for the long term.

“Everyone who knows me knows I am from the area. This is my home and I look forward to representing my home.”