It's not exactly been set up for Michael DeSilva to ease himself in gently as the Island's new Police Commissioner.

Three men shot dead in the past couple of weeks — including one the night before he was sworn in and another on his second day in charge — mean he's tasked with restoring calm on an Island horrified by a shocking spiral of gun violence.

But what seems one of the most unenviable jobs on the Island is not an impossible one, according to the new chief of Bermuda Police Service.

"What a time to start," he told The Royal Gazette. "Things couldn't possibly be any worse? That's not actually my first thought, because the community has made such a strong, loud effort to become galvanised.

"The Police are not alone. That's what gives me comfort even though I'm taking this role at such a tumultuous time."

Mr. DeSilva's optimism may seem strange given that the public's refusal to step forward as witnesses is thwarting his efforts to secure convictions against gunmen.

Yet the outcry from all corners of the Island — with peace rallies, protest marches and groups like We Will Rise Above, Bermuda, Youth on the Move and CARTEL taking centre stage — has convinced him the people at large are determined to pull in the right direction.

Mr. DeSilva's swearing-in ceremony last Wednesday came after a triple shooting in 12 hours, including the death of 22-year-old Gary Cann. The day after the ceremony, 30-year-old Shane Minors was shot dead.

The Commissioner has vowed to take back the streets one at a time, but he told The Royal Gazette Police can't do that alone.

"It's not the Police taking back the streets, it's the community taking back the streets. We know that it will take more than the Police," he said.

"If all we do is go out and arrest people and that's the only tool in our toolbox, we can't expect big changes to occur.

"We have to change environments, make neighbourhoods less desirable for gang members and make them more desirable for law abiding people to enjoy a higher quality of life.

"Many of these gang members are there because they have no options. The community groups are saying we have to give these guys education, a decent job, decent living accommodations, help for them to look after their children and elderly parents."

Mr. DeSilva stresses the relationship is a two-way street and has already made big steps improving communications.

His predecessor George Jackson was well-known for shunning the spotlight — virtually never attending press conferences and often keeping a vice-like grip on information about Police initiatives and investigations.

In contrast, Mr. DeSilva has actively made himself available for interview and declared the public has a right to know how the Police are going about their job.

"The only thing that's secret is specific evidence that would jeopardise a court case," he said.

"Everything else is for scrutiny: how we tackle the gang problem is something the public have a right to know about.

"It wasn't that long ago that we were under severe criticism from the general public, let alone the Government, that we were not doing enough and we were being ineffective at every corner.

"It appeared to the public that we weren't in the right areas, we weren't acting on the information that we had.

"We have made a concerted effort over the last month to do a much better job at the way we communicate with the public."

Police have started updating people about incidents on Facebook and Twitter, which he encourages people to monitor to counter the development of false rumours.

They are also considering setting up a free text messaging service to inform people when major incidents have taken place.

Meanwhile, officers have been making greater efforts to get the safety message across to reduce anxiety in schools in the areas where shootings have taken place.

Mr. DeSilva's approach has already won praise from the difficult-to-please Public Safety Minister David Burch, who last week withdrew his demand for operational control of policing and gave the new boss his full backing.

"My intention is to ensure that our relationship with the Ministry is about explaining to the Minister what we need our budget for so they can have comfort and provide us with support for Cabinet to give us the funds we need," said Mr. DeSilva.

"So far in the last three weeks the relationship I have had with him is exactly what I anticipated. I'm sharing with him everything."

He said the row over operational control had not affected the rank and file, explaining: "As far as they are concerned, I'm in charge. That's all they need to know.

"We have seen perhaps a change of heart, change of thought, when it comes to Government, so it's perhaps not even relevant for me to comment. If it becomes a real issue then I would give my professional view to His Excellency first."