The recent spate of violent crime should be of grave concern to the community, especially as it comes on the heels of the news that violent crime in the last three months of 2006 spiked in spite of a decline in the overall crime rate.

This newsroom is now receiving almost daily Police reports of muggings and attacks in the street. These range from attacks on security guards to knifings to muggings, including one in which the victim was not only robbed of his money, but was stripped down to his underwear as well.

It is not entirely clear what has caused this recent upsurge in crime although it is reasonable to assume that drugs are involved. What is certain is that it is causing fear and unrest in the streets and has serious ramifications for the community.

At the risk of stating the obvious, one of the fundamental responsibilities of any government is to give its citizens a sense of security. When people are afraid to leave their homes, then the government is failing in that basic responsibility.

This is not good enough. Bermuda's citizens deserve better. The economy — including all the good work Premier Dr. Ewart Brown and others have done in tourism — will be endangered, and with it, people's economic security will be as well.

Now is the time for those in positions of responsibility to step up and get to grips with the situation — before it gets any worse.