THE Opposition United Bermuda Party has reiterated its call for the island to "move with the collective effort" to eradicate violence on the island.

And it has also urged Government to give police the tools to tackle crime and to also address social issues it believes are to blame for the rise in violence.

UBP leader Kim Swan spoke out following the murder earlier this month of Kellon Hill. The 18 year old was set upon by a gang of youths and knifed to death while attending a beach party. Six teenagers have since been charged in connection with the incident.

In an emotionally-charged statement, Mr. Swan said: "The United Bermuda Party wanted to hold off any detailed comment on issues arising from the death of Kellon Hill until the family laid to rest their beloved son.

"Many of us attended Tuesday's funeral and I can say we were moved by the love and the nobility of the family in the face of such deep tragedy. Our hearts and our prayers remain with them.

"Tuesday's gathering was also a reminder that we have a big problem in our midst - because what happened to Kellon was not an isolated incident. Kellon was the sixth young person killed by violence over the past three years.

"Each death has been a jolt that tells us we are changing as a society in ways no one wants. Yet each time we have failed to move with the collective effort necessary to cure the ills that cause such violence.

"Let there be no mistake, we are in the midst of a national crisis; a crisis in which young people are dying by violence, where young people are losing touch with values and rules that hold societies together.

"We cannot afford to let things continue as they are. It is time to take action. To do nothing ¿ as we have been doing ¿ is not an option. This is about the future of our young people. This is about the future of our island.

"The tragedy that struck the Hill family can strike any of us at any time. This is the reality that we now live with.

"In moving forward, I am reminded of the title to one of Hilary Clinton's books, It Takes a Village. There is wisdom for us in those words. If we return to our old-fashioned values, I am confident we can build a better Bermuda, one that is safer for our children, one that gives them a place to live a good life.

"Last week in the hours after Kellon's death, Gina Spence Farmer made a statement that I want to repeat here. She said: 'If Kellon's passing is to have any positive meaning, it can be that one day people will look back and say that was when Bermuda turned the corner and got serious about dealing with the problem, that was when we all started working together to get our young people back on track.' That is our wish."

Party colleagues joined Mr. Swan in condemning the attack. Spokeswoman Mrs. Spence Farmer said: "In discussions with my colleagues, we keep coming come back to one shared observation, which is that there is a vacuum at the centre of our society; a vacuum where parents don't matter, where education fails, where police don't exist, where murders go unsolved, where leaders set the wrong examples, where values such as hard work, respect and tolerance are not understood, where the foundations of faith and family are weak.

"Many of our young people live in this vacuum, disconnected from society and increasingly susceptible to the lure of gang culture. It is a lawless environment, where there is no fear of police, no fear of prosecution, no fear of imprisonment, no fear of parents, no fear of consequences, and no fear of God; where weapons are carried and violence is glorified.

"How we got to this state of affairs is a matter for academic study, and requires an honest look in the mirror for all of us. But it is our view that virtually the entire infrastructure supporting the development of young Bermudians is clearly broken.

"We are quick to identify homes that are broken and families that are in distress, but there is a House on Parliament Hill that needs healing, that needs to come together and lead one Bermuda because a house divided against itself cannot stand, or lead or change anything."

Shadow Justice Minister Mark Pettingill added: "Government needs to acknowledge that we have a problem and to stop talking around it. It needs to step up to the wicket, get connected and get working.

"One of the first things we'd like to see is the formation of a special task force to help the Government focus on the matter, to determine what needs to be done and to coordinate policies so they do not work at cross-purposes. The recent passage of free day care legislation followed by increases in the cost of after-school care is an example of what must be avoided. Unity of purpose in policy-making and the allocation of resources are critical.

"The Government needs to revisit some of its spending priorities. Budgets this year for Teen Services, Family Services and other bodies supporting our youth were reduced, which run counter to the demands faced by these services.

"We believe the time has come to draft parental responsibility legislation and to bring it forward for consideration by the Legislature. It is clear from the community debate over the past few days that parents must play a stronger role in the lives of their children. One suggested measure is to make parents liable for the whereabouts of their underage children at night."

Mr. Pettingill outlined other initiatives to stem the flow of violence, including:

l Legislation to ensure better protection of witnesses.

l Anti-social behaviour orders to diminish the destabilising effect young people can have on neighbourhoods.

l Anti-gang behaviour programmes in schools.

l Better systems to help teachers and principals respond to early warning signs of troubled youth.

"All of us need to better understand our young people, and in this we believe it would be useful to hold regular youth summits, to listen to and learn what they have to say," Mr. Pettingill said.

"Let's give them a voice. Let's hear their ideas. Let's hear what they have to say. Finally, I'd like to reiterate our call for the Government to ease cost-of-living pressures on working families. The pressures on parents to keep their families afloat are relentless, taking them away from their children as they work two, sometimes three jobs. We have to give families a break. Our payroll tax cut plan is one way to help."

And Opposition Senate leader and Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley said crime would continue to spread unless police had the resources to do their job.

"In recent years we have witnessed a serious decline in law and order," he said.

"Our island is less safe than it once was. Many believe we are losing control of the streets and that criminals feel that whatever they do they won't get caught. It doesn't have to be this way.

"We have urged the Government as a matter of priority to increase police manpower. We have urged it to settle its long-standing pay dispute with Police, now three years without a contract. We can't explain why the Government drags its feet in this crucial area of public life. It makes no sense to us.

"The Police Service as a result is undermanned, overworked and stretched to the breaking point. Their professionalism remains intact but morale is low. Early this year, they took the unprecedented step of protesting their concerns. Some weeks later the Government rejected their arbitrated contract settlement. Despite the deeply unsatisfying environment Police are in, we believe the situation can be turned around.

"But first the Government needs to see the big picture. The fact that the Premier has more on-the-ground police protection day to day than the City of Hamilton suggests that priorities and perspectives are not right. The public demand for a stronger police presence must not come second to the reasons for not restoring police numbers or not signing the police contract."

Sen. Dunkley said that as a matter of priority, Government should:

l Settle the police contract.

l Hire new officers.

l Provide police with the tools and facilities they need to do the job. The Hamilton Station/court complex should be a priority.

l Build a Warwick substation to increase visibility in the parish.

l Get the St. George's Police Station operational.

l Get beat policing back in operation. We need community-dedicated officers who know the people in their communities.

l Station police at known trouble spots.

l Get police in the schools to talk with kids

l Enforce the laws at all times not just in sporadic crackdowns.

Law and order is basic to the health of any community, he said.