A dance school boss who wants more officers patrolling Bermuda?s streets has delivered a near 400-name petition to Police Commissioner George Jackson.

Jeanne Legere had already started collecting signatures when one of her former students was allegedly attacked in Hamilton.

The ex-pupil, who was with a friend when the early hours incident happened, was allegedly assaulted outside the Burnaby Street school where she used to perform.

Both young women said they held onto their handbags when the suspect made a grab for them.

The suspect then allegedly punched one of the victims in the eye, before reportedly striking the former student in the face and fleeing.

The director at Jackson?s School of Performing Arts said the report of the attempted robbery underscored her concerns about street patrols ? but it also ?hit home? because it involved an ex-student.

?People have been complaining for a long time now that there?s not enough Police on the streets and crime is getting worse,? she told .

?But it got so close to home because of these dancers.?

She stressed there had been absolutely no trouble for dancers attending evening sessions, but added: ?It?s time people said we have had enough and we want to see a (Police) presence.?

Mrs. Legere said it took just two days to collect the 380 signatures on the petition, a fact she claims shows the strength of feeling in the community about Police patrols on an Island still reeling from a spate of violent street attacks.

?I walked the streets and left one at a store,? she recalled. ?Just one person refused to sign. The response was amazing.?

She said she started collecting names before the incident was reported earlier this month.

After it happened, however, she was determined to get the petition sent to people in power.

She has posted copies to the Police Commissioner, as well as to Premier Alex Scott, Governor Sir John Vereker and Hamilton Mayor Jay Bluck. She sent it last week. So far nobody has responded.

Police numbers are currently depleted and the Commissioner is currently on a recruitment drive in Barbados in a bid to bolster the ranks. In the wake of several high-profile shootings, the Governor recently pledged that the service will be up to full strength by the end of October.

But Mrs. Legere believes that even if the force is stretched, the resources available at the moment are not being used to best effect.

?I have never, ever seen any Police walking the street,? she added. ?Yet you go down East Broadway and there are seven Police officers stopping drivers without licences.

?Do they really need that many? Why not put five of them in town??

Mrs. Legere said she was not confident her petition would make a difference. But she added: ?If they know enough people are ticked off, then they might do something.

?Bermuda is a rich country. It should not have the crime that it has.?

Responding to the petition, the Bermuda Police Service yesterday said: ?It?s no secret that there are currently vacancies within the Bermuda Police Service. However, we are addressing this both overseas, with our current recruitment campaign in the Caribbean and locally.?

Ten, local new recruits were currently in Police training school.

A spokesman added that CCTV was also helping the fight against crime, and said cameras apparently helped catch the suspect in the Burnaby Street case.

A 20-year-old Devonshire man was arrested in connection with the incident. The spokesman said he had been ?placed before the courts? but could not give any more details last night.