The United Bermuda Party will open a new Police sub-station in crime-hit Warwick, the party announced yesterday as it unveiled two election candidates.

The UBP would open the sub-station at the Hayward Plaza and would increase the number of community beat officers.

The announcement was made as the party unveiled former Senate leader and Minister of Telecommunications Bob Richards as the candidate for Warwick South East (Constituency 24), and former Government and Community Affairs Minister Yvette Swan for Warwick North Central (Constituency 27).

At a Press conference outside a community Police station on Middle Road which has closed down, party leader Dr. Grant Gibbons said the UBP would also beef up the number of officers across the Island if re-elected.

Mrs. Swan said: "We believe in community policing but it is impossible with one community policeman in charge of the whole of Warwick."

She added that there must be at least 10,000 residents and it was impossible for one policeman to do that work. The new UBP government will make sure there is an increased number in community policing. It is obvious that if the Police can be seen and on the beat and visible that crime will go down."

Mr. Richards, who takes on Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott in the July 24 poll, said crime was the number one issue in the area. "The new UBP feel very strongly that people have the right to feel safe in their homes and we intend to do something about that," said Mr. Richards.

"We intend to have a sub-station in Warwick. It is impossible to cover Warwick from Somerset. People have made their voices very clear that this is one of the most important issues."

The PLP has not yet named the candidate running against Mrs Swan in Constituency 27.

Dr. Gibbons said Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith had told him he had difficulty getting the service up to full strength and the UBP would address this - but he refused to say how many extra officers this would involve. But he said money used on foreign travel, big cars for ministers and fast ferries could fund it.

"It seems the priorities are a little wrong over the last few years." said Dr. Gibbons.

"There has been a lot of money spent on travel, on bigger cars and faster ferries. (Other issues) like seniors, healthcare, police manpower and housing come first in our minds. We've been listening carefully on the doorstep and people are very concerned about safety and the safety of their children.

"We've had on-going discussions with the Police Commissioner over the last couple of years and he is very supportive of the community beat officer approach. We know the Commissioner had some difficulties because of retirements, training abroad and leave of appropriately qualified staff. These are the issues and we will fix that."

Dr. Gibbons refuted suggestions that the UBP reduced the number of officers during the 1990s when it held power.

He said the force was civilianised, taking officers away from desk duties and putting them on the beat, which added about 60 officers. Community policing could also be used to tackle gang violence, he said.

Community officers would know who was involved. Police could also increase patrols and Government could look at finding jobs for youths involved in gangs, said Dr. Gibbons.