Nearly one in five people would arm themselves with a gun if they were legalised in Bermuda, amid fears about escalating crime.

More than six in ten believe expatriate workers unfairly win jobs over local applicants. Housing is still the top concern for most, half believe racism is a serious problem, and more than half want gambling to remain illegal.

Those were the findings of a new poll made public for the first time today, which lifts the lid on attitudes towards a range of hot topics.

A total of 400 Bermudian and non-Bermudian residents were quizzed by telephone in September by staff from Research.bm.

Conducted in the wake of three shootings over the summer, including a murder, the poll showed four in ten residents felt less safe as a result. A total of 16 percent said they would buy a gun if they were legalised.

All firearms were banned in the wake of the assassination of the Police Commissioner, George Duckett in 1972 and the assassination of the Governor, Sir Richard Sharples and his aide de camp, Capt. Hugh Sayers in 1973.

Several years later, licensed members of gun clubs were allowed to own weapons for competition shooting.

Premier Ewart Brown said last night that he was “not surprised, but concerned” about the statistics on the desire for gun ownership, but pledged that firearms would not be made legal by his Government.

And Minister for Public Safety, David Burch, moved to down-play the statistics.

“If you asked anyone ‘do they want a car?’ most people would say yes. There is no chance of this Minister ever entertaining the legalising of firearms.

“We are committed to law and good order and I as Minister will do all in my power to ensure that the Police enforce all the laws of this land and are ever pursuing every means to prevent crime,” he said. He listed measures to tackle rising crime as including increased Police funding, bringing in extra officers from overseas, and increasing CCTV coverage.

Leader of the Opposition Wayne Furbert said violent crime had escalated under the PLP — but also agreed that legalising guns them is not the way forward.

“That’s not the road to take. We will focus instead on better prevention and detection of crime,” he said.

With rising crime listed at the second biggest concern after the housing crisis, Commissioner of Police George Jackson moved to reassure residents that officers are working hard on the issue.

He stressed that a small number of core offenders with substance abuse problems are behind most crime — with most violent crime committed within pre-existing family or gang relationships, not at random.

Pointing to initiatives such as the Community Action Team — officers who are sent in to target specific troublespots — he said: “As Commissioner of Police I am firmly committed to providing the people of Bermuda with community-orientated policing, maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.”

He warned that those who believe arming themselves with a legal firearm would be a wise move are mistaken.

“There’s no assurance that having a gun present will reduce the chances of becoming a victim.

“In jurisdictions such as the United States where guns are available, a person with a gun in their residence is more likely to have it used on someone in the home rather than on an intruder,” he said. In addition to housing and crime, race-related concerns were at the forefront of the minds of those quizzed.

Exactly half listed racism as either an extremely serious or very serious problem. Dr. Brown said he was not surprised, commenting: “The ebb-less tide of racism affects our lives daily.”

But he suggested that the majority who believe expatriates are unfairly winning jobs over Bermudians might not be accurate.

“These numbers are probably grounded in the fact that perceptions reflect the truth as well as suspicions,” he said.

Lynne Winfield, president of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda said: “I am not surprised at the response to the survey results with regard to race, as institutionalised racism is ongoing in Bermuda, and black Bermudians can detail stories where discrimination has occurred.

“This is why discussion on racism must be ongoing to ensure that people’s stories can be told and open, honest and respectful dialogue can occur.

“The belief that expatriates secure jobs over qualified Bermudians unfairly is widespread... there is no doubt that discriminatory practices are occurring, and senior management in firms must be proactive in ensuring that their hiring processes are not discriminatory in any way.”

Myra Virgil, Director of Human Affairs at the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, said the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality was working hard to attempt to eradicate racism through efforts including public forums and employer training.

“The Human Rights Commission, which has the mandate to investigate allegations of discrimination, takes complaints on these issues. Proactively, staff of the Commission also review employment advertisements each day in an effort to ensure that job applications are gender-neutral and free of discriminatory language,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Research.bm said that as the question on expatriate workers had been posed for the first time, the company was keen to do follow ups to gauge views further.

The margin of error for the survey as a whole was 4.9 percent and the sample reflected the population breakdown of the Island.

Violence, racism top resident's concerns