with the rate of recorded crime increasing as detection rates fall.

The Police are doing "virtually nothing'' on crime prevention with just one officer involved in the work, a situation described as "appalling'' by Mr.

Coxall.

According to the Strategy more than 30 percent of Bermuda's prisoners are serving sentences connected with drugs and 70 percent of offenders cite drugs as the route cause of their offences.

Local crime, international large-scale organised crime and money laundering could cause increasing damage to the Island "if left unchecked''.

Mr. Coxall wants to establish a criminal intelligence system, gathering information on crimes and criminals, and develop investigation skills among uniformed officers.

Crime screening policies to target crimes which officers believe they can quickly solve will be set up, crime and fraud prevention associations involving the community and Government put in place and a money laundering unit created.

There would also be a drug confiscation unit, taking profits from the trade to fund the Police, a substantial increase in the number of officers investigating drugs and better facilities for scenes of crimes officers who should be equipped with more up-to-date equipment.

"If opportunities for crime and the incidence of crime are reduced through the Parish Constable scheme, judicious deployment of officers on foot, improved crime prevention and community involvement, then crime detection can be concentrated on the perpetrators of crime,'' said Mr. Coxall.