is to win the fight against crime, according to outgoing Commissioner Colin Coxall.

In a report obtained by The Royal Gazette , the Island's top policeman argued that a number of new initiatives should be launched.

Recommendations included the development of a National Crime and Drug Prevention Strategies, increasing the number of pedal cycle patrols for traffic management, developing new training procedures and building closer links with the community and youth groups.

Commissioner Coxall highlighted the need for specialist training in the field of crime prevention and also said that the force will have to continue to seek private sponsorship to fund some of its programmes.

The report also condemned the fact that facilities to allow police interviews to be video recorded had still not been introduced, even though the project had been researched, costed and budgeted.

And in a backward step, the Commissioner noted that "consideration may have to be made to re-introducing foreign recruitment either on a limited contract basis or secondment.'' In an introduction to the report, Commissioner Coxall said: "Many strategic intents have been undertaken whilst many more are in the process of being implemented.

"The following sections outline the strategic intents that have major funding implications and which will need to be phased in over the next three to five years.'' Key developments include the establishment of a link with Police Intelligence in the Caribbean and increasing staff in the Narcotics Department.

But the comprehensive and far reaching report is unlikely to end the row between Commissioner Coxall -- who is due to arrive back in Bermuda later today from a trip overseas -- and leading politicians over the setting up of a succession and training plan for a new Commissioner.

Last week Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness blasted the Commissioner for failing to set up the plan.

And yesterday he told The Royal Gazette : "The report doesn't take anything away from that. The matter of training in Bermuda is mentioned, but I am disappointed that it hasn't been given more prominence.

"But we should thank the Commissioner for the report and the Government will ensure that these remaining recommendations are implemented.

"We will also be introducing a bill in the next session making it legal to video interviews. It takes a little time to get these things in place.

"But for the last four or five years we have had a policy of not recruiting from overseas and it's our intention to continue with that policy if we can get sufficient Bermudians into the service.

"The Government planned this strategy in the first instance and we will give it our support.''