Firearms specialists from overseas will soon be patrolling the streets of Bermuda with local Police.

Minister of Home Affairs David Burch and Commissioner of Police Michael DeSilva yesterday unveiled six measures to help combat the rising gun crime the total cost will be $1 million.

The measures include bringing more than a dozen UK officers trained in firearms to the Island. They also include hiring 14 temporary operational support staff for analysis and case review work.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is to offer further training and Bermuda will have access to its information sharing computer system.

In exchange, the US will also be alerted when persons of interest travelling from Bermuda enter the US.

The Police will also hire an overseas second Assistant Commissioner with expertise in gangs and send three local Superintendents to operational posts in the UK for further training.

"Three years ago when the leadership of this Government first sought overseas assistance — everyone in this Country said no," Sen. Burch said yesterday. "Now we have reached the point where everyone is now saying when are we going to get overseas assistance? "So suffice to say we will become a little hard of hearing when the whining starts about actions taken."

He said the Government spoke with Governor Sir Richard Gozney about the recent spate of crime.

And it also spoke with the Bermuda Police Service about the possibility of overseas assistance.

The BPS provided an outline of the areas of support that would be most beneficial; the Government considered and approved all that they sought, Sen. Burch said.

"Government has also agreed to support a plan to fill existing vacancies within the service with trained firearms officers," Sen Burch said. "This will augment the number of officers who are so trained, and thereby provide relief for existing firearms officers.

"This support, however, comes at a cost. But it is a cost that we must pay. The additional overseas support, including salaries, temporary office space, accommodations and relocation costs will require approximately $1 million in additional funding.

"I anticipate that at the appropriate time there will be universal support should a supplementary [budget request] be necessary.

"The cost of the additional firearms officers is covered in the salary allocations already provided to the BPS."

Mr. DeSilva gave an in-depth overview of the new measures and said they will help tackle crime and enhance public confidence.

"We are progressing in the areas where we are short on experience, and we are building more capacity where we are short on staffing," he said.

Mr. DeSilva has just returned from interviewing perspective officers in the UK and visiting the New York Police Department.

Referring to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's offer of NYPD assistance to Premier Ewart Brown in January he said: "Following some earlier telephone calls this year, we met last week with senior officers from the Gang Division of NYPD.

"They were very welcoming — as we find with most of our sister police forces — and we looked at their intelligence systems, operational teams and community outreach initiatives.

"It was reassuring that we are, in fact, already doing many of the same things they are. There may be opportunities for our staff to visit NYPD — and indeed other agencies as we are open to following best practice wherever we find it.

"However, no details have been worked out just at the moment and quite clearly we have our hands full with the other projects we are working on."

Since May last year seven people have been shot dead and an additional 25 people have been shot but survived their injuries.

Commissioner of Police Michael DeSilva outlined several new measures yesterday that will help Police combat rising gun crime.

The measures will help the Bermuda Police Service tackle crime and enhance public confidence.

¦ Overseas firearms officers

The BPS has hired approximately a dozen UK officers who have already been trained to use firearms. They will arrive in Bermuda next month.

Yesterday, Mr. DeSilva said: "They will join a number of local officers who received their firearms training earlier this year for some joint training, before both groups then join the main firearms team on operational duties".

¦ Federal Bureau of Investigation support and training

In January the FBI offered some training to local Police and will offer a second course for people in the Department of Public Prosecution's Office, Customs, Immigration, Corrections and Probation Services.

The BPS will also be sending some of its staff to the US to take part in operational attachments with the FBI and its partners, this will allow them to get a first hand look at intelligence systems and street level tactics.

Mr. DeSilva added that the BPS has also been invited to join their information sharing network, which will give local Police access to US national databases on guns, ammunition, gangs, graffiti, tattoos and Internet sites

"More importantly, access to this network puts US law enforcement agencies on alert for persons that Bermuda has interests in," he said. "So, if the police are monitoring an individual in Bermuda — the US authorities will also look out for them when they are in the States.

¦ Hire temporary staff

The BPS has hired 14 retired or current officers from the UK to support investigations in the Serious Crime Unit. The staff has been hired on a temporary basis ranging from three to six months each to support our investigations in the Serious Crime Unit.

Some of the staff arrived in late January and more have arrived recently. They will not be policing the streets of Bermuda instead they are tasked with reviewing older cases for new lines of inquiry assisting investigators or analysing intelligence.

¦ Assistant Commissioner of Police

There are currently three candidates on the Island interviewing to be the second Assistant Commissioner.

The successful candidate will have to have a proven and recent track record of developing strategies and operational tactics that reduce crime and antisocial behaviour, particularly in relation to gang violence and the use of firearms.

The contract will be for no more than three years and the individual will be required to mentor staff.

Mr. DeSilva added: "Rather than race our Superintendents to the next rank — all of whom are new in the post — I have decided to enhance their training by providing operational postings in the UK to give wider exposure to operational policing."

Within three years one of the Superintendents will be promoted to the second Assistant Commissioner post.