Opposition MP Michael Dunkley urged the Police to explain how information passed to Crime Stoppers remains confidential.

In the wake of two murders last week Mr. Dunkley, who is the Public Safety spokesman for the United Bermuda Party, said people need to feel safe about passing information on to the Police.

"Assistance from within communities is perhaps the most important component in an effective campaign to detect, arrest and prosecute the criminal element in Bermuda today," he said.

"We understand people are fearful that if they step forward to help Police for the sake of safer communities they may endanger themselves and even their families.

"To encourage people to take that step forward, we urge the Police to fully explain the confidentiality guarantee at the centre of Crime Stoppers' reporting and any other vehicles members of the public can use to pass on information.

"If people are going to step forward they need to be assured they cannot be found out."

Last week saw Gary "Fingaz" Cann and Shane Minors shot dead. They were the third and fourth victims to be killed in this year's spate of gun crime. In total 17 people have been shot.

Mr. Minors lay dead on his door step for five hours despite neighbours hearing gunshots because nobody called the Police. This was described as "unacceptable" by Superintendent Antoine Daniels.

Mr. Dunkley said: "Finally, I would like to add that people need to be brave about this — brave to step forward — because so much rests on it: the health of individual communities, our economy and, most important, the safety of our children and the island they will inherit.

"Let's all do what we need to do to make sure it is a prosperous, stable and safe Bermuda that we pass on to them."