The Premier says the Governor and Government are now "on the same page" with respect to bringing in overseas law enforcement agencies to confront Bermuda's gang problem.

Dr. Ewart Brown said last night he welcomed the "outside assistance" as Government had been lobbying Government House for this since 2006.

The Premier was referring to recent news that Police from Florida and the UK will join FBI experts in training the Bermuda Police Service to combat the growing gun violence.

Commenting on the overseas assistance last night, the Premier told the ZBM 'Let's Talk' show: "That's something we've been lobbying for for three years and we welcome the news".

He told presenter Gary Moreno: "The effort to eradicate this criminal trend has not stopped. We've been working on this despite any differences between Government House and the Government.

"The issue was being dealt with, there were policing strategies being tried. We've seen an intensification of policing effort, different deployment measures. The major issue of disagreement was of outside assistance, to apply the appropriate strategy to this crime.

"But it wasn't stopping, it was getting worse, so we said we wanted to bring in outside assistance and the Governor has agreed, and now we are on the same page with respect to that."

Dr. Brown said he felt the Police had to get tough with the gangs.

"We felt three years ago and also today that one part of their work must be to speak the language of the street, and must effectively counter what is going on.

"We feel we do have a Police Service quite capable of getting this underway and taking the measures necessary.

"We are moving ahead with what we have. One thing we must be clear on, is that we will always have disagreement, that's clear. But despite this we must be able to move forward on the programme.

"Policing must take place. We must still attack the problem and attack it seriously."

The Premier added the current situation was like "deja vu" as he had witnessed it before living in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

"It's the same thing young black men destroying themselves, primarily fuelled by the drug business. In order to influence some of the processes of the drug trade, guns are being used in order to do that."

But he added the community needed to speak out against such violence.

"People are afraid, but there's more to fear if they don't come forward. When a hundred people watch a shooting at Southside and the Police can't find one witness, the question is have we already lost?"

The Premier added the gang problem was however, not specific to Bermuda and was a culture throughout the Caribbean region.

Speaking about the recent Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) conference he attended in London last week, the Premier said: "Every Caribbean (British) Overseas Territory presented a similar picture Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, everywhere.

"This problem is not a Bermudian problem, it is not a North American problem, it's a problem occurring throughout the Diaspora.

"It's a phenomenon threatening the fabric of society and the tourism industry throughout the Caribbean."

The Premier however, said he was heartened by a recent stirring of community action.

"There are MPs that have reported to me that there is community action taking place. People are beginning to form Neighbourhood Watch and community action groups," he said.

"That's what we're talking about, and once Bermuda is starting to respond like that we will become the ones to be feared, the ones who are bringing order to this community."

Dr. Brown added Government was also grateful to the organisers of the We Will Rise Above, Bermuda grassroots collective.

"I hear the 'Rise Above' movement has gotten off to a great start. Fabulous. We say thank you to them. I know we have a strong Government but we are not able to do it all.'

l We Will rise Above, Bermuda – report, see page 5