Fear of crime in Bermuda is now so high all other social issues pale into insignificance, according to a new poll.

Sixty-nine percent of people named crime as their number one concern in a Research.bm survey carried out a few days after Perry Puckerin became the Island's first gun death victim of 2010.

Education came next on just nine percent, with the economy on seven percent and everything else next to nothing. In the previous poll last October, crime scored 34 percent, the economy 20 percent and education 12 percent. Since then, Bermuda has plunged into an unprecedented era of rampant gun violence, with four people shot dead, including Mr. Puckerin at Hamilton Workmen's Club on January 3, and many more injured.

Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva yesterday said he was not surprised at the level of fear of crime and conceded the violence is likely to continue for some time.

But Mr. DeSilva said he believes Police can work with the people, Government and Government House to restore order.

He told The Royal Gazette: "The poll results tell me that certainly the extent of the community awareness has been raised.

"We see it manifested in all the energy being put into community activities including the marches over the weekend.

"Clearly, it's on people's radar and it's calling people to action. While I appreciate a rise in violent crime is not a positive thing, certainly the community reaction is.

"There's a real and meaningful combined effort being put into tackling the problem and finding more solutions.

"I don't think we have seen the end of it, and I don't think it's healthy to raise expectations about when we will see the end to it.

"But the focus should be on recognising we have seen things calm down, certainly in comparison to where it was in mid-December."

The poll of 432 residents between January 6 and January 9 also revealed 77 percent of people did not think enough is being done to stop gun violence.

Criticism was strongest among the younger generation, with 100 percent of people aged between 18 and 24 complaining not enough is being done.

Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley said yesterday: "The public, when the poll was taken, had seen little in the way of results to curb and control the gun violence.

"My colleagues and I remain very concerned about the rise in violence, violence that until recently was foreign to our way of life.

"We have over the past few months, and indeed years, spoken on many occasions highlighting initiatives which we believe would have helped and still can help to curb this alarming trend.

"We remain committed to helping and supporting the police as they tackle this daunting task."

Sen. Dunkley added that although most people didn't name education as their top concern, it is probably still Bermuda's main issue in the long term. "A failing education system, which we have now, is one of the main reasons why so many of our young people end up in gangs and why so many others resort to crime," he said.

Bermuda Democratic Alliance MP Mark Pettingill said: "This unacceptable position is a threat to the very fabric of Bermudian life and clearly people recognise this and are greatly concerned about it.

"We hope, and would candidly expect right thinking people to demand, that no expense is spared or resource left unused in addressing this serious problem that is now facing our Country."

Party colleague Michael Fahy added: "We are encouraged however that the Bermuda Police Service has been far more visible on the streets of late, particularly since Commissioner Michael DeSilva assumed command.

"We hope that in the coming Parliamentary session, the Government brings forward for debate anti-gang legislation and provides adequate funding for the Police service."

Public Safety Minister David Burch and his press officer did not respond to requests for a comment. The poll has a margin of error of 4.9 percent.