'We'll help you to defeat the gangs'

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29: US-Bermuda links to tackle gun crime and drugs will continue and strengthen, US Consul General Grace Shelton has pledged.

Ms Shelton said she is proud of a visit by FBI experts in gangs at the height of Bermuda’s gun violence in 2010 and of helping to arrange for Bermudians to visit anti-gang initiatives in New York and Boston — which has evolved into a Bermudian version of the New England city’s successful StreetSafe initiative.

She added: “Bermudians went to the United States where they looked at possibilities and what they wanted to adopt for Bermuda. It’s good to collaborate on that.”

Ms Shelton, right, who is moving to a post at the State Department in Washington after three years on the island. She said: “Shortly after I arrived, Bermuda’s violent crime problem intensified and the Bermuda Police Service asked for our cooperation in helping to address the situation.”

She added: “Law enforcement cooperation is good; our law enforcement agencies always praise their work with the Bermuda Police Service and ask them for help as Bermuda does with our law enforcement agencies. It has helped in getting criminals off the streets.”

And Ms Shelton said: “For the United States, since 9/11, we have focused on international terrorism and international crime — it crosses borders and the cooperation and collaboration in place will continue.

“We value it — I think Bermuda values it and both countries benefit.”

She said that Bermuda continued to cooperate with the US in the fight against international terrorism and cross-border crime and with the American goal of cutting off the flow of money to both.

Ms Shelton added: “A treaty on mutual aid in criminal matters is now in force and that will further enhance enhance and ease law enforcement cooperation.”

Ms Shelton – the 46th in a line of US Consular representatives stretching back to 1818 – was speaking as she packed up and prepared to leave the island on Thursday.

She added that – although Bermuda no longer had a massive US Naval Air Station — there were at least 8,000 US citizens on the island, as well as around half-a-million American visitors every year and that were no plans to downgrade diplomatic representation on the island.

Security

Ms Shelton said: “US foreign policy seeks the security and the prosperity of Americans and we have a multi-pronged approach to that. The United States and Bermuda share a language, they share values and we are close geographical neighbours – there are lots of things we can do together.

“And Congress respects the fact that we need to look after American citizens everywhere.”

Ms Shelton added that the US aimed to continue US Customs pre-clearance and immigration control on the island, which benefited both countries.

She said: “This is a win-win situation for both Bermuda and the United States. It makes American skles safer and for international business people and people travelling to the US, it’s a much more pleasant trip.

“Bermuda is not a cheap place to operate, but Bermuda is a close ally and we are good friends.”

Ms Shelton declined to comment on controversy over US Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s much-publicised business interests in Bermuda, which, although completely legal, cut his US tax bill.

She said: “When I first arrived here, Bermuda  was concerned about being called a tax haven – it came up in the last election.

“There is always this underlying anxiety – I can’t speculate on what possible legislation there could be.”

But she added that both former Premier Ewart Brown and Premier Paula Cox had both visited Washington and met senior political figures to put Bermuda’s case.

She added: “We opened some channels of communication – Bermuda has an office in Washington and it’s good for Bermuda to have a presence in Washington and keep lines of communication open.”

Ms Shelton’s replacement Robert Settje, also a career diplomat, but with a background as a criminal lawyer and as a police officer, will arrive on the island on Thursday.