The lead story in last Thursday's STAR titled 'Ghetto justice', no cops needed, spoke of communities operating their own justice systems with strict punishments being enforced in an effort to dispel police attention.

According to the story, residents have been ordered to be of good behaviour or be punished. It revealed that some of the punishments involved flogging, kneeling on bottle corks while in the sun for hours and the breaking of limbs. One community reportedly has even gone as far as to set up its own 'court' to regulate punishment.

Nevertheless, the fact that punishment is being dished out to residents by thugs is quite scary. Upon reading the story, one can almost certainly get the understanding that the punishing of badly behaved residents is to actually cover up the actions of the criminal elements in the respective communities.

For residents also to claim that they trust the judgements of these enforcers as opposed to seeking the aid of the police is truly an indication that we as people are setting our priorities backwards.

Aren't these enforcers often the same ruthless individuals who terrorise our nation's streets? The mere act of walking to and from wherever is an act of bravery.

In all essence, it would seem that these individuals are the ones truly in need of punishment.

Citizens of this county need to come together and take a stand against criminals who continuously try to find ways to hide themselves beneath the shadows while forcing others to the forefront.

It makes no sense to comply with the ideas of wrongdoers who seemingly are without the resolution to face their own judgements.