Colonel Trevor MacMillan, the new minister of national security, has announced a multifaceted approach to crime.
According to an article in the Wednesday Gleaner, MacMillan said he wanted the security forces to be tough on criminals. In addition, he said he would push for a coordinated 'attack' on the social conditions that create criminals.
It is certainly important for the crime plan to be more than just boosting the police force and providing equipment and getting rid of the guns.
As Colonel MacMillan acknowledged, we need to deal with the social conditions that create criminals. Unless we deal with this aspect, no amount of police intervention and force can get rid of them or lessen them.
Difficult to deal with
However, given the increasingly difficult economic times we are now undergoing, it seems quite difficult to properly deal with these social problems effectively.
Of note is the fact that the prime minister, according to the said article, is to meet with representatives of several social-service agencies. This is a welcome first step towards dealing with the social cause behind the crime problem.
Definitely, crime is one of the major areas of concern among citizens and we hope that the new minister's approach will be enough to lead to significant reduction.
We also hope that while he is calling for the security forces to be tough on criminals, he will provide the resources to ensure that they can give him the results he wants as this is equally important.
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