One of the by-products of Jamaica's soaring crime rate has been the proliferation of home security systems.

While many put their trust in response systems, rapid armed response at the press of a button, others have invested in dogs. Some aggressive breeds are in homes, especially in the urban areas.

Given the number of dogs and the proximity of the houses, it is inevitable that there will be accidental attacks, such as the one that was reported in Tuesday's STAR. The picture of Kevin Hanson's head, after being attacked by a Rottweiler a year and a half ago, is horrific but, according to reports from his family, the psychological wounds might be even graver.

Young Hanson, who might not be able to even go on to high school, was attacked by the dog (which bit out a piece of his scalp) while playing football along Love Lane, Ewarton, St Catherine. The animal had escaped from the premises where it was kept.

We cannot overemphasise the need for owners of these strong, aggressive dogs to secure them properly. It is not the first time such an attack has come to public attention in recent times and we can only imagine how many have not made the news.

The owner of a licensed firearm would not be careless with his or her deadly weapon. Those who own aggressive dogs should take the same level of caution in securing their premises.

In fact, they should be required to do so.