THE EDITOR: I am certain the majority of the TT society is exhausted with the merry-go-round and, more specifically, the blame game on curbing crime. However, to fight or prevent crime a holistic approach has to be adopted.

Poor parenting has been advanced as one reason for youths getting involved in crime, but there are other factors which contribute to the increasing level of crime. For instance, in schools there are teachers who tolerate bad behaviour of students.

Those teachers often take the views that they want their work to be easy and smooth-going, and they do not want to spend time on disciplinary matters. Also, they want to be liked by students. Such attitudes contribute to bad behaviour and delinquent students.

Also, the Ministry of Education must be cognisant of its policies governing school operations. For example, when there are festivities like Carnival parties in schools, the music is very loud, affecting people in the neighbourhood. No one cares about the babies, the sick and the elderly.

In addition, some teachers encourage primary school students to make noise at the end of the school day on Fridays. Students could be heard shouting loudly that "it is Friday!"

What is being taught here, in the informal curriculum, from a young age? That it is okay to make noise and that noise is concomitant with the school environment and society at large? Don't we expect that laws on noise pollution will be blatantly ignored later on in these students' lives?

Further, the crime issue should not be politicised. Intelligent people would know, regardless of who is at the helm of the Ministry of National Security, that no one person would be able to solve crime. The crime fight requires a multiplicity approach which transcends morality from the home and other institutions.

Thus it is nonsensical to ask the Commissioner of Police to reveal, overtly, what her plans are for fighting crime. Wouldn't that be a forewarning for the criminals and prospective criminals to utilise in their planning and implementation of crime?

In an attempt to stem crime, we need to amend the laws and have severe penalties for offenders. To achieve this the three arms of government must be in sync without acting contrary to the separation of powers.

Further, there is a serious role for the Opposition to perform, not a non-partisan one, when it relates to making and amending legislation. If this is done, the citizens will all have a better chance of controlling crime.

THERESA S WICKHAM

via e-mail

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