Curbing the crime problem

The Editor, Sir:

It is my belief that the root cause of the widespread crime and violence is embedded in poverty and lack of opportunity.

While this problem cannot be resolved overnight, there are measures that can be taken to tame this monster.

Crime and violence are fostered because of the inefficiencies and inconsistencies of the justice system, the freedom of movement of idle hands, and lack of accountability for individuals by the state.

My recommendations to fix this problem are:

1) Primary education must be compulsory for all children of a particular age and where there are isolated cases, they must be dealt with accordingly, e.g disabled and sick children.

2) Those leaving primary school should go straight into secondary institution or remedial sessions for those not meeting the required standard.

3) From secondary to tertiary, vocational, remedial courses or straight into a job or starting your own business.

Productive venture

4) For those people who become unemployed, a programme de-signed by the social security ministry must take effect to create a temporary means of financial support and simultan-eously, the programme must be a productive venture for the state.

5) The state must ensure that all individuals are accounted for and the only people with 'free time' must be pensioners and the elderly.

6) No loitering of individuals on the streets, e.g playing dominoes under street lights and sitting idly on the streets.

7) Joint military operation must target and take place in all informal settlements to uncover illegal activities and possessions

For these to be effective, the sequence of events must be made mandatory and not optional.

It is the idle hands who are free to plan, organise (mastermind) and execute evil deeds and closing this window will surely close the opportunity for these happenings.

I am, etc.,

ONIEL YARRU

oyarru@hotmail.com